Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Thought I would post my experience replacing the rear hub seals on my '98 3500 Dana 80 in hopes of helping someone else avoid the problem I had.
I bought a pretty decent quality 2 9/16" socket (3/4" drive) and proceeded to complete the left side brakes and seal with no issues. Factory service manual is pretty good.
Went to the right side to repeat. Removed the little lock from the spindle nut, inserted socket and could not budge the nut. Put a cheater on my 3/4" breaker bar and moved the nut maybe a quarter turn. Kept on until I broke the socket.
Got another socket, this time a 1/2" drive so I could us my air impact. Almost tore the square drive out of this (non-impact) socket. Still no movement.
Thinking the nylon insert in the nut was folding under the threads, I used a chisel and hammer to cut the outer edge off the nut so I could remove the nylon ring. Good idea but it didn't work. Still couldn't turn the nut. Applied a little heat - still no luck. Couldn't tighten or loosen.
Last resort. I used an air die grinder with a small carbide cutter and was able to cut the nut directly over the keyway on the top side of the housing. I had to cut completely through the nut to get it off.
The cause: I've had this truck since new and the hubs have never been off. The threads on the housing were very badly banged up, not cross threaded, but looked like something heavy and sharp had hit them. The threads in the nut were also badly damaged. I'm guessing it happened during assembly at the factory and they used a massive dose of torque to tighten that nut over those damaged threads.
I cleaned the housing threads with a dremel tool and small thin cutoff wheel. Got a new nut ($27.00) and am now on the ground and running again.
Talk about a small, easy job getting difficult, this was it. If the nut will not turn, just cut it.
I bought a pretty decent quality 2 9/16" socket (3/4" drive) and proceeded to complete the left side brakes and seal with no issues. Factory service manual is pretty good.
Went to the right side to repeat. Removed the little lock from the spindle nut, inserted socket and could not budge the nut. Put a cheater on my 3/4" breaker bar and moved the nut maybe a quarter turn. Kept on until I broke the socket.
Got another socket, this time a 1/2" drive so I could us my air impact. Almost tore the square drive out of this (non-impact) socket. Still no movement.
Thinking the nylon insert in the nut was folding under the threads, I used a chisel and hammer to cut the outer edge off the nut so I could remove the nylon ring. Good idea but it didn't work. Still couldn't turn the nut. Applied a little heat - still no luck. Couldn't tighten or loosen.
Last resort. I used an air die grinder with a small carbide cutter and was able to cut the nut directly over the keyway on the top side of the housing. I had to cut completely through the nut to get it off.
The cause: I've had this truck since new and the hubs have never been off. The threads on the housing were very badly banged up, not cross threaded, but looked like something heavy and sharp had hit them. The threads in the nut were also badly damaged. I'm guessing it happened during assembly at the factory and they used a massive dose of torque to tighten that nut over those damaged threads.
I cleaned the housing threads with a dremel tool and small thin cutoff wheel. Got a new nut ($27.00) and am now on the ground and running again.
Talk about a small, easy job getting difficult, this was it. If the nut will not turn, just cut it.
