2005 Nissan Altima passenger side axle

There's a lot of different sizes on different car models. We don't memorize them. We just grab sockets until we find the right one. If you have to borrow tools from an auto parts store that rents or borrows tools, they'll usually give you a full set of sockets, or there is usually a new nut with the new axle. They can open the box to see which socket fits.

A common socket for the axle nut is 36mm, but 32 and 36 are common too. Depending on the design of the ball joint, 19 and 24mm are common sizes for the tapered stud. If you have a pinch bolt, 15mm is common for the bolt head, and 17 or 19mm for the nut.

Don't forget to borrow a torque wrench too. The tightness of the axle nut is critical, and it is absolutely necessary to have that nut tight before you place any of the vehicle's weight on that wheel, otherwise the wheel bearing will become noisy.

That also varies among car models. There should be a sheet with the new axle shaft that lists the torque specs, otherwise the auto parts store may have it listed in one of their books. As a general rule, the lowest I've ever seem is 180 foot pounds which is fairly common. The highest I've ever run into is 240 foot pounds on some GM cars.