Stuck Lug Bolt
 

When I got my car inspected( PA state inspection) in Jan 2005 the garage put the front wheel on to tight( a local firestone). Now this morning I wanted to have snow tires put on and the mechanic could not get on of the lug bolts out. He said that he was afraid to break it.

Question is if you do break the bolt what is involved in replacing the hub?
This car is a 95 e320 wagon.

Thanks
Alan

Woah, be very careful not to break it, especially if you have the bolt with a cone. If tha breaks, then it will have to be extracted out and you might get some wheel damage associated with that. Try going to a place that cares for cars and will use some slow technique of taking it off until its loose enough. I heard that mercedes bolts should not be tightned by machine but rather by hand or a torque wrench. If you keep forcing a high powered tool on it, it will eventually break. Maybe try heating bolt up? I learned my lesson when I overtightened my bolts by hand and when my mech took them off, they broke right off! And so I had to leave my car in the shope and extra 4 days! It took so long for the bolt to get off and I got some wheel damage on top of that.

I had the same problem with my SL500. Ended up burning the bolt off without damaging the wheel. The problem is that the cone on the lug bolt gets gauled and hangs on the wheel. Once I got the wheel off, the remainder of the lug bolt came out by hand - no problem with the hub.
I live in PA also. I tell the inspection station to use hand tools for the wheels. About a day or so latter, I torque them to spec. myself.

I just had the tires changed for the first time on my wife's car. There were a couple of lug bolts they couldn't get off with their impact drivers. What they did was take a socket, put it on the bolt, and hit it with a hammer a couple of times.

From what angle? Straight down or from the side?

Straight in, like you're nailing in the wheel

I injured my elbows in part by attacjing some sttuborn lug bolts. I finally freed them with 18" 1/2" drive bar with 6" pipe over the end of it.

i dont know
 

why you cant just use a long breaker bar and give it hell. i dont see any great danger if the bolt breaks. it seems that the stub wouldnt be that hard to get out, if the threads are good. if not it can be drilled and tapped out.

this is why i never have wheel work done any strange places unless i can watch them torque them. it is amazing to me that i have watched tire guys torque my lugs and keep pulling after the torque wrench clicks, like they thought they were doing it better that way. duhhhh.

tom w

I wonder what that clicking sound is:eek:



Or maybe they are stretch bolts:eek: :eek:

right
 

you are now qualified to work at tire barn.

in the local tire barn they have great prices, but their tire machine apparently sucks. i had them balance the tires on my 500sec four times before i finally gave up. i decided their machine was off. i told the mgr and he just said "everyone else thinks it is fine".

ok so i just dont go there any more.

last set i had balanced at sears. only took them twice and the second time it was good. first guy was balancing the wrong side first. dont ask why it matters, i dont understand it or remember which side had to be done first.

i have also had them done at the dealer. it was good. and they use those cool spring loaded weights.

tom w

Before you go crazy try this. First spray around the bolts with a penetrating oil let it sit for a hour or so. Next using a breaker bar and 6 point socket apply some pressure on the bar to take out any play. While doing so hit the end of the bar with a large RUBBER mallet. You will be amazed at the torque that is generated. The shock of the hammer directly to the bolt is ussually enough to free most any bolt or fitting. Good Luck
Glenn

same problem
 

i bought a 300sd that had worn out tires on it..

the former owners bought michelins and then never rotated so
the tires were 5 or 10 years old and had not been changed.

i had 2 stuck lug nuts...

i went to mechinic after mechinic for over a month..
maybe two months...i carried the new tire around in the trunk..

I would spray the lug every day with PB something... it was like
wd40..... i would spray it then put duck tape over the hole to hold
the oil in for a little while...

eventually i decided to use a ratched and a breaker bar... and
I broke the ratchet... so then i went a bought a 1/2 inch breaker bar
and the correct socket... and then i was able to get them out..

then we greased the lugs and i take it and have them rotated regularly..
now...

i was told
 

to never grease your lug nuts. they will work loose. dont know if it is true, but i dont grease them.

i put wd 40 on them.

tom w

I have very lightly applied wheel bearing grease to wheel studs, and my MB's wheel bolts for decades without ever encoutering any loosening. I touch my fingertip to the grease, and then run it straight from the tip of the bolt toward the head or the hub. As you turn the bolt or the nut it spreads the grease around the threads.
regards,
Mark

This happend to me I couldn't get the lugs off after some moron tightened them with an impact gun. I used and 18" breaker bar and an impact socket and placed one foot on it and jumped on it while balancing my hand on the roof heard a loud pop and the lug broke loose, Did this on othe four and it worked as well.
Good Luck
PS NEVER put greese or antiseeze on lug bolts.