stuck lug nuts - driving on a flat?

[Eric W S]

The nuts may well be cold welded or rusted together. Heat the lug nuts and see if that breaks them loose. Simple hand held propane torch might do the trick.

If that doesn't work, drive to a local shop and have them remove the all of your lug nuts (all four wheels) and press new wheel studs in at all four corners. Problem solved.

Otherwise you run the risk of buying axle parts on top of wheel studs and lug nuts. And get in the habit of breaking your lugnuts loose quarterly and you'll always be able to loosen them in the future...

[Jim-ME]

I use never seize whenever I rotate my tires. That seems to do the trick.
Jim

[Tim Smith]

I use never seize whenever I rotate my tires. That seems to do the trick.
Jim

Yes. Great stuff. Be sure to wipe off the excess and to not use the impact gun when tightening the lugs, first time around or else you will get that stuff everywhere.

Don't ask me how I know.

[thixon]

And get in the habit of breaking your lugnuts loose quarterly and you'll always be able to loosen them in the future...

Eric,

Do you actually do this on a quarterly basis? Just curious.

[Eric W S]

Eric,

Do you actually do this on a quarterly basis? Just curious.

I do.

The first year I had my old defender, I had a flat on New year's day, 1am. It was -17 out and even a 6 foot breaker bar didn't bust it. The tow was $200.

Several years later I was leading a group and a guy flatted. One of his lug nuts was frozen solid and we broke a cheap breaker bar and used a can of PB getting it free. Trailside in mud in 100 degree heat and 90 percent humidity and in the middle of a mosquito & black fly investation.

It's now part of the pre-wheeling ritual. Check fluids, remove tires to check brakes/lines & springs, blah, blah, blah. So I at least know that trialside I can break a lug nut free even without my Power Tank and impact wrench and that I made sure the breaker bar and flat gear was in the truck already.

The last flat I had was not even a hassle. I think I spent maybe 20 minutes changing it. Didn't even need or have my impact wrench.

[bmohan55]

I hope to have lugnuts broken more than quarterly!

[Eric W S]

yeah, it'd be cool to wheel twice amonth every month...

EwS

[4flattires]

Ceteris Paribus

Before using lubricants or anti-seize on the lug nuts, please come to your own conclusion after a brief but thorough browse on a search engine of your choice. I think you will be suprised the comments and conclusions made by forum posters and wannabe rocket scientists alike.

I'll leave it at that and not fuel the debate.

Jeff

[adkrover]

Once Nick has loose nuts that will all be fine but right now his nuts are a little too tight.

First try the heat with a cheater bar. After that, buy a good chisel and a Dremel tool. I hate Dremel's and don't own one but they are perfect for this. Using a metal cutting blade on a Dremel, cut the lug nut as deep as you can (without cutting the lug) on opposite sides. Then, using a good cold chisel, insert the chisel into the cut slot and seperate the two halves of the nut and the lug nuts will fall right off. Then, you can use a die or wire brush to clean up the threads or replace the lugs.

Otherwise, if you drive slowly to the shop, the tire will shred but the wheel will be fine. Drive On!

[NickDawson]

Once Nick has loose nuts that will all be fine but right now his nuts are a little too tight.

Quick update - in a fit I decided to just pull the trigger on new shoes and make the tight nuts someone elses problem. Pumped it up with a bike pump, drove to service station and filled it to 40 psi, drove to tire shop and let them have at it.

Running some new 235x85xr16 BFG A/Ts they look considerably better than the 205xr16s that were on there... now I'm dieing to get out on the trail. Gotta find someplace near Richmond this weekend.

I'm back to my engine problem...but thats another thread.

Thanks for all the tips folks. I've never had tight nuts before, it seems very uncharacteristic of me. I'm guessing thats b/c on my cars we tend to rotate the tires once a year or so. I'm going to try and break the rovers nuts every once in a while and hope that will keep them from seizing - should it become a problem I'll consider some lube on them.

[Leslie]

....have we forgotten the time-honored tradition of a cheater bar? Even a 5th grader weighing 65lbs can tug on a 6 foot chunk-o-pipe and bust some nuts.

LOL! I'm not a little guy, on the Disco I used to have, the shop had put them on tight and I neglected to check them until much later... I put a cheater on the lug wrench, ended up spiraling the wrench's handle, never budged the nuts.....

Quick update - in a fit I decided to just pull the trigger on new shoes and make the tight nuts someone elses problem. Pumped it up with a bike pump, drove to service station and filled it to 40 psi, drove to tire shop and let them have at it.

Running some new 235x85xr16 BFG A/Ts they look considerably better than the 205xr16s that were on there... now I'm dieing to get out on the trail. Gotta find someplace near Richmond this weekend.

I'm back to my engine problem...but thats another thread.

Thanks for all the tips folks. I've never had tight nuts before, it seems very uncharacteristic of me. I'm guessing thats b/c on my cars we tend to rotate the tires once a year or so. I'm going to try and break the rovers nuts every once in a while and hope that will keep them from seizing - should it become a problem I'll consider some lube on them.

Congrats!