Stripped Lug Nut!

I've been having some trouble with my back pass. brake locking up slightly. So I went to remove the lug nuts on the wheel and my impact gun didn't have enough torque to break them loose (the place I had my wheels put on must of had a beefy one). So I put the socket on a 1/2 ratchet and started beating on it with a led hammer. This or and extension tube usually works for me... Well this time it striped the outside of the lug nut. I can't believe this happened and was wondering how to get it out... I think my next step is to torch it red hot and beat a smaller socket on it, then turn it out... anybody had this happen before?

I used an air hammer to break the lugnut in half and spin it off. After that I had to replace the stud too.

beat the next size smaller socket on it, or see if you can't get a good nut splitter on it.
steel or alloy wheels?

if using the smaller socket doesnt work and you dont have an air hammer, cut the sucker off, replace the lug stud and go to your local parts store and get solid lug nuts. get ride of the capped nuts, it is the best way for your problem to not occur again. I know from experiance, those little caps blow

If you use the same tire place again ask them to ensure they torque them to the factory spec's. They shouldn't just be put on as tight as you can get them.

I had this problem with the lugs nuts on my trailer tires. A couple people on here told me about his lug nut splitter. Go to sears or wherever and you can find them, you put them on the lug nut, then you wrench on the nut attached to spliter, allowing a pointed piece of metal to extend into the lug nut, eventually breaking it so you can get it off.

Anti-seize on the lug studs is also helpful in preventing this from occurring. And no, anti-seize won't let the lugnuts loosen by themselves if they are properly torqued.

89Daytona said:

Anti-seize on the lug studs is also helpful in preventing this from occurring. And no, anti-seize won't let the lugnuts loosen by themselves if they are properly torqued.

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lugnuts must be installed dry to be properly torqued!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do not anti seize lugs

89Daytona said:

Anti-seize on the lug studs is also helpful in preventing this from occurring. And no, anti-seize won't let the lugnuts loosen by themselves if they are properly torqued.

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Hahahahahahahahahhaha! Thats a good one, but dont be joking like that cause someone might believe you and actually DO some stupid shBLEEPit like that!

I have used antiseize on my lug studs for 10+ years, and I have had friends use it for over 20+ years. None of have ever had a wheel come off or lug nuts loosen.

Been there, done that. bought something like these at an auto store. Worked very well.

If the lugnut is the stock one with the crappy "tin cover," I've taken a flathead screwdriver and a hammer and knocked the piss out of it until the cover came off. Then went from there.

I too always put anti-sieze on my wheel studs .. as the owners manual of my first car directed me to do so (ford truck). Been doing that for 15 years now, never had a lug nut come loose.

Antiseize will NOT cause your lugs to come off! Back when I was wrenchin for a living I used it on every car I ever touched. Used to work on German cars primarily and our cliantele would bring their cars in routinely. It was nice to have the antiseize on there and not have to worry about rust. As was stated earlier, if properly torqued you will not have problems. I used it on my LCA bolts both on the threads in the sleeves to ease removal when/if needed. And if my experience isn't helpful then just go into many of the auto shops around and you'll find the same holds true for many mechanics.

PETEY said:

Been there, done that. bought something like these at an auto store. Worked very well.

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x2

With a 6 foot breaker bar.

Studs survived. Amazing but true.

p.s. Use anti-seize.

Anti-seize on lug nuts is a controversial subject. There are plenty of folks who scream that it should never be done and plenty of folks and shops who they do it all the time with no issues. Despite all the folk-lore, I have never seen an instance where anti-seize can be blamed for lug nuts coming loose.
Some folks have reported that there are some TSBs and their owners manuals call for clean, dry lug nuts with a light application of antiseize. Some anti-seize manufacturer application charts even list wheel lug nuts. http://www.saftlok.com/safteze/antiseiz/applications.htm

Using anti-seize, you will likely over-torque the lugs by as much as 40% resulting in higher than normal clamping force and higher tension on the stud. With crappy, rusty lugs you are probably undertorquing resulting in insufficent clamping force. Still, according to most sources, if sparingly used on the threads only, anti-seize does not make fasteners come loose on their own.

Personally, I clean up my threads with a wire brush and use a very small amount of anti-seize. Without it, I can't get the lug nuts off next time without a cheater bar or impact wrench. I have never had a lug back off using it. I have even used a torque wrench and verified that they take about 90-ftlbs to break loose.

Next time you bring your truck to the shop make sure they use torque sticks.

2000xj4x4 said:

Next time you bring your truck to the shop make shure they use torque sticks.

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Ideally, they would use a torque stick to get the fastener to a minimum value and then finish with a proper torque wrench. Torque sticks are shortcut, not very accurate and typically over-tighten the nuts, especially if misused. But on the other hand, they are better than running the nuts down with an impact.

I was in a tire shop one day getting a tractor tire mounted. I just about died laughing seeing the grease monkey using a torque stick and a breaker bar to tighten lugs. I almost walked out, but figured they probably couldn't mess up retubing my tire too bad.

lawsoncl said:

I was in a tire shop one day getting a tractor tire mounted. I just about died laughing seeing the grease monkey using a torque stick and a breaker bar to tighten lugs. I almost walked out

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Why? Do you not understand how they work?

Apparently the grease monkey didn't understand that you are supposed to use the stick with an impact gun.