lost lock nut socket

[Hoffman65burb]

Hey,

my sierra's front tire had a bolt in it, which was holding the air hahaha, till it worn down enough for it to start leaking. Well the tires flat and i cant find my lock nut socket. Anyway to break this off at home? with out torch's / welder?

[Longhorn Man]

get a 12 point socket that is just a tick too tight, and hammer it on, use a breaker bar to turn it.

[JimKshortstep4x4]

Two things that I have done is to borrow a wrench from my local yard and lacking the right wrench, I have welded a nut onto the special nut.

Cutting the nut of with a torch is very iffy as it is easy to mesh up the stud,

Jim

[monte0185]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

get a 12 point socket that is just a tick too tight, and hammer it on, use a breaker bar to turn it.

x2 on this. Most tool companies make a tool for this as well but socket usually works just as good. I usually use a 1/2 inch drive one so i can use my impact.

[El Jay]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

get a 12 point socket that is just a tick too tight, and hammer it on, use a breaker bar to turn it.

You know that one is going into the ol' databank, Andy.

[Hoffman65burb]

Would it work for this kind of lock nut?

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

get a 12 point socket that is just a tick too tight, and hammer it on, use a breaker bar to turn it.

Been there done that and it works. It isn't too good for the socket though.

The other choice is that tire stores often have the special socket used to drive on and take the nut off.

I'm not sure on that one H but you might get it with a stud puller. There is probably a socket that you can drive over it though either 12 or 8 like that 99th piece in your 99 piece tool set.

[Longhorn Man]

mine was like this;

I had to do this on my old GMC, truck came with the locks, but no key/adaptor. It worked so good, I just installed them back on the truck.
I would imagine it would work on yours.
Don't use high dollar snap on sockets, but you don't want to use craptastic ones made in china either. I honestly found that the craftsman ones seemed to be good at this task.

[bigsnookmaster]

I've smacked them on the end with a hammer,then put a nice pair of vice grips on them and twisted them off!If you smack it good it will usually loosen them. My .02

[68 Stepside]

you can also take a junk socket about the right size, tack it on with a welder and take it off, done that before in a pinch.

[stockish shawn]

did you try a hammer and chissel.

[truckdude239]

i just hammer on of my impact sockets on it and zip it off with the air gun

[airdale94]

Originally Posted by Hoffman65burb

Would it work for this kind of lock nut?

Those kind are a good candidate for the chisel method. Cut about a 1/4" strait cut into it. In one of those grooves would be a good spot. Then hammer it counter clockwise. A air hammer with a chisel bit is usually about a 5 min. job.

[BADSAM]

I would never try this, but I heard an urban legend that back in the day, you could take a can of freon and freeze the nut with it and it would become brittle, then you just hit it with a big hammer and it would break off. Look what happened to the Titanic!

Once again, I would never try this. Just something I heard.

I'm not even sure why I volunteered this info. Must be bored.

(Beating a socket on almost always works for me.)

[70 Suburban]

lol well they make a socket for this. its taperd on the inside. they sell them at northern tool and harbor fraight. u just put it on and it will bite down and cut into the nut till there is enough for it to take it off. also there is a tool called a nut splitter that will work here too

[70 Suburban]

looking at it you may be able to use a flat head and a hammer to tap it around till its loose enough for vise grips

[68C15]

I bought a kit for these a few years ago. it cost like $15 and has like 5 different sized and types of sockets including a tool for locking hub caps. Harbor freight IIRC.