lugnuts

[toplesskayfiver]

help! i seem to have trouble with these a lot, my 99 tahoe front lugnuts seize making them get striped (round). does anyone have any helpful hints or tricks to taking these off?? one lugnut on both passenger and driver front wheels is keeping me from removing the front two rims

[Palf70Step]

Only time I ever had trouble is when some jerk at tire store cross threaded the nut on the wheel with a meg million pound air gun.

I ended up cutting mine off with a dremel and buying a new stud and lug nut.

[Lugnut64052]

Hey, I resemble this thread!

Pound a slightly smaller socket onto the rounded off nut, then gun it off. Use a old one because it may split the socket out. Impact sockets are softer metal, so it may work better with them.

There's a special removal socket you can get at the parts store. It's has a cone shaped, reverse thread which screws itself onto the nut as you're gunning it off. Gets tighter as you go and it will grab the nut and back it off.

Put some anti-sieze on the nuts. They'll come off easier next time.

[piecesparts]

I usually treat mine with anti-seize when I rotate tires. I also no longer run factory lugnuts on my wheels, some of them are not of the greatest quality.

Agree with lugnut 64052 on removal.

[JayG]

Like Palf70step said, when the lug nut are put on with an impact set on too high torque, the nut gets a little deformed when it is forced down on the wheel(crimps the lug nut in just like a flaring tool). So when you go to take it off, the threads have been deformed and they hose up the stud on the way off (if you can get 'em off!) I had to change ALL the studs on my wifes car a couple of years ago because of an idiot with an impact. They try to impress you with their special torque wrenches, they check the lugs AFTER they have run it down with the gun set on 200#s! Now when I buy tires, I just take in the 4 wheels and have the new tires mounted and balanced, take 'em home and stick 'em on using the correct torque reading! I'd guess you'll have to replace some studs.

[bwood]

Once you get them removed, clean all the threads and repair/replace any damaged parts. I used to work at a tire shop and we used the torque bars to initially set the lug nut and then use a torque wrench to bring it up to spec. The torque bars look like colored estensions with the socket on the end. When I used them, the never actually pulled all the way down to what the were rated for (a gray bar 19mm/3/4" 100 ft lb actually only got to about 85-90 ft lb). Something I remember was we had a chart with torque values by manuf and veh. I have a 98 GMC and when I started there the chart called for 140 ft lb (the owner's manual does also). As the charts were updated the value dropped to 120 and then on the last chart that was put up it was dropped to 100 ft lb. There was a note about 140 causing distortion to the rear axle flanges or drums (I can't remember, this was back in 01) and eventually causing a warped drum/disc feeling in the pedal. I had this same problem. The truck has always had a slight pulse in the pedal, but after having the wheels rotated and balanced and tightened to 140, the pedal moved about 2" like a warped disc. The truck did this when I bought it used also and the dealer "took care of it".

[toplesskayfiver]

thanks guys for all the input! but can i just torch them off without damaging the wheel?

[bwood]

i wouldn't try to cut them off with a torch. You can try to heat the nut up and then spray some PB blaster at the end of the exposed stub. PB is a good penetrant and the heat will help to draw it in. Just remember excess heat will damage the wheels coating. You could take it back to the shop that over tightened them and have them loosen it all up and have them repair any damage.