Broken Lug Nut...Damn it!

[JohnyPython]

I’ve had excellent results with an impact socket driver. It works well if it’s gorilla tight. I’ve heard those easy outs work well.

If the stud is cross threaded, then the longest pipe possible and lube. Try grinding the stud down so you don’t have to unwind it that far.

A bottle of bourbon helps too.

 

[MattR]

It's always a good idea to immediately change out the factory lugs on Fords. Those caps they use eventually lead to stuck lugs. Last year, I ended up chiseling off 8 after the dealer stripped them during a routine oil change and rotation.

 

[Dane]

I did this to myself earlier this year - with the same lug nuts you are describing. Tried all the crap - bigger socket, extractor tool, yadda yadda. No joy.

I had to drill, just as you said. The stud isn’t that tough, but it does take a bit. My drill bit sucked as well, so that didn’t help. The drill itself wasn’t enough either. I had to use an air hammer, that was the ticket once I got the stud thoroughly drilled/destroyed. I wouldn’t have managed without the air hammer. But you have to be very careful about slipping off and hitting the wheel.
So, my advice - get in there and drill the crap out it. The wheel stud is cheap. Buy a spare while you’re there. Drill the ever loving crap out of it, and then go to town with an air hammer. You’ll get it.

 

[costnsg]

Not much accomplished today with family over for xmas and all that goes with that. I decided that since I had only attached two of the four wheels, I might as well test the other two and see what my total scope (problem) looks like. Well, here is the recap: Wheel #1 - 0 broken lug nuts, wheel #2 - 1 broken lug nuts as discussed in original post, wheel #3 - 3 broken lug nuts, wheel #4 - 5 broken lug nuts. So since yesterday i have gone from 1 broken (sheared) lug nut to a total of 9. Thing are not looking good. Oh, I also busted a twelve point socket that I was using on the key socket for the lug nuts. I guess the breaker bar/pipe combo was too much for it too.

First pic shows broken nut next to one that is not broken. 3rd pic show the first one that i already tried to drill out unsuccessfully (hard to see in pic, but two holes in the broken nut, opposite sides of bolt). You can also see the small test hole in the end of the bolt that i test drilled to confirm feasibility of drilling. 4th pic is the last wheel with 5 broken nuts (groan). And the last pic is just my collection of broken nuts.

As you can see, when the nut breaks, the outside portion screws off and reveals some of the threads. None of them were cross threaded. On the 15 that did come off in one piece, they were also very tight, but once they came loose they screwed off easily by hand. I think my problem is some combination of over torquing and a weak design.

Almost forgot...I tested the second two wheels with my torque wrench at 250 ft-lbs (maximum value for my wrench) and none of the nuts would turn to loosen. IOW, they required MUCH greater than 250 fl-lbs to remove (breaker bar and section of pipe and still had to get on it).

 

[costnsg]

Need to get you something like this it's like a female easy out. Pound it on and remove. most tire shops should have a set of these.

http://lockingwheelnut.com/bergen_l...lt_stud_extractor_impact_twist_socket_set.htm

Thinking about this. I have measurements of the OD of the lug and the ID of the recess in the wheel. I'm just skeptical with the amount of torque it too to break the nuts that the ease out tool will work.

 

[costnsg]

A bottle of bourbon helps too.

I can absolutely relate to this right now!

 

[costnsg]

It's always a good idea to immediately change out the factory lugs on Fords. Those caps they use eventually lead to stuck lugs. Last year, I ended up chiseling off 8 after the dealer stripped them during a routine oil change and rotation.

Yes, I had a similar experience. That's why I changed to these gorilla lug nuts.

 

[costnsg]

I did this to myself earlier this year - with the same lug nuts you are describing. Tried all the crap - bigger socket, extractor tool, yadda yadda. No joy.

I had to drill, just as you said. The stud isn’t that tough, but it does take a bit. My drill bit sucked as well, so that didn’t help. The drill itself wasn’t enough either. I had to use an air hammer, that was the ticket once I got the stud thoroughly drilled/destroyed. I wouldn’t have managed without the air hammer. But you have to be very careful about slipping off and hitting the wheel.
So, my advice - get in there and drill the crap out it. The wheel stud is cheap. Buy a spare while you’re there. Drill the ever loving crap out of it, and then go to town with an air hammer. You’ll get it.

Thanks Dane. This sounds about like what I had in mind. Now whatever works has to be done 9 times. Where is that bottle of bourbon?

 

[smurfslayer]

I would give the shop who ****ed up those lugs a chance to make it right first. When they didn’t comply, I’d sue them for sure for parts, labor and a new set of wheels, plus the cost to take them to court. I’ve busted tire monkeys abusing my $hit before and stopped them. I think it was my first aftermarket wheels and I told the guy at the counter, torque wrench only. What happened? about 2 minutes after my Mustang was in the bay I hear the distinct sound of an impact wrench. I run to the bay and sure enough... after some discussion about their future employment and lack of concern for my (then) thousand dollar set of wheels, I go get the counter guy and ask him what his employee is doing and why he wasn’t using a torque wrench as I instructed.

I watched them for the rest of the time my car was there.

next time you’re at a tire shop for any vehicle, keep this in mind:

Where is that bottle of bourbon?

I can’t speak for your barrio, but I will suggest you go with a high rye bourbon for this occasion, it’s not whiskey sipping kind of affair. Four Roses single barrel, New Riff single barrel, Wild Turkey 101/Kentucky Spirit, Elmer T Lee, Bakers 107, Elijah Craig, Bulleit, Blantons, etc. I’d lean to one of the 100+ proof expressions.

Good luck either way.

 

[dewalt]

Yes just thought of those easy outs for lock nuts. As well you can a set of them that are sized like sockets. I used them to take valve caps off tire stems that had cavitated on.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SK-HAND-TO...127571?hash=item46a1ac3253:g:9tUAAOSwSXFa9~9X