Swollen Ford Lug nuts

[MHarryE]

YouTube videos - Rainman Ray is an auto mechanic who has had these come into his shop several times, every brand you can think of. The nuts are usually stripped away by owners having tried to remove. He always ends up having to drill out the studs to thread diameter, then break off the remaining nut, press out the studs and replace. When I saw the guys from Big Bang Theory confront a frozen lug nut on a van, I didn't think it was possible to get them stuck this bad but apparently people run into it. Reading through this thread, heating appears to be the easiest if penetrating oil won't work. So the guy's were not out of line using thermite to heat the nut but unfortunately burned up their van. That sucks.

 

[Kschwennsen]

all else fails, nut splitter.

 

[LD1]

Find a friend with an induction tool. You could always buy one, but they are around $400. Mine is a “Bolt Buster”. You wrap the insulated wire coils around the nut or bolt and push the button and within about 30 seconds it heats the bolt red hot. To double the effect spray brake cleaner on the red hot bolt or nut to rapidly cool it down. Usually that breaks any corrosion bond. The bolts or nuts are of course toasted after that and go in the scrap metal pile because any tempering is gone.

I restore antique tractors. It works every time it’s tried

Good method....but Id avoid brake clean. Or make sure its non-chlorinated

 

[bobrossi]

Anyone else deal with this! Holy swollen nut batman!!! I have a 2014 F-150 and my buddy and I went to do a rear brake job today. Out of the 12 rear nuts, we could only remove 6. That's with trying PB blaster, using a 1200 ft/lb pneumatic impact wrench, 20V Dewalt impact wrench and (3) 1/2" breaker bars with 3' cheater bar (broke all three breaker bars), and trying a micro butane torch. WTF??? We still never removed both rear tires. If I was on the side of the road with a flat and ran into this issue, I probably would have set fire to the dang thing. WOW! I can't believe the level of effort we've made and still not succeeded. Has anyone else gone through this? What was the solution? I'm about to drill all the studs and snap them off, then replace them.

I also had this happen on my 2013 F-150. Did everything you did. Had 2 I could not get off. I was only trying to rotate the tires, so I took it to my tire dealer and watched in the window, expecting to laugh when he couldn’t get them off either, BUT his impact took them right off. I have a 3/4” pneumatic that couldn’t them off yet his 1/2” took them right off. No idea why but maybe your tire guy can loosen them for you for a small fee.

 

[Smitty62]

Long ago, back in the 1970's, we had same issue deep in the woods on a hunting trip. Luckily we had a 4-way lug wrench and a camp axe. With pressure on the 4-way someone else hit the opposite side of it and after much effort we got them off and flat tire changed. Basically same way that this was resolved only different tools used. Also because of that I always put never seize on the lugs to avoid future problems.

 

[Haasman]

I will often try to just "slightly" tighten a lug nut before trying to remove them. Seems to work well.

 

[sixdogs]

I recall my owner's manuals over the years telling me not to lube threads on wheel studs. Suppose anti-seize would get the same protection?

 

[Haasman]

i believe the "no lube threads on wheel nut studs" was from false readings when torquing.

 

[Gord Baker]

The problem is not so much the threads but the corrosive bond of the lug nut cover (SS) to the Alloy wheel.
If you can, buy a Deep Impact quality six sided socket 1/2mm larger than required size and use it on a 3/4" Air Impact gun like they use at Truck repair places. I put never~seize™ on the tapered portion of the wheel where the lug nut seats when I change them.
If the wrench is slipping use a serious carbide tipped Hole saw to nip off the end of the SS cover of the nut, then chisel the cover off.

 

[Gord Baker]

I recall my owner's manuals over the years telling me not to lube threads on wheel studs. Suppose anti-seize would get the same protection?

Never lube the threads. They are not the problem.