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lug nut dilema

Jeepguy91

Jeepguy91

NAXJA Member
NAXJA Member
Location
Warsaw, IN
Ok here is the dilema that i have been facing for the past 2 days. I am getting ready to install my lift and went to take the tires off but 8 of the 10 lug nuts in the front were rounded off. I went to sears and got their nut removal tool and was able to get them off except for one on each side. I have tried pounding a smaller size socket onto them and also a breaker bar. Neither of them worked and i ended up snapping the breaker bar. This is on a stock 91 xj with factory rims. Now, could i use a torch on the rims or would it mess them up? I just don't know what i should do next to get these things off. Someone tell me something else i can use.

Thanks,
Ben
 
Stock rims have a ridiculous cap over the actual lug nut. This often loosens or spins if it didn't just fall off 50,000 miles ago.

Buy 20 new one-piece lug nuts and take the Jeep to a tire store. Offer the wrench monkey a 6-pack of microbrew to remove nad replace the lugs.

Hope that breaker bar was a Craftsman - you can get it replaced free. :p

Jim www.yuccaman.com
 
Ya i have the little caps off but can't get the nut off now. Seems like it is really rusted to the rim. Have tried everything but it still won't come loose. I would take it in but it is my trail rig and is not liscensed nor do i have a trailer to haul it into the tire store. Anybody have any other ideas that i could use?
 
About five years ago I had that happen too.

The tire store had to use an air chisel to get it off.
There was a slight mark on the wheel from where the chisel tip slipped, but I was happy.

Maybe you could borrow or rent one?

===

I agree with Jim - get the one-piece(solid) lug nuts.:thumbup:


.
 
Well I dont know what kinda laws they have in IN but here in MO you can get whats called a "drive away" tag. they cost 45 bucks and can be used on any vechile under 6500 GVW. We used to have them on a race car and we would drive it on the main roads to the exhaust shop or where ever we needed to. Detail shops use them to get back and forth to dealership and stuff to. No Inspection is needed either. They dont even ask what kinda car or anything.
 
I recently purchased a new of Mopar lugs nuts off ebay after having a similar situation.

The sellers name is georgiejoyx2. They were about $28 shipped.
 
I would do the following: Make sure you have chiseled off all the cover from the offending nuts. They are now 18 mm. nuts, unless the rust has eaten them away badly. Get an 18 mm. 6 point impact socket ready on a handle, and then heat the nuts themselves up with the torch, and when they're good and hot, put the wrench to them and try getting them off. If you heat just the nut, it shouldn't hurt the wheel.

If there isn't enough nut left for the socket, you can either try the Sears tool again, or chisel them off. Once they're off, it's not all that hard to replace the studs, so don't worry too much if you have to damage a stud in the process.
 
if you have access to a welder ow about welding another nut onto it to get it off? I had the same problem and torched the stud and lug to molten dripping metal and replaced the stud. didnt damage the wheel at all, just left some burn marks.
 
Well think i am going to try and chisel it off. there really isn't alot of the nut left for a socket to grab hold of and i can't even get it to budge with the sears tool on there. Can't believe that 2 little nuts are holding me up from putting a lift on. Will definately get the one piece lug nuts and replace them all with those.
 
Well tried the chisel out and all i did was make a bigger mess of things. Can't really get next to the nut to split it in half. Anybody have any other ideas as to what i might try. Am starting to think about just cutting a hole around the nut thru the rim and getting new rims. Need to get this lift on before my trip at the end of the month and have spent the last 3 days just trying to get the wheels off.
 
Howabout a hand-held Dremel tool with cut-off disks?

I bet that would work! :thumbup:

.
 
RTicUL8 beat me to it. I had an old lug nut laying around and I just went down to see how long it would take to cut through it with the Dremel. Several minutes for the nut and then I don't know how long for the lug if you want to replace that. But with some care you could probably just take off the nut without significant damage to the lug. You will need a pack or two of the reinforced cut off wheels. Good luck.
 
DUDE!!!!! STOP THE INSANITY!!!!! Go get your drill, put a bit in it that's the same size as your lug and drill it out! You should be able to drill just enough of it out to pop the nut off, and once you have the the rim free you should be able to turn the rest of it out of your hub and go get a new one to replace it. QUIT BURNING, BANGING AND OTHERWISE MAKING A MESS! You will find this method much simpler, I promise!
 
Jeepguy91 said:
Well think i am going to try and chisel it off. there really isn't alot of the nut left for a socket to grab hold of and i can't even get it to budge with the sears tool on there. Can't believe that 2 little nuts are holding me up from putting a lift on. Will definately get the one piece lug nuts and replace them all with those.
Click to expand...

wait until you get to the shock bolts, shackle bolts, and control arm bolts(if your doing them)
 
Get a new can of PB Blaster and start soaking down everything that you need to take apart to install your new lift, hopefully a few days in advance. Use some kind of Never Seize on your new lug nuts and that should prevent this from haunting you again.
 
Let me guess - last nut on either side? Put the new lug nuts on the other studs and torque them down. This will take some of the load off the stuck nuts.
 
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