Q: How much torque should be applied to the axle shaft nut (front) on S1 Fulvias? I changed a CV boot recently, and now I am playing around with the torque and >not doing it right at all. I only recently was able to borrow the six point factory tool for the outer nuts and will use it tonight. I somehow think the torque must be different from S1 and S2 cars. If you tell me a torque figure in metric terms, I don't have the conversion factor for it, so foot-pounds is preferrable to newton-metres, though I think the conversion is a factor of 1.35 from ft-lbs to Nm.
- Jay, jhinton@loc.gov.

A: The front axle nut (I am talking about the inner nut, that is the closest to the CV joint) needs a very high torque; at least 150 lbft. The six pin tool should be bolted to the driveshaft (which is threaded for this purpose) to avoid slippage and damage. Then you apply the vernier spacer and insert the dowel into a hole. If you cannot do this, it will mean that you have applied the wrong torque, too little or too much. The system is actually very sensitive to the correct torque. Then you apply the outer nut and torque it up moderately. In the latter case I go by "feeling" but I would think that the torque is much less than 100 lbft. Finally you stake (gently) the outer nut ridge. Of course S2 and S3 cars have only one 3 pin axle nut which cannot be so precisely torqued up and adjusted.
Good luck, Andrea