I recently purchased the Craftsman 3-piece lug off flip socket set Sears item #00947392000 Mfr. model #2305LL to get locking lug nuts off of my Cougar. I bought the Cougar a year ago. To my chagrin a week ago after having a flat, I found it had locking lug nuts on it and the key was not with the vehicle and the previous owner is dead.

The locking lug nuts ground the flutes down on the craftsman tools.
There is not enough space in the wheel area to use a cut of tool without ruining the aluminum wheels.

I looked at some the equivalent tools by SnapOn, Mac, SK and Matco and they all seem to be made similarly to the Craftsman set. The Snapon set isn't supposed to be used with an Impact wrench while the craftsman set is.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

I was shocked that the locking nuts were made out of harder metal than the tools. I will be taking them back to sears since I have a receipt and the tools have the lifetime guarantee.

Perhaps I should have used a manual impact driver and hammer instead of the impact wrench, but I followed intrusctions with the set.

 

What I did was find a socket that would fit snug on the lug nut. Then go out and buy a cheap socket so you don't mess up your good one. Now beat that cheap socket onto the messed up locking lug nut. Attach a breaker bar and unscrew. Good luck. Karl

 

You have to be carefull, but I have successfully used an air chisel on those. Hit the same spot untill it starts spinning. Then just turn it off.

 

They are never on as tight as a regular lug nut. I have removed them in the past with just a large set of visegrips. Don't foget to grunt. It sorta scares them off. At least for me anyway.

 

Why not take a large nut (say 1/2 inch coarse thread) and plug weld through the hole onto the end of the locking lug nut? Then use the wrench of your choice to turn the added nut and (because of the weld) the locking lug nut with it.

I've used this method with much success on stripped fasteners of all sorts.

 

I can't get pliers into the area nor a nut splitter. The rest of the regular lugs were on pretty tight. I had to set my IR wrench to 650 ft/lbs to get them off and it struggled a bit. I had to grunt even with impact. That lock is on tight enough to were down the flutes on the craftsman tool I was using.

I'm going to give the socket suggestion as will as the air hammer a go when I get some time off work Thursday.

Thanks for the responses.

My wife suggeted a drag the thing onto the trailor with a wench and take it to the tire shop where I was going to buy tires.

 

I'd have to try this with my MIG setup.

 

I have heard of blasting it with a fire extinguisher (the one that makes your beer cold in a snap) then wack it with air chisel or hammer and chisel and they split right off mainly because the steal or alloy is frozen

 

The tire place more than likely is going to ruin your rims. I had this same issue with my 93 Continental and no matter what they did they couldn't get one nut off the stud. They ruined the aluminum rim by trying to torch the nut enough to break it loose.

Steel nut, stud, aluminum wheel. They agreed to replace the rim with an OEM rim, without much hassle.

*I* got the lugnut off by using one of *their* impact sockets which I beat on with a hammer, attached a breaker bar, then used their floor jack handle to extend the breaker bar by slipping it over. Had one of their employees stand on the brakes, and viola, twisted right off.

They got to keep the socket and the lugnut

This also works with locking lugnuts, as well as keyed lugnuts that don't use standard sockets. You're worse case scenario is to use a punch to make an indentation in the center of the nut head if it's encased, or the stud, and drilling out the stud. Use tons of cutting oil (or ATF if you're cheap like me and don't mind the smoke) and bore right in.

Hammer the remains of the stud through the backing flange, replace, and use a new nut.

Use the best drill bit you can find, otherwise you're not going to do anything but dull it in a few seconds and not make any progress.

 

I've had good success with the "drive a socket onto the lug" as described. A half inch drive impact driver with it works great because it is forcing the socket onto the keyed nut as it turns it. Quick and easy.

 

Not as well equipped as many here,

Tried a Sears nutsplitter-- lug nut won (will get an exchange someday)

Ended up using various grinding ends on with a drillmotor, followed by a chisel to break the nut apart. Was not fun. Did this on both front wheels.

Here's the best part. I'd searched for the key pretty much everywhere, and the back wheels each had a one non standard replacement nut. BUT, after completing this joyous task, I found the key in the ashtray.

I tell myself that the keyed nuts were corroded and it probably wouldn't have worked anyway.

ford2go

 

You know what I hate. Those cheap lug nut covers that manufacturers put on the stock lug nuts. They just fall off, and then your lug wrench doesn't fit right any more.

 

> There is not enough space in the wheel area to use a cut of tool without
> ruining the aluminum wheels.

Do you have a picture? I have used a dremel with a metal cutting disc before to make cuts almost to the stud in four spots (NSEW). Usually it pops right off the stud and you can remove it with your fingers. Or you can use the air hammer in one of the kerfs.

Wear safety glasses with side shields because when the discs shatter from not being held straight the pieces can go anywhere at 20k rpms.


re:650 foot pounds

Are you using 3/8 hose all the way through or do you have a coiled hose attached to your impact?

 

I've been doing the same thing for over 40 years also! What I've found really amazing is taking a steel bolt or stud that's corroded into a aluminum block, welding a nut onto it and letting it cool COMPLETELY........almost will come out with your fingers!


Must be a farmer thing.......