Broken Lug Nut...Damn it!

[costnsg]

Why do my simple jobs go to hell? I bought myself a new floor jack today with a 24" lift and now I don't have to deal with that little crappy one I've been using for years. On the second tire while breaking the lugs loose, one of the lugs broke into two pieces, which leaves the beveled portion on the lug and not a simple matter to remove. The lugs were tight as hell from the last rotation at the tire store and I had hell of a time getting them off. On the one that broke, I couldn't budge it with the breaker bar so added a pipe and it felt like it broke loose. The outside portion screwed off and left the main load bearing part on the lug bolt.

I tried to drill that part and got that fairly well done on both sides. That would have worked on regular nut, but not on a beveled lug nut. I still can't get it to turn with a hammer and punch. I messed with it until dark and called it a day. If I take the drilling any farther I will probably ruin the wheel.

I'm considering a plan B which is to drill the stud. At first i figured a heat treated stud would be too hard to drill, but a small test hole says it can be drilled. If I drill it with larger and larger bits to sufficient depth, I should be able to eventually get it off. Then I'll need to replace the lug bolt, if it works.

Oh, the lug nuts are Gorilla and I have the black locking ones (all of them) that require a key to remove. They have the factory type beveled face to the wheel which is larger OD. They have a neck that is smaller diameter section which is inherently weaker (smaller cross section) and that is where it broke.

I'll take a few pics tomorrow after Santa Claus has come and gone. It's too dark for pics now.

If anyone has advice for my circumstances, I'm interested to hear it.

One last thing...I never got to use my new floor jack yet.

 

[JohnyPython]

That royally sucks!!

Those tire shops usually blast the lug nuts on with an impact gun. Maybe they thought 510 ft/lbs was the lug nut torque lol

Maybe someone has an idea after you post pics.

 

[isis]

Take it to the tire shop and make them fix it. They probably cross threaded it and impacted it on for good measure.

 

[costnsg]

I told them not to use an impact, even for the disassembly, so that was not the problem. And it was not cross threaded. It was just tight, tight, tight. I was in the process of breaking all the lugs before jacking it up. After I got the surprise of the broken nut, I went back and retightened the lugs with a torque wrench to 150 ft-lbs. It was amazing how light that felt in comparison to breaking them loose.

 

[dewalt]

Usually an impact is the better choice for removal. Less chance for breakage

 

[smurfslayer]

I told them not to use an impact, even for the disassembly, so that was not the problem. And it was not cross threaded. It was just tight, tight, tight.

Did you watch them do the work, or, do you just assume that because you told the sales guy ‘no impact wrench’, that the tire monkey didn’t grab the 600 foot pound impact wrench and wail away on your wheel lug nuts?

If they’re that tight, one of 2 things is true. They (ab)used an impact driver to install the lug nuts or they used a driver / bar and no torque wrench.

Either is bad as you’ve found out the hard way.

Take it to the tire shop and make them fix it. They probably cross threaded it and impacted it on for good measure.

bingo.

 

[91Eunos]

No way to hammer an oversized socket over the lug?

Re: the threads, it sounds like galling or cross threaded to me. Do you use a (very small) dab of anti-seize on your threads? I do...every time I rotate or take off a rime for any reason (brakes, etc.). Clean and re-lube the stud/lug nut...every time.

When you do get it off, don’t forget to clean the interface between the rim and brake hat too. Just a quick hit with a brass or steel brush, and wipe it down with brake cleaner or even windex. No lube there obviously.

 

[MTF]

No way to hammer an oversized socket over the lug?

Re: the threads, it sounds like galling or cross threaded to me. Do you use a (very small) dab of anti-seize on your threads? I do...every time I rotate or take off a rime for any reason (brakes, etc.). Clean and re-lube the stud/lug nut...every time.

When you do get it off, don’t forget to clean the interface between the rim and brake hat too. Just a quick hit with a brass or steel brush, and wipe it down with brake cleaner or even windex. No lube there obviously.

I spray the rotor hat with Rust-Oleum High Heat Flat Black Spray Paint, works pretty good.

 

[costnsg]

No way to hammer an oversized socket over the lug?

Thanks for the suggestion. I did try to drive a socket over what remains of the lug, but I couldn't get it to fit well enough to even come close to turning. The portion remaining isn't very thick and it has a rounded shape. Also, it's still tight as hell.

 

[1BAD454SSv2]

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