Help removing locking lug nut

[R6 Racer]

You know the locking nuts that I mean, the ones you need a special tool/nut with the raised pattern inside it to remove. Was putting on my snows today & I managed to get the first 3 done than the actual locking lugnut broke! It's still in one piece but the tool won't turn it. The tool just slips.
It's not the end of the world or anything. It just pisses me off. It's the left rear & its a front drive car
Anyone know how to get this off?
Any ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks
Steve

 

[dodge610]

Could try a radiator hose clamp around the out side of the lock socket may hold it tight enough to get the last nut off then comes the chore of tracing down a new socket or doing away with the locks.

 

[cashishift]

find a socket thats sized similarly but tight and pound it on there.

you'll probably lose the socket.. but you'll get it off.

 

[red baron]

find a socket thats sized similarly but tight and pound it on there.

you'll probably lose the socket.. but you'll get it off.

one that you wont need after that preferably! lol

also snap on has a tool that is made to take these off, but i never got it to work right!

 

[dougmac]

There are several different type of special sockets designed to grab the outside of the nut and remove stripped nuts/lock. Rather than buy the socket, you may want to take it to a tire store. They should have the tool there to do it.

To buy the socket you would have to know what size you need before ordering. There are several different sizes and styles.

Here is what the tools look like...

http://www.alltiresupply.com/p-30101.html

 

[Red Green]

find a socket thats sized similarly but tight and pound it on there.

you'll probably lose the socket.. but you'll get it off.

This is what I do. I use a 12pt.

 

[neverenoughtools]

There are sockets made specifically for the removal of rounded over bolt heads / nuts....... They work very well. Use the one that fits your wheel lock the tightest + the spiral flutes will bite into the locknut as you are removing it....Voilà.

 

[dodge610]

There are several different type of special sockets designed to grab the outside of the nut and remove stripped nuts/lock. Rather than buy the socket, you may want to take it to a tire store. They should have the tool there to do it.

To buy the socket you would have to know what size you need before ordering. There are several different sizes and styles.

Here is what the tools look like...

http://www.alltiresupply.com/p-30101.html

Hate to say it but HF has a set too that does the same thing your set is probably better but what do you want for chinese believe me i in no way wanna push the chinese stuff just lookin for a cheap way out of a jamb for the guy in need.

 

[waltmcq]

weld the tool on to the nut

 

[sberry]

Yes, thats what I usually do, weld a pipe to them. One of these days I might get a set of the tools but it is rare for me, I also toss them and use common lug nuts.

 

[dougmac]

Hate to say it but HF has a set too that does the same thing your set is probably better but what do you want for chinese believe me i in no way wanna push the chinese stuff just lookin for a cheap way out of a jamb for the guy in need.

Removing stripped lug nuts is bit of a dicey job. You really don't want things to go wrong because you may not get a second chance.

If the tool is not high quality, it could round the nut off and make the situation worse. My feeling is, this is a place that I would only recommend using quality professional tools in the hands of someone that is fairly competent.

I would not use HF tools for this job......

 

[rwhite692]

As dougmac already said...don't bother wasting your time...Stop by any decent tire shop and they will have that thing off for you in the blink of an eye...They have a special socket made for that purpose, has an internal, sharp threaded cone of sorts that grips the outside body of what's left of the security lug. Or you can buy one the sockets yourself online, and have at it...

 

[Lotek]

If the special socket isn't available, you can loosen all the other lugnuts 1 turn, then drive in a circle slowly for a little bit then try to loosen the nut. Before the special sockets came out, I used to hit them with a sharp chisel or air chisel to loosen them.

 

[Warrenator]

Pipe wrench if you can get a good grip on it....

 

[Shadowdog500]

I've used a 12 point craftsman socket to remove those security lug nuts many times, Probably long before snap on even came out with that special tool. Never had a problem. I dont even recall ever splitting the socket, but I use Craftsman just in case. I just use the largest one that don't slide over the security lug nut and pound it on. When done use a center punch to drive the lug nut from the socket.

I also have several varieties of Craftsman Nut outs like shown Below: They will work for this application as well. They are indispensable if working on salt water boats.

Chris

 

[dodge610]

Removing stripped lug nuts is bit of a dicey job. You really don't want things to go wrong because you may not get a second chance.

If the tool is not high quality, it could round the nut off and make the situation worse. My feeling is, this is a place that I would only recommend using quality professional tools in the hands of someone that is fairly competent.

I would not use HF tools for this job......

Whoa there it was just an idea not stomp on your toes and say ha go buy the Harbor Freight tool to do the job and i have been restoring old cars for quite a few years womder if that makes me compotent enough i own more high end stuff than HF stuff there anyway dougmac.

