Lug Nut Problem
grdad45
Member Posts: 5,382 ✭✭✭✭
Jeers to Ford Motor Company!!
I had a flat on my F-150 a couple of weeks ago. I barely made it home so I could change it there. Finally wrestled the spare out from under the rear end, got the jack out and tried to loosen the lug nuts. Guess what? The lug wrench wouldn't fit the lug nuts!!! I finally got out a 1/2" breakover bar and a socket that would kind of fit the nuts, then proceeded to break the wrench while trying to loosen the first nut. I gave up and called my insurer's roadside assistance number, and they dispatched a repair truck. The young mechanic BARELY got the nuts loose, even jamming one in his wrench.
I went to Cooper Service the next morning, and had them put on two new tires because the old ones were nearly worn out anyway. They told me that the old lug nuts were made out of two pieces, with a regular steel nut, wrapped in a stainless steel "skin", and that when they got hot the stainless stretched but didn't shrink back when it cooled, making the lug wrench supplied with the truck useless. Talk about going with the low bidder!
I had them replace ALL the lug nuts with new solid stainless nuts. ($72 plus tax!) Imagine being out in the middle of nowhere with a flat, and no way to put on a spare.
PS-- Cooper Service said that almost all manufacturers have the same problem, so I advise you to check your vehicle to see if it has the same problem.
Comments
Ouch, maybe that's why the Les Schwab guy wanted to sell my kid new lug nuts? She told him no. I'll check into that more, thanks for the heads up.
Wow, that would make for a disaster if in the wrong place. Thanks and will check my vehicles.
Had that happen with a 90 Ford Ranger 4x4.
Same thing happened to me with my last F-150. Also replaced the lug nuts. This post reminds me I need to do the same with my present F-150. I don't need to get stuck between Tucson an Yuma this time of the year.
F250 Has solid steel lug nuts. Interesting Ford would use cheaper for the F150
My F250 has that type of lug nut. Last time I had new tires put on most of the chrome covers spun off with an impact wrench.
My daughter-in-law's Ford Fusion had the same problem when I replaced the brakes. I used a Dremel to cut off the s/s "cover " so I could then fit a socket on them to remove them. What a pia. After the first couple I figured out what the original size was supposed to be and drove and impact socket on the lug nut. That kind of formed the s/s cover back to the correct size so I could spin them off with my impact wrench. We replaced all the lugnuts with new.
Some lugnuts have had "skins" for years, back in the 70's for sure. I used to hammer a six point impact socket on them and use a good breaker bar to get them loose. Had to punch the old nut out and go to the next one. Of course it would require new nuts, we carried lots of spares in the shop as well as on the service truck.
i have a good friend with a garage and he always uses the extensions that limit the torque to manuf specs.
I use a click type torque wrench...always. Also smear some anti-seize on the threads.
My Land Rover was like that. I bought a deep air impact 1-1/2” socket and a long breaker bar for my “lug wrench”. Works great.
Yep, and if you are really desperate slide a 2' piece of close fitting pipe right down next to the socket on breaker bar. Have seen them so tight you could actually bend a four way lug wrench if you were strong enough. Never, never, ever use a short impact socket on a long lug nut. Use a deep impact socket or you will deform/twist the skin on the long lug nut.-----------------Ray
So instead of the old problem of the "nut behind the wheel", this is the new version with "the nut in front of the wheel"? Sorry for your troubles, but thanks for the info...
Last set of tires on the old 150 must have been put on by the Hulk . It took a 6 foot long cheater to break the lugs loose when i had a flat
Glad my 2018 has free roadside assistance for flats
as stated its been a problem for many years the chrome skin / shell would rip off leaving a smaller size lug nut and hammered on sockets to get them off ( at least since the 1970's chevy use them )
also same I have had to break lug nuts loose with a very long cheater bar and a very loud crack when they did let go I know they were put on by tire shops with impact guns set on never coming off LOL
I also had a tire about come off I just happened to see something in the corner of vision fly by on the passenger side window of my truck it was a lug nut I pulled over had 2 of the six and they were loose just left the tire shop . used one off each of the other wheels to make it all 5 lug not 6 till I got home ( that was 30 + years ago so now after I have any tires put on I check the lug nuts if loose or too tight .
And don’t get me started on those “ anti theft” lug nuts.&*#@&
Well known in the auto mech realm. Goes with side post battery terminal, plastic intake manifolds, AL engines without steel piston sleeves, dextron antifreeze, and many more reasons to avoid UAW.
Solved the problem by buying Toyotas.
Aluminum wheels present another problem where lug nuts will loosen on their own once in a while. I make it a point to check the lugs every couple months. Have found many that could be turned by hand and once nearly lost a front wheel, which got me started checking them.
My girlfriend bought a Lexus. So that your wheels don't get stolen, Lexus has a locking lug nut on each wheel. One of the nuts takes a key to be able to turn it. Knowing my girlfriend, I knew she would lose that key, and thus, be unable to remove any wheel.
I sent in online and got a set of regular Lexus lug nuts. The key was, by a miracle, still in the glove box, I removed the four locking nuts and replaced them with regular lug nuts. I am not sure where you need to live that the criminals come by at night and steal the wheels off of your Lexus, but they don't do it up here in the NC mountains.
99.99% of the time, that issue is due to the INSTALLER!! As stated above, never use a shallow well socket on a deep well lug nut, AND ALWAYS torque or use a torque limiting extension. These new impact wrenches can output 1,000 ft/lb of torque when the wheel only need 100-125 ft/lb. Lazy mechanics cause this issue. Being that tight can also warp the rotors and cause more issues.
Saw the title of this post and thought it was going to be about my brother in law.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
I wonder, will a standard cheap-o NAPA air impact wrench on my 90psi air compressor work to crack loose those horrendously tight nuts? For a $45 investment I'd gladly take the risk on it working. I'm tired of playing games with lunkheads and my rover's 1-1/2" lugnuts. For some reason they think they need 4,000,000 ft-lb to snug 'em up.
I HIGHLY doubt it. Now once you get em loose, then ile cheapo should be more than enough to torque back to 100-125 ft lbs. I had to use a 3/4 expensive air impact to remove them on my expedition. Then had to lay under and beat the rim loose from the studs with a ball peen hammer. No lug nuts at this point, just was torqued SO much it caused the rim to stick to the gun🤬🤬🤯
One of my daughters had a flat tire along the road and called me when she could not get the wheel loose. She was only about 10 miles away so I headed over with my service truck. I bent the 4-socket cross wrench she had so I dug out the heavy artillery. Finally broke it loose with a breaker bar with a 6-foot cheater. Turns out there was a galvanic reaction between the steel studs and nuts and the aluminum wheel. It was like the nuts were welded on. How I did not twist off a stud I don't know.
It's the nut BEHIND the high powered impact wrench that is the problem, not the nut on the lug!
I will ALWAYS check torque on lugs if I EVER let anyone install them again. Walmart of all places has NEVER caused me a problem, they all use the limiting extension. Other than getting new tires, I don't let anyone install wheels anymore. Too many idiots out there, even at reputable businesses.
Old story, I've had to chisel off the caps off of several lug nuts through the years in order to take them off.