Swollen Ford Lug nuts

[joecdeere]

Google it!, horrible problem, wife’s 13 Escape is on its 4th set of lug nuts. Finally bought some aftermarket all steel ones that don’t swell or corrode. 9 of them had to be destroyed last time the tires were rotated.

 

[Monster5601]

buy this. make sure the right size is here. mechanics use these for this issue.

https://www.amazon.com/Steelman-5-P...1fdabc3596cbf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Interesting, I never knew these were made. I'll add them to my wish list (the breaker bar too, that looks cool). Around here in "salted road country", swollen lug nuts means the lug nut's decorative caps swell out from the steel lug nuts rusting away. What we do is alternate between metric and SAE sizes. All my vehicles have 22mm lug nuts, a 7/8" will fit them once they start swelling.

22mm	0.8660​
7/8"	0.8750​
22.5mm	0.8858​
23mm	0.9055​
15/16"	0.9375​
1"	1.0000​

 

[LD1]

I don't own a ford.

But the only lug nut swelling issue I have is when the chrome skin of the lug nut wants to come loose or swell from the steel part of the nut. Can be a royal PITA.

Only twice in my life have I resorted to drilling through the stud/but enough to snap it and then just replace with a new stud and nut.

It does work though

 

[Smokeydog]

Use CorrosionX on about all threaded fasteners. Helps makes maintaining equipment easier years later.

 

[fidowanttobe]

One word and a few hours wait time.
KROIL
Expensive but all you need is a few drops.

 

[Fxfymn413]

My go to solvent is to mix about 25% transmission fluid with 75% acetone. The acetone thins the oil enough to penetrate and then evaporates leaving the oil.

If soaking doesn't work my experience as a boat mechanic dealing with bimetallic corrosion tells me the only real alternative is heat. Heat the stud with a torch, let them cool, try to loosen; no luck? reheat and try with them hot.

If you peel off (or melt)the aluminum outer nut you may be able to move the nut with a chisel or just cut them off with a chisel. Either way it will be a major PIA and time consuming.

 

[confused8122]

Swollen or stuck?

Swollen means finding a socket to fit. Not always easy. And then new nuts

Stuck? Put a good deep impact socket on. Swing a large hammer(sledge) as hard as you dare, hitting the socket into the wheel. Use care to not miss and hit wheel. A few hits, then use impact wrench. Normally will come right off.

 

[Fxfymn413]

Use CorrosionX on about all threaded fasteners.

CorrosionX is an oil based product. The use of any lubricant on a stud is a non-no since proper torque cannot be achieved with a lubricant present. If a bolt is lubed and then brought to the proper torque the bolt will be overstretched and subject to failure.

 

[gsganzer]

Stuck? Put a good deep impact socket on. Swing a large hammer(sledge) as hard as you dare, hitting the socket into the wheel. Use care to not miss and hit wheel. A few hits, then use impact wrench. Normally will come right off.

This ultimately did it. It took a fair number of hits and a few stiff sideways smacks were also needed.

 

[rScotty]

CorrosionX is an oil based product. The use of any lubricant on a stud is a non-no since proper torque cannot be achieved with a lubricant present. If a bolt is lubed and then brought to the proper torque the bolt will be overstretched and subject to failure.

I think they are still trying to get them apart. At this point putting things back together with proper torque is a future project.

I agree on the oily threads. From what I've seen in books, typical mechanical practice is to reduce the torque by 10% for oily threads. After all, everyone does it.

I figure that 10% more or less torque is something I'd rather deal with than torn threads and corroded fasteners. So I smear my wheel fasteners with a blob of chassis grease. Threads and faces both. Using anything except that sticky messy moly lube.....
rScotty