 

[Porschedoc]

I've never had a problem with pounding on twelve point socket either. I've done a ton of them. Just make sure to use a long breaker bar to turn it off. An impact will strip it right away and you are back to square one.

 

[dougmac]

Whoa there it was just an idea not stomp on your toes and say ha go buy the Harbor Freight tool to do the job and i have been restoring old cars for quite a few years womder if that makes me compotent enough i own more high end stuff than HF stuff there anyway dougmac.

Sorry ... if it sounded harsh .... that wasn't how I meant it to be......

I know there are places where HF tools work great and some places that I wouldn't recommend them for. Face it, they are not always the best of quality. This is not a place where I would feel comfortable with a lower quality tool.

As far as competent goes ... that was not directed at you. I don't have any idea what level of expertise anyone has here.

I was trying to say..... Removing stripped lug nuts is something that can go very wrong. If a person isn't confident of their abilities, they may want to save it for someone with more experienced.

 

[scott37300]

I had to get the locking lugs off my truck and my lug socket was in a tool box I had borrowed to a friend. I bought a set of thos rounded out bolt removers and my lug was to deep for them to work, the lugs had a rounded cone on them so it prevented the remover from reaching down the lug far enough and the rounded cone part was to tiny for any of the rounded remover tools to grip onto it.

I ended up using a stud remover I had bought some time ago. My lugs stuck out about 1/2" from the rim so the remover could grab onto them.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00904458000P

 

[28HopUp]

I've never had a problem with pounding on twelve point socket either. Just make sure to use a long breaker bar to turn it off.

That's how I've removed them as well.

 

[6768rogues]

If all else fails, hit it it each way with a hammer to stretch the stud, then turn it off with vise grips. Done this way, you should replace the stud.

 

[wornoutoldman]

Big Ole Chisel, Dead Blow Hammer starts em moving every time!

 

[jonny01blaze]

Ok, I was in the same position about a week and a half ago! My brother in law let another buddy of ours put locking nuts on ALL, i repeat, ALL of his lugs when he bought the car. Well I was doing a brake job and he just got new tires and the tire shop over tightened his lug nuts. Well you guessed it I broke the key, damn thing snapped off inside the lug. Well I then had 20 lugs to remove with no key. Do what was said, get a 12 point socket and pound that sucker on there and work them off. It suprisingly took less time that I thought it would and worked like a charm! The socket was a cheap one from advance because I didn't want to destroy one of mine and it survived the beating. Most of the edges are rolled off but it still works. Good Luck!

 

[randydupree]

all you have to do is hit the nut on the end with a hammer several times,then spin the nut off with your fingers.
Old junkyard trick..

 

[dodge610]

Sorry ... if it sounded harsh .... that wasn't how I meant it to be......

I know there are places where HF tools work great and some places that I wouldn't recommend them for. Face it, they are not always the best of quality. This is not a place where I would feel comfortable with a lower quality tool.

As far as competent goes ... that was not directed at you. I don't have any idea what level of expertise anyone has here.

I was trying to say..... Removing stripped lug nuts is something that can go very wrong. If a person isn't confident of their abilities, they may want to save it for someone with more experienced.

Understood the way it was worded sounded as if you were directing it yes removal of lock nuts is a one chance deal i will agree.

 

[NJHandyGuy]

fluted sockets and a impact work well

 

[denis4x4]

I have a drawer full of the locks and the removal sockets removed from every Jeep I ever bought. I learned my lesson years ago on an off camber scree road when I couldn't remove the locking lug nut. Ruined the tire and wheel driving to a level spot. I figure that a Really good thief has the proper tools to by pass the locks, so why bother.

 

[NJHandyGuy]

I have a drawer full of the locks and the removal sockets removed from every Jeep I ever bought. I learned my lesson years ago on an off camber scree road when I couldn't remove the locking lug nut. Ruined the tire and wheel driving to a level spot. I figure that a Really good thief has the proper tools to by pass the locks, so why bother.

denis i couldn't agree more the only people those locks aggrivate are the people they are supposed to protect.

never the less any thief can get the same tools a tireshop or wrecker has for their removal

 

[mr48chev]

I've done the 12 point socket trick to get one off at least once but I wouldn't be the least bit afraid of a HF tool for doing what would amount to a one time job . Their tools are usually ok if you only need them for limited use for something like this.

 

[ourkid2000]

I had this happen to my girlfriend's car. She had a flat at work that someone helped her with and I guess somehow the guy lost the key. The damaged tire had a hole in the sidewall so I had to replace the whole tire. When I went to put the new one on, I was pretty pissed to discover that the key was lost.

I went down to Princess Auto (Canadian Harbor Freight) and got a 2pc set of their spiral fluted lug nut removers and hammered it on nice and tight. I put my impact on it and it spun right off. Cost me about 7 bucks for the set.

Hardest part of the job was getting the lug nut out of that socket.