Lug nuts won't budge.
 

Am trying to get the rear wheel soff my diesel. Someone hired Ah-nold to tighten these lug nuts down.

I would prefer they stay in one piece. What is the best way to get these out without snapping anything?

Thanks.

I'd recommend making a breaker bar out of a hollow iron/steel cylinder to give yourself more torque. You could also get a 1/2" drive socket and a 2+ foot drive bar, but that's more expensive.

Impact wrench.

I have a manual (hammer driven) one that does wonders for things like that.

Thanks for the posts guys.

What I am scared of is snapping the head off of the bolt. Car is 24 years old after all. How about some liquid wrench?

The one bolt I CAN get out of the wheel is looking ruff- as in old and original. Although it is shorter than the bolts on my SE.

thanks.

Use WD40 and an impact wrench or a breaker bar. Worse case scenerio you'll have to heat up the bolt with a torch. If it breaks, it was frozen and you would have not gotten it off otherwise.

Good luck

jrmd01@yahoo.com

No offense jrmdo1, but WD-40 is not the right stuff to use. It is not a good penetrating oil. Use Kroil Penetrating oil, or something similar. Let the stuff soak on the nut over-night.

http://www.storesonline.com/site/598452/product/AeroKroil

use Kroil or PB Blaster. those are the best for loosening bolts. WD40 is pretty weak, and Liquid Wrench is better but nowhere near as good as PB Blaster (Kroil is better still but expensive and not widely sold in retail outlets).

PB Blaster has never let me down. All the other products have!
Matthew

Got'em.

I let them soak in L-wrench first. Came back later and whacked on the breaker bar with a hammer a few times. That did the trick.

I will keep my eyes peeled for this Kroil potion you speak of, Schumi.

Thanks board.

by the way-

I was taking the wheels off to put new sway -bar links in. Man, what a difference. those things can make some expensive sounding noises when they go bad.

Glad you were able to get them off. Isn't patience a wonderful thing sometime? If the penetrant didn't work, I would have gone with Bribenz. Sometimes the shock of an impact gun is the only thing that works. By the what tire brand are you using that have been on there for 24 years?

Peter

this is where I got my Kroil:

http://www.eastwoodco.com/

It was like $20 after shipping, but it is a big can that will probably last me the rest of my natural lifetime and I will pass it on to my children.

Put anti-sieze on your bolts (threads and mating surface with wheel)... torque them 5 lbs or so less.

Greg

Greg,

For safety sake you need to edit your post. I'm sure you didn't mean 5#. Welcome to the group and thanks for the input.:)

Peter

"I will pass it on to my children"

That's funny.

Reminds me of a post regarding that mercedes grease for the sunroof. You have to buy a huge tube that would last you 2 lifetimes. One member on this forum began selling it in 1 table spoon increments.


BTW no offense taken on my WD40 suggestion. I'm learning just as much as anyone. I've never ran across a bolt that was so frozen that WD40 couldn't help. But if there is something better out there I'll use it instead.

Only original tire is the spare, a michelin, which I would like to replace. Wheels are original, and the lug nuts probably are too. There have some rust on them and do not tighten down as smoothly as the bolts on my SE's tires. Maybe I should replace?

Thanks guys.

Mike

The bolts are pretty heavy duty, unlike some cars.

I had a wheel sold to me where a bolt had frozen, broken, and there was considerable damage in the "seat area" where the bolt had to be drilled out - I don't trust that wheel and will probably discard it.

I got Kroil at Napa.

I think he meant 5 foot pound less than specified torque. The manuals usually specify dry threads. The reduction in torque gives the same clamping force with lubricated threads. That's what we're really after here, the clamping force.

enjoy,

mostly good advise here, l- wrench and then hit em with a hammer and proceed slowly- or even easier as said earlier- drive it down to the repair shop and get the air wrench- its worked for me in the past.

Anti sieze is not a good idea with lug nuts/bolts- not something you'd like to come out on their own. BTW- torque values with anti sieze and dry are different. I think dry threads are what is called for by nearly every manufactor on lug bolts. ;)

1. Use PB Blaster on the bolts.
2. Use a braker bar as suggested. Mine is a 2" steel pipe about 6' long. Slip it over the end of the lug wrench and slowly apply the force.
Together 1 and 2 always worked for me.
3. Always put a little, repeat little, bit of lubricant on the bolt or nut when re-assembling, and then torque to specs. A 'little bit' just covers 2 or 3 threads but on just about 1/8 of the circumference of the bolt. As you thread it. the lube will distribute over the remaining threads. Contrary to the opinion of some, the bolt will not loosen and wheel will not fall off. Have done this for decades and never, ever had a problem.
regards,
Mark

ps. develop the habit of rotating your tires.
MD