Swollen Ford Lug nuts

[LittleBill21]

FluidFilm works pretty well too, although not sure how great it would be on a wheel, I do use it on rims where the rim hub touches the spindle, my wifes car like to weld that on in place

Amazon.com

 

[Smokeydog]

actually the air volume means a ton more then air pressure. you can do 200 psi through a straw, still won't loosen a barbie doll car wheel.

Most people miss your important point. The hose and fittings have to be sized right for your air tool to perform. No use getting powerful impact wrench to use with cheap fittings and small hose.

 

[LittleBill21]

Most people miss your important point. The hose and fittings have to be sized right for your air tool to perform. No use getting powerful impact wrench to use with cheap fittings and small hose.

yep,

These fittings made a large difference even with a smaller hose.

https://www.amazon.com/ColorFit-Mil...e445a410e6893&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

 

[Oaktree]

Early 70 Mopars. Passenger side. Theory is, Rotation of tire on that side would cause big nuts to loosen.

Actually, pre-70s Mopars, driver's side. 1971-on had RH threads on all 4 wheels, at least some 1970 models still had LH threads, had one back in the day.

 

[Mcdust]

It isn't corrosion. Best I can tell is it's galling between the rim and the nut. It might be that after a few times of putting the rims on, you work through the anodized layer of the rim and then you're subject to galling. That's why I think the best thing to do might be to put neverseize on the nut face where it contacts the rim.

That makes perfect sense. Thanks, Alec

 

[Chewwy]

actually the air volume means a ton more then air pressure. you can do 200 psi through a straw, still won't loosen a barbie doll car wheel.

Conversely, a 1000 cfm supplied at 0.01 psig won’t budge that doll car wheel either.

Supplied pressure and volume are not independent of each other. All else being equal, increased flow volume will result from increased pressure and increased pressure results in greater volume.

 

[LittleBill21]

Conversely, a 1000 cfm supplied at 0.01 psig won’t budge that doll car wheel either.

Supplied pressure and volume are not independent of each other. All else being equal, increased flow volume will result from increased pressure and increased pressure results in greater volume.

agreed, but its generally a volume problem for home owner compressors, not psi.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

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.

Anti-seize the lug nuts when you get them off. My 2011 F150 has had all the factory lug nuts replaced with aftermarket, not-Ford-lug-nuts somewhere around six years of age. The tires are rotated every ten-thousand miles and I still must use a power beyond kit to get the rear wheels off as driving around with loose lugs nuts will not allow the wheels to pop off. Totally annoying.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Actually, pre-70s Mopars, driver's side. 1971-on had RH threads on all 4 wheels, at least some 1970 models still had LH threads, had one back in the day.

A friend came over asking to borrow my 1" impact gun because of stuck lugs on a tender trailer for his tractor. I tagged along to try out my new Milwaukee 1/2" impact gun. It is a good thing my friend doesn't have 1/2" airline or we would have broken off a couple of studs before I asked if the tender trailer was old enough to have left-hand threads, at which point we both facepalmed, and either gun easily took off the lug nuts.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

all else fails, nut splitter.

Most of the time, the nuts are recessed enough that a guy cannot get a nut splitter on them. Back when I was a pro, if the rim was steel, I'd blow them off with a cutting torch, try welding a lug on with a hot welder, or as a last resort, drill. I didn't care about the stud's condition, I just wanted to remove the nut so I could pound out what was left of the stud.

And yes, every effed up lug was a DIY guy because the moment we had a seized lug nut, out came the oxy-acetylene torch to heat up the lug and we'd crack it loose while hot, and if that didn't work, we'd heat it again and shock it with cold water repeating as necessary until the rust bond cracked and we could loosen the lug nut (which is also true of every seized fastener).

Working in Florida and not the rustbelt, Rainman's shop has a weak 140A welder and I've yet to see him try a cutting torch—but yeah, if you have nice alloy wheels, drilling (which sucks) may be the way to go.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Never lube the threads. They are not the problem.

They only tell people that so as to not over-torque the lugs. Anti-seize studs ads about 10% to torque so you back off a tad on the torque wrench to prevent over-torquing.

