Rounded Off Lug Nut

Married2Allis

Well-known Member
I messed up a lug nut on the wife's Town & Country. I was using a star lug wrench and wasn't paying attention. The aluminum wheels have recessed lug nut holes. It rounded off badly and I made it worse by using a cheap set of bolt extractors (Craftsman) and 1/2 inch ratchet. I'm thinking of trying a set of the Irwin extractors next. Was using the ratchet a mistake, should I be using an impact wrench?
 
you can use either the rachet or impact. the extractor set from napa works really well for the price. if all else fails, center punch the lug nut and drill the stud out thru the nut. you can then get the wheel off and replace the stud. if the extractor dosnt get it out, drill it and be done. we do em often here at the shop.
 
Try putting the nuts on either side back on and tightening them securely. That "may" relieve the torque on the rounded one just enough, if you can get anything at all on it.

Have you tried driving a deep metric impact socket on? If they were 3/4, try an 18mm, 13/16, try a 20mm. A ratchet, extension and hold everything straight, hold the brake, will give the best feel for what's going on over an impact.
 
Thank you guys. I'll stick with the ratchet. This is an el cheapo mopar lug nut, must have been 3/4" before the crappy tin chrome cover fell off. Now it's more like 17mm or less. Steel seems too soft for a lug nut. I've really got it worn down. Looks like what is left of a tree trunk after a beaver ate it. LOL

Thanks for the tip about drilling the stud out. What is the best drill bit that will last getting down through the stud?
 
(quoted from post at 10:42:01 07/14/16) I messed up a lug nut on the wife's Town & Country. I was using a star lug wrench and wasn't paying attention. The aluminum wheels have recessed lug nut holes. It rounded off badly and I made it worse by using a cheap set of bolt extractors (Craftsman) and 1/2 inch ratchet. I'm thinking of trying a set of the Irwin extractors next. Was using the ratchet a mistake, should I be using an impact wrench?

Drive the next size smaller socket onto the lug nut, metric or standard. You can then remove the lug nut and drive that portion out of the socket with a punch if held in the vise.
 
i have a set of milwaukee bits from home depot. they are black and seem to do a good job. use some oil so you dont overheat the bit. i see its a chrome cap acorn style. you, just drill it out. takes about 15 minutes. when you get thru just give the tire a yank and it will snap the rest of the lug nut off. also, when you install the new lug nuts, torque them to 85 lbs, or whatever the mfr recommends, drive the vehicle about 25 miles, then re-torque, then re-torque after another hundred miles or so. we see a lot of them loosen up because the lug nuts do not seat correctly with the alloy wheels. also, check the seat on the wheel to make sure its not buggered up or have a hairline crack. if so, replace the wheel. i really dislike those capped lug nuts.
 
Don't use a ratchet or impact wrench. Use a good breaker bar, 24" would be good. That way you can feel if the socket is slipping and you can apply more force compared to a ratchet.
 
At this point, don't try to save the stud. It's cheaper to replace a stud than an aluminum wheel.

I'd probably try to cut the nut off with a die grinder.
 
For future reference keep 2 sockets in each vehicle for them. 19mm (3/4) with the chrome cap on
and 18mm for the ones that the chrome cap fell off.
 
Autozone has a specialty socket meant to remove locking lug nuts without the key and or locking nuts with the key broken off in them. It will take off that rounded lug rickey-tickey with no damage to the wheel or stud.
 
I got a pack of those from Napa to replace locks on my amigo. No socket would remotely fit without the press-on cap.

O'Reillys has solid acorn lug nuts without the cap.
 
I used to go to tire places that didn't hand torque lug nuts. Then they blamed me when studs got stripped off.

Years ago I discovered a place in town than hand torques and they now have my tire business. If I have to remove a tire, no problem.

I'm lazy, I grab for my 1/2 cordless impact.

Who put the nuts on your wife's car?
 
Thanks again for all of the good advice.

George, must have been some trigger-happy gorilla who rotated the tires last. This was a rental car when I bought it used, was like new.

Steve, great tip about tightening down the other lugs first.

And I have a 18" breaker bar that I'll use.

There is not much left of the nut, the hex sides are only visible near the bottom.

If I have to drill out the stud, do I remove whats left from the hub with an easy-out?
 
I feel your pain. Been there with trigger happy impacts guys at tire store. Best reason why lug nuts should be hand torqued. After I found the tire barn hand torques, they have all my tire business. Not to mention the life time rotation, balancing and road hazard for a cheap price.

And in a a handy location. I let dealer to my oil changes and the barn is only a block away. Get a rotation every other oil change.
 
> If I have to drill out the stud, do I remove whats left from the hub with an easy-out?

No......

Wheel studs are typically pressed in from the inner side of the hub. Once you remove the wheel and brake rotor, you should be able to knock out what's left of the stud with a hammer and punch. Then you pull the new stud in with a nut and wrench.
 
When I ever pull my alloy wheels I use the air gun to take them off and I use a the old clicker set at 100 pounds putting the nuts back on. I also put a drop of oil on the threads. Just one drop! Makes life so much better. Drill several little holes between the stud and the lug nut and apply some squirrel juice. Drive a metric or standard one size smaller socket on and it will be your last chance. Good luck!!
 
Get out your little propane torch out the
kind you screw the little head onto and put
some heat to it that will help alot.
RICK
 
Take an 18mm, six point impact socket, and drive it on with a hammer,take the nut off. Or drill the center of the stud(increasing the size) till you can break off the stud.
 

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