!*??*! Lug Nut

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Pat Anderson

New member
The morning after we returned from the Idaho lakes cruise, we noticed one of the trailer tires was flat. Don't know if it went flat in the driveway or if we had towed a ways flat, don't think so but no way to know for sure. OK, we need to take it off. Five of the six lug nuts came off easily. The sixth one is like it is welded on - will not budge. David suggested heating the nut with a propane torch, I hit it with my little butane soldering iron flame - nada. Maybe not enough BTUs, can try with a little larger torch tomorrow. So far, all I have accomplished is discoloring it with the torch and screwing up the shape of the nut wrenching on it...it is 13/16" apparently. I am down to the notion of renting an air impact wrench and compressor...any other ideas to deal with this sucker? I am out of business until I can get it off and get the tire repaired...
 
Did you try any penetrating oil first? There's a bunch of brands - even WD40 will often do the job if applied heavily and left on a few hours (perhaps with additional applications in between). I've also had good luck in my old bicycle days using something acidic (like coke) to help loosen up nuts. Also, you don't necessarily need an air impact wrench, you can buy an impact driver that you hit with a hammer to do essentially the same thing.
 
SENSEI":2ftjjx9y said:
It is called LES SCHWAAB TIRE.
they have a mobil truck and can fix it at your residence
Click to expand...

Certainly another option (I love Les Schwaab's service and buy all my tires from them). However, Pat's just now learning how to fish and we want to reinforce that testosterone expression by helping to change his own damn tire too.
 
I have an old length (about 18") of 1" schedule 40 pipe which I keep around for such activities. It makes a fine extender for the wrench handle.

Paul Priest
Sequim
 
I'm with Roger on this one...soak it with WD40 or Boeshield, which I think is even better. Let it sit a few minutes, hours or better leave it overnight and then try again. Amazing stuff.

Although, once you do that you will need to avoid the blow torch. Both WD40 and Boeshield are quite flammable.
 
The best stuff I've found for this is a product called "PB Blaster" Sometimes if you tighten the nut slightly before trying to lossen it helps.
 
Up here in Alaska most women and children do their own tires! By now those others have softened you some and I know you can't throw the tire tool tis far so I had to jab ya!

All of the above advice is great but there is one thing I would add here. Knowing that the lug is 13/16 ths will be helpful when you go buy replacements FOR ALL YOUR LUGS. 95% of the time the nut goes before the stud. If they have been mistreated by someone prior to you, you will never know that. This is serious stuff and should not be taken lightly. Napa sells a cheapo torque wrench in the $58.00 range and with it's help you can torque your new nuts to between 90 and 110 ft. lbs. This is all simple internet stuff if you want conformation.

Good luck, Mike
 
heat will expain the metal, cold will contract the metal. try ice or a little propane to cool the nut then loosen it. I had a ball joint once that would not come out. hit it with everything I could and it would not budge in the 100` heat. waited until later in the day and the temp had dropped to 65` the ball joint dropped out as soon as I layed my hand on it. funn how things work.
 
Several choices here. Put air back in the tire if you can or have some
one with a portable air can do that and put the lugs back on and take it
to a tire shop before the air leaves.
Or pull the wheel at the bearing and take both the bearing housing and
tire to the tire shop and let them repair it. Replacing parts is a good idea
as you by now have worked over the nut and stud.
When repaired have all the lugs lubed and the torque set. A good tire
shop should get you fixed up without a service call. Good luck
Bob Heselberg Eatonville Wa
 
Yes, I'm sure women and children in Alaska can do a lot of things I can't...I am truly glad that this happened in my driveway and not on the road, especially not in some remote area beyond the reach of AAA or Les Schwab!

I have



Alasgun":gftv7j52 said:
Up here in Alaska most women and children do their own tires! By now those others have softened you some and I know you can't throw the tire tool tis far so I had to jab ya!

Good luck, Mike
Click to expand...
 
Yes, I'm sure women and children in Alaska can do a lot of things I can't...I am truly glad that this happened in my driveway and not on the road, especially not in some remote area beyond the reach of AAA or Les Schwab!

Alasgun":30qinx8w said:
Up here in Alaska most women and children do their own tires! By now those others have softened you some and I know you can't throw the tire tool tis far so I had to jab ya!

Good luck, Mike
Click to expand...
 
Pat,

In addition to replacing your lug nuts I would apply anti-seize compound to the threads and torque the lug nuts (on all four wheels) to the proper specification.

Good luck, let us know what worked for you.

Don
 
I use PB Blaster and let stand wet for a hour..... then use a long breaker bar.
If no go, use a CP gun and try to remove it gently. If no go, set air to max and spin it off then replace lug and nut. If it goes this far then the others would be replaced too and anti-sieze goop to the threads.
 
I'd put the first five lug nuts back on tightly, then loosen all six just slightly, in rotation. I'd guess what you may have done is transfer the "tightness" of all six nuts to the last remaining one, therefore making it impossible to remove.
Al
 
OK, an update - and it ain't good...Per Uncle Don's advice (albeit indirect) today I bought a breaker bar and a 3' iron pipe for a handle extension. Nada, nothing, zip - the breaker bar would would bend and then break before this puppy would break loose. So called Les Schwab - mobile service can't do anything, we need to bring it in. Tried to explain, the tire is flat and we can't get it off...so pumped it up, tomorrow will see how much it has gone down, pump it up again, try to get it in. I just have to wonder, are we the only people in America that this has happened to? It seems inconceivable...How would the women and children in Alaska deal with this situation??



aA
 
Oh crap, just bust the damn thing off. Them studs ain't that hard to replace. (Sorry, but it's driving me crazy.)

Try this: Jack it up so the bum tire will roll free, stick your socket, bar and cheater on there with the handle end on the ground, then rotate the wheel in the direction that would cause the nut to turn the way you want it to turn. When it is tight against the wrench, bump it in the same direction enough to flex the wrench a bit and as it rebounds back do it again. You can probably get yourself into a pretty good rhythm if the wrench doesn't fall off. I suspect the nut is galled onto the seat in the wheel hole rather than the threads being stuck. Once it breaks free of that it should unscrew. If it is the threads that are stuck, you will bust the stud. No big deal - you can haul it to Lester's using only the remaining lugs.

BY ALL MEANS: Protect your face and eyes if there is a chance the breaker bar will bust. Pieces of it can go flying. If the stud busts, she'll just fall to the ground with a thud (I've busted plenty of them) but if the hardened tool breaks it could shatter.

Make sure you have your Safe Work Permit, Isolation Forms, Job Hazard Analysis, Hot Work Permit (if heating it up), all the proper Personal Protective Equipment, and when finished file the After Task Review Form. The SWP, ISO, JHA, HWP, PPE and ATR will add an hour to the ten minute job so you can charge 'em for lunch and go home a half hour early.
 
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