Lug Nuts
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: FT POLK LA
Lug Nuts
My right rear tire shredded on the road to me today. Now changing a tire should be simple. But when I limped it home(radial 3 ply tire, outer tread came off) and tried to take the tire off using the standard stuff. The lug nuts started disintigrating. and wouldnt come off. I bought a breaker bar and got all of them off but one. It was stripped. I tried using a smaller socket used a hammer and chisel( Im almost through cutting the nut) and a few other tricks it wont budge. Lukily I can drive my wifes car to work
.Any ideas of how to get out of this dilemma? Or sould I just continue with the hammer and chisel?
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
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From: Atlanta GA
Rotate the tire so the lug is at the top of the tire and make sure the wheel is off the ground. Set the parking brake and give it another try. If that does not work, take an air powered cut off tool or a dremel cut off wheel and cut the lug nut almost to the lug in a couple of different places. Once the pressure is relived, the lugnut should come right off.
Sounds like to me your lugnuts were loose and the wobbling is what destroyed the tire and their threads.
Sounds like to me your lugnuts were loose and the wobbling is what destroyed the tire and their threads.
Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 455
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From: Alaska
you should be using a six-point socket or risk rounding off the nut, if you have done so sometimes a six-point will save the day.
If you have gone past the socket stage then a hammer & chisel may work, some heat and persistance will be in order, if all that fails, you might get someone with a torch to cut it for you or you could break the stud off with a BIG hammer, in either case you will have to replace the stud, but, if you're lucky, you can save the wheel.
over the years I have encountered all of these scenarios and sometimes have been able to get the nut off and sometimes I've have to torch the wheel.
Are you feeling lucky today? FSC
If you have gone past the socket stage then a hammer & chisel may work, some heat and persistance will be in order, if all that fails, you might get someone with a torch to cut it for you or you could break the stud off with a BIG hammer, in either case you will have to replace the stud, but, if you're lucky, you can save the wheel.
over the years I have encountered all of these scenarios and sometimes have been able to get the nut off and sometimes I've have to torch the wheel.
Are you feeling lucky today? FSC
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From: FT POLK LA
From what I can see from what ive cut off of the lug so far is the stud is in tact. As for the nuts being loose in the first place thats what I thought the problem was at first but they were on so tight that a lug wrench wouldnt get them off without a breaker bar. When I bought the truck the tires were already a bit worn but not beyond the threshold. But im guessing that the tires were just plainly worn out.l I dont know if Ill ever buy coopers after what happened to these. Maybe a good set of BFGs.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: FT POLK LA
I agree Coopers are not very good. After the first ply came off the tire stayed inflated. It still is, but not really road worthy. Ive made more progress getting the nut off just a little more pounding and cutting.
Can 4 bolts/ studs sustain the the wheel for a length of time while driving without the 4 remaining bolts coming loose too quickly?
Can 4 bolts/ studs sustain the the wheel for a length of time while driving without the 4 remaining bolts coming loose too quickly?
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
> Can 4 bolts/ studs sustain the the wheel for a length of time while driving
> without the 4 remaining bolts coming loose too quickly
As long as the stud is there, yes, because I have driven many vehicles like that. I just not do 70+ mph or take them off road like that. When you tighten the wheel make sure the missing lugnut is at the bottom of the wheel. Just check it before you drive it any distance everyday. In the city put-put driving and it will be good forever. It is highway speed that will loosen them fast.
What I would do if it was my truck. Run a die down each thread and clean out all the old stuff like brake dust UNLESS the threads are destroyed and it will mean removing a lot of metal (more then three threads). Usually if the threads are good at the top, you can get the die going all the way down to repair the couple of bad threads.
You should replace the stud, but, a $10 die can be a good fix "for now".
> without the 4 remaining bolts coming loose too quickly
As long as the stud is there, yes, because I have driven many vehicles like that. I just not do 70+ mph or take them off road like that. When you tighten the wheel make sure the missing lugnut is at the bottom of the wheel. Just check it before you drive it any distance everyday. In the city put-put driving and it will be good forever. It is highway speed that will loosen them fast.
What I would do if it was my truck. Run a die down each thread and clean out all the old stuff like brake dust UNLESS the threads are destroyed and it will mean removing a lot of metal (more then three threads). Usually if the threads are good at the top, you can get the die going all the way down to repair the couple of bad threads.
You should replace the stud, but, a $10 die can be a good fix "for now".
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I read a lot of the positive feed-back you've received. I'm not going to waste my time speculating on the "chain-of-events" that led to being stuck. I will say that about the fastest way to get that lug nut "un-stuck" would be to use a "Nut-Splitter" on it. A set of two (2) nut splitters is available from most parts stores that sell a few tools on the side. If you're in a more metropolitan area, you can get them from "Harbor Freight Tools". I believe they're also on-line. Anyway, best of luck, I figured I'd toss in my two-cents worth. P.S. I've had this same problem before, and that was my solution.
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