 

[boatdesigner]

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 tried every size of socket i had. Out of desperation i grabbed an old worn 4 bar lug nut remover and shockingly it worked great. There are 1/2 sizes for sockets which was going to be my next try.

 

[boatdesigner]

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 used an old worn out 4 bar lug nut wrench. Worked great on the swollen nuts.

 

[ranchito]

Another odd quirk I never got the point of was old VWs didn't use lug nuts over studs, they'd use a bolt that threaded into the drum. PITA to get a wheel lined up if you had to change a tire. Dunno if they still are that way or not, ISTR they still were in the 80s.

It's a German thing, BMW and VW. I made studs for both to hold wheel in place when removing and remounting.

 

[Sberry]

The main reason they doi not oil, first it allows a lot of creep on alum wheels, drives them too tight, second trying to train a whole country of chimps working on cars to do it the same right way is a problem. Torque isnt really accurate and being dry actually makes it worse, threads stick and while they stop turning do not clamp properly. Take any old bolt, dry or some simple spray, same for a C clamp,,, seem obvious but guess not. John Deere fastener manual should be required reading for anyone work with bolts.

 

[LouNY]

I have been lubricating wheel lugs and studs and the rim faces for 50 years now.
I run the torque about 10 ft pounds less then called for.
I have never had one I installed loosen. I use a spray never seize on the hub and the back side of the wheel.
In the great saltfest of the NorthEast I have seen numerous rims froze to the hubs from corrosion.
Many that took extreme measure to remove from beating with sledge hammers using hydraulic jacks to running around in circles with the lug nuts half off.
My wifes Jeep uses studs instead of nuts and even with them being changed twice a year for summer/winter tires this spring he lug bolts had swollen the chrome jackets up so the right socket wouldn't fit or if it did go on it took a lot of hammering to get it on. I ordered new solid ones for it.
I actually bought a couple of metric bolts and cut the heads of to make studs I turn in by hand to align the wheel to get the rest of the bolts started.

 

[rScotty]

I've been a mechanic for many decades, and don't recall any real problems with torque values.

Most good nut & bolt clamping work is in the preparation. Cleaning the threads inside and out for example. Do the clean and prep part right, and it really won't matter what kind of lube you use or don't - maybe none at all or maybe grease, oil, dry-lube, or chalk dust.

Installing with torque pre-supposes knowing & trusting the quality of steel being torqued, and that any plating is intact.

Unless all the above is true, using a factory torque is just one more guess. No better or worse than any other guess.

 

[Gord Baker]

The Problem is NOT the threads but the Galvanic Action that takes place between the taper of the Steel Lug Nut and the Alloy Wheel. Some have used a carbide hole saw that neatly cuts off the SS Cap at the base of the Lug. Then use a tight fitting 6 point deep socket on the remaining steel lug. Sometimes a 3/4" Impact gun is needed but since I have put a swipe of Anti-Seize on the taper NOT THREADS of my Alloy Wheels, no problem. In Ontario contact Lug Nut King for replacements. You're welcome

 

[Bill Guenthner]

Friend of mine had the same problem. After fighting with the dealer they finally gave him new ones.
I don't use an impact on mine, power bar only as I don't want to deform the s/s shells if they're two piece nut's or beat them to pieces if they not.............Mike

Get yourself a set of torque limiters.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LZ91WC

 

[LD1]

My wifes Jeep uses studs instead of nuts and even with them being changed twice a year for summer/winter tires this spring he lug bolts had swollen the chrome jackets up so the right socket wouldn't fit or if it did go on it took a lot of hammering to get it on. I ordered new solid ones for it.
I actually bought a couple of metric bolts and cut the heads of to make studs I turn in by hand to align the wheel to get the rest of the bolts started.

Same here on the wifes jeep. I hate them.

Not hard, just not nearly as east as throwing a rim on studs and zipping the lug nuts down. Almost like engineering took a step backwards.

And I'd honestly think it adds cost to a hub. Manufactures are always trying to save pennies here and pennies there. well instead of just drilling a hole for a stud to be pressed, now it needs drilled and tapped.