Tools for removing stuck (keyed) lug nuts?

[scaron]

Hey all, I have a 98 Ford ****** with aftermarket wheels on it (ugh)... it blew a tire this morning; they require a stupid keyed socket to get the lugs off... I hit the original socket with my 1/2" drive Proto breaker bar and the socket just split open when I put a little torque on it... had my girl drive it home on the rim (only a few miles away) and went to the tire store; I got not one but two more of the stupid keyed sockets to try...

I went to town with my Milwaukee 1/2" electric impact gun, no dice; it just bottoms out at 300 ft-lbs or whatever it's rated for... I bring out the breaker bar again and split one of the two new lug sockets like it's made out of tin cans or something...

I go get a can of PB blaster and hose down the lugs and hub... let it sit for maybe half an hour, hour... Beat on it with my deadblow; spray some more PB... Let it sit. Go back with my breaker bar; I try a different lug first this time... I get to pushing on it a little longer but the SECOND socket splits too!

These things are a joke; made out of pot metal or something. What would the GJ experts recommend as a next step? I have a few S-K Turbosockets but nothing this large... I'd have to special-order a bigger one; or; I understand you can get a lug removal kit from Sears; has anyone tried that with decent results on stuck aftermarket lugs? This seems to be what most sites are recommending. Maybe try to put a torch on it? I don't want to set the thing on fire!! This car is basically worthless; I don't want to spend a ton of $$; I don't see a mechanic having much more available to them beyond what I have myself... just fishing for suggestions. Thanks.

 

[Buckgnarly]

The Sears set has worked for me, just be sure to pound the hell out of them when putting them on.

 

[48RON54]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "keyed" lug nuts... That having been said, I would heat with torch and then go at it with IMPACT socket (short, not long) and breaker bar.... You may still end up ruining wheel studs unfortunately......been down this road several times.

 

[isr2kba]

Like in many things, vibration, penetrating oil and heat are your friends. Assuming you want to salvage the wheel and lugs.

Aerokroil is better than peanut butter blaster for this application. I might try:

1. heating the nut dull red (keeping the heat off the lug the best you can)
beating (more like smacking than bashing) on the hot nut with some metal to metal contact action(not a deadblow)

2. Once it's cooled some, hit it with 'kroil (or PBB if that's all you have).

3. Wait an hour then try to MOVE (not remove) the nut.

If it doesn't budge, start over on step 1. If it moves a little don't get greedy, hit it with more spray and work it slowly.

 

[loranger]

Just beat an impact socket on them. Luckily I have never had any problems with my spline lug nuts.

 

[jim1987]

Just to this out there, are you going the right way? Lol

Besides that, what kind of sockets are you using to just rip them open? I see you're in MI, the cold could be playing havoc as well on the sockets metallurgy.

 

[yost69]

These ?

http://twosrus.com/catalog/images/21132ht.jpg

Those sockets are junk.

I beat my 17mm (I think) mac edge on it and it pulled them off.

 

[Dusty61]

There are "twist" sockets that work nicely, sears or maybe napa should have them. Your going to need the ones sized for lug nuts. I know snap on makes a nice three piece set that covers most of the sizes out there. And yes, hammer them on before you go torquing on them.

 

[isr2kba]

Part of the OP's problem is that the impact gun is not powerful enough. If you go the hammer-on route, 600-800lbs torque is going to be helpful.

 

[Professur]

Another of those wonderful times when a welder comes in handy. Only needed it once to whip off a lost 'security' lugnut for a neighbour .... welded a steel bar right to the lugnut, added a cheater pipe and wheeeeeeeee. Replaced it with a normal nut.

 

[cburnscrx]

Anytime I've ever had a situation like this I've hammered on an impact socket, put the breaker bar on it and pounded on it with a 3lb metal mini sledge. The vibration is a good thing. If that didn't work, I put the breaker bar parallel to the ground and start hopping on it. Something was going to break, one way or another. I'm 250++ pounds, so it was going to be the socket, the bar, or well...me. I have yet to break. Just saying.

 

[Professur]

Anytime I've ever had a situation like this I've hammered on an impact socket, put the breaker bar on it and pounded on it with a 3lb metal mini sledge. The vibration is a good thing. If that didn't work, I put the breaker bar parallel to the ground and start hopping on it. Something was going to break, one way or another. I'm 250++ pounds, so it was going to be the socket, the bar, or well...me. I have yet to break. Just saying.

For me it's always the stud.

 

[rlitman]

Lemmie guess. Your aftermarket rims have small lug holes, and only the "tuner" lugs would fit because the holes are smaller than a regular lugnut socket.

Yeah, the keyed sockets are brittle ****. That's a common problem.
I've had luck removing them by gripping from the outside with a stripped lug removal socket.

A lot of those type lugs are open ended. That allows moisture to get in, which causes corrosion, which makes them get stuck (that's why acorn lugs are better). But getting past that point, this may be something you can exploit. When I had to pull all 16 lugs off a Civic with this issue, I had trouble gripping them from the outside. But I was able to cut the tip off a #6 helical ez-out (the tip hit the stud and prevented the ez-out from getting deep enough to grip), and used that with much success.

IIRC, on my first attempt with these, I was able to pound a #60 torx into one and get it free with the impact, but the torx shredded the next one I tried.

 

[rtole]

You might get lucky with some twist sockets. Are these the spline drive lugnuts? Or is it a single lock that replaces 1 stud? It sounds like they are really on there. This might require a chisle. I use one on my air hammer for these cases. Or a torch and wreck the studs.

 

[bigsexy1985]

Put your purse down and bow up on it son lol. I have just found a good black impact socket of a similar size put some heat on them baby s whoop the socket that will fit the tite st
and twist the studs off there not hard to change once the wheel is off good luck if that don't work give me a call I'll send my old lady over there she's my muscle lol

 

[ElectroLight]

This is what I have. No hammering, no busting your ***, nothing. just run it on with the impact. Good stuff. http://www.sears.com/search=universal%20locking%20lug%20nut%20removal%20tool?catalogId=12605&storeId=10153&levels=Tools&autoRedirect=true&viewItems=50&redirectType=CAT_REC_PRED

 

[scaron]

Just for the record, I did not put the rims on the car!! They were on it before I got it :| LOL

The lugs are not locking lugs like e.g. McGard or Gorilla; I guess they are what is called the "fluted" type; just a cylinder with six little semi-circular flutes around the circumference of the lug - but going _into_ the lug, not popping out of it. All four lugs on the wheel are of this type because, yes, of course, the design of the wheel makes it impossible to use regular lug nuts, and, yes, they are open at the ends, which I'm sure helped all the MI grit and grime get in there good to rust-weld it together.

In theory they should be covered by a little plastic vanity plate but it was lost after hitting a pothole long ago. So they have definitely been taking a lot more abuse than in the past.

I just wanted to poll the forum, I know there are a lot of knowledgeable guys here; just trying to see what the best practice was... sounds like a lot of endorsement for the twist sockets, which have worked great for me in other applications not related to lug nuts. So now just to decide if I want to carry on the fight, or just farm this one out; ride it on the rim to the shop a few blocks away, heh.

I wish I could just get a "well-made" socket to fit this lug. I'm sure I could bully them off eventually with my big ole Proto BB if only the sockets didn't keep breaking on me!! The sockets out there for these oddball lugs are truly garbage.

Thanks so much to everyone who responded!