stubborn overtightened lug nut?

Other than going to the Dremel tool or buzz saw, what successful remedies have you guys applied to removing an over tightened wheel lug nut?
This is not a rusted lug, but an overly torqued lug.
I'll never again let a flat fix guy tighten the wheel lugs with an impact gun.

Get out the torch and heat them up a bit.

I always thought that heat was introduced only on a rusted lug. Is it the heat expanding the metal to loosen it?

impact socket , breaker bar and a pipe on the breaker bar ... yes it's that easy .

Or go back to the donkey that put them on too tight and have him loosen it and then you tighten it ???

Use a good impact to remove it. Not a average impact wrench.

A hand held propane or better yet map gas torch will provide enough heat to get it off with regular tools.

FWIW for 25 years I used regular old 1/2' impacts at home and at work and ran into plenty of cases where it was not enough. I would drag out my heavy 3/4" impact and hopefully had a small enough socket to do the job.

Then one of my 1/2" impacts broke,the trigger broke. Cracked off when I threw another tool into the tool box on top of it. I showed it to my Snap On guy and he said it was so old it was not worth fixing and they would not have parts for it? He was right it was old. He talked me into buying a new lightweight composite impact from him.

Wow that thing is powerful and does a much better job of getting things loose and is much lighter to drag around. Well worth the 450 bucks it cost. Should have had one years ago.

It was a Xmas special and I got a pistol gun case and a long 3/8" ratchet for replacing belts on cars and trucks that came with the impact wrench. I work on big trucks at work so I need a powerful impact, so nice to have the right tool for the job and didn't realize how weak my 1/2" impacts were.

Tried a long breaker bar and socket. Large lug wrench, even a pair of vise grips after the socket started to strip the lug. I'm in Detroit now so I can not go back to the Bozo in Brooklyn.
I'll try and go to a local flat fix here and see what they can do. If not, I'll take to the torch and then the Dremel as last resort.

No 3/4 or 1 inch I use a 1500+ lb Ingersoll rand it never fails or breaks it

Have you tried a six-point impact socket with a breaker bar?

Its a bit too late in this case, but I always use anti-sieze on all my Mopar lugs and tighten them to 65 ft lbs with a torque wrench to avoid warping the flange.

you might go ahead with the dremel, as you know it will take some time (& save you a trip as you were considering a trip to another shop) but you'll know there will no further damage

Try pounding a six point metric socket on the lug. It may fit more snugly than an SAE socket. Or vice versa...

Don't be afraid of using a little heat, it'll do the job.

A tire store will have a tool like this one that will remove damaged lug nuts or locking lug nuts.
Snap on
This one of the most affordable and useful tools in my shop. I use one at work and at home. It is easier than using the acetylene torch at work and usually puts out enough heat for light duty jobs like lug nuts. Real handy for lighting fireworks and bottle rockets too.


Good luck, between hammering on a old socket on it and some heat it should come off with a breaker bar. Have never owned a dremmel tool, too light duty for me.

Six point metric socket worked. Thank you guys.
Now I just have to pound out the lug wedged in the socket with a steel rod. At the very least, it cost me a metric socket and not a lug stud and time.
Goes to show, that even though we use SAE sockets, the metrics come in on their own and rise to the occasion.
Thank you once again.

Dad had the same problem on his Sebring. Problem is the wheels are chrome "clad"...as in plastic. Can't use a torch on that one. We ended up having to drill out the stud.

Are you sure it's not a left hand thread?

Our durango lug nuts are the same way, 21 MM or something like that? I use a 6 point socket and a impact to take them off and a torque wrench to tighten them.

No left hand after a certain year. This is on my 83' Dodge Diplomat police package.
Torque wrench or star wrench from here on.

Always use a 6 point socket on the tight ones or it will round off. Also support the breaker bar at the end of the socket so when you push down you keep the socket straight on the lug nut..

What kind of wheel aluminum or steel? Will the heat hurt the wheel? Can you get at the lug with a die grinder(last resort).

Just went through this with my Durango. Wife was driving it, had a flat, and called AAA. Kid came out and put on the spare and used I-don't-know-what to put the spare on. I fixed the tire and went to put it back on. 2 of the lug nuts were rounded off. Used a metric socket and got one off. The other was so tight I broke the end of it off with a stripped-nut removing socket. Wound up drilling the nut with a small bit and popping it in 2 with a chisel. Saved the stud.



Tim

Wheel is steel and I did just what you suggested with the breaker bar. I got it loosened finally this morning.
Just glad I wasn't caught out there with a flat and no way of removing the wheel.

1970 was the last year of lefties

I've since changed all my studs and lugs on my 65' to righty only. Though the Old Chrysler factories lefties were a keen idea, people just could not get used to it.

A lot of guys forget how much torque you can get out of a simple 4 way lug wrench. I typically find I am stronger than the impacts I own. Either that says a lot about me or not much about my equipment.

Correct, a lot of proper torque can be achieved with the star wrench being that the leverage is sufficient enough to tighten the wheels.
Like I said before, I will never let anyone tighten the wheels again with an impact gun. This was the only time it slipped past me being that I trusted the cat and also told him not to use the impact all the way. Just bring 'em to a snug and then use the star wrench. Heck, I would have done if it were not for a hectic day of activities.

whenever some bozo gets carried away with the impact, and it takes superman tactics to remove a lug nut, i always inspect the stud very carefully for stretched threads. i have seen studs fail several times after the nut is replaced and torqued to the proper specs, upon careful inspection, the stud was the culprit. might be a good idea to maybe replace that one stud ?

72 for A-Body's...

That was my concern while reading this thread.

I would replace the lug due to the stress alone.

Incorrect. Not true.
70 is the last for Lefties, on any body style.

I thought 69 was the last year for lefties - not sure though. I have had several 72 a bodies which were all righty type.

As others have already stated, 1970 was the last.

I had a goofy thin wall lug nut on my truck. I ended up getting a socket with reverse cutting threads in it. It gripped the lug nut and finally broke the stud, but made my brake job easier. Last resort sort of thing but worked great.