How To Loosen Lug Nuts?

My lug nuts are tough to break loose.

I used a long pipe over the normal wrench handle, no luck.

I then stuck a 20 jack under the wrench handle, no luck.

Anyone got an idea what to try? These lug nuts have not been off in years.

Are you going in the right direction? Usually left side studs have left hand threads. Sometimes the hubs get swapped and the leftys end up on the right side. Have a close look to see if you are going the right direction.

I was about to suggest the same thing

Sometimes they are just rusted on solid... I was trying to loosen a Budd nut at Walker's last week, last of the six. After jumping on the lug wrench bar with no luck I brought out the "big guns" (1" impact wrench, 1600 ft. lbs. torque)... it broke the square portion off the nut but did not loosen the threads. Torch time!!!

Bingo! Well, duh, do I feel dumb. I noticed the L on the nuts but did not trip to it.

All it takes is a ten pound sledge now.

If you are sure you are turning them in the right direction you can apply heat with a propane torch or oxy/actylene......just don't get them red hot and take the temper out of them. Heating them will expand them (keep the heat on the nut, not the stud) and they will usually come right off.
When you put them back on put some grease or thread lube on them and it will make it easier the next time you have to take them off.

I am going to put no seize grease on them when they are remounted. Just have to put new tires, flaps and tubes in them, one at a time.

watch putting grease or anti seize on them, the dot frowns on this, with anti seize ,you can over torque the nuts and thimbles, causing a crack in the rim or the stud which could lead to failer, clean the stud up with a wire bush, if the thimble and nut are rusted to bad ,replace them

I will keep that in mind.

After trying to get mine loose with 5' cheater bar, I broke dowm and got a 1" impact from HF for $100.00 and came righr off.
littlebob

One of the PS mags had an article about "wet" torque and "dry" torque on bolts, it was quite informative.

There is a miracle cure for this, email Kano Labs and have them ship you a can of SiliKroil, give the unyielding nut a shot wait a couple of hours and take it off with a flex T, it has never failed, except one time the lug had been spot welded in place, its not that big a miracle.
James G.

I tried the ratchet and socket thing ,only worked on the front.Once you put on the extension you are done,it absorbs all the tourq.I broke two 1 1/2" sockets before I spent the bucks on the impact gun and socket.That's the only way to fly!

I had that problem on my 83' Chevy 4x4. The tire went bad sitting in storage and blow out. When I tried to take it off, I couldn't get the nuts loose. I tried heating it but I only had a small map torch and it was a little windy so that didn't help much. I ended up using a 1" breaker bar and my high lift jack. It would lift the truck right to the point of lifting the tire off the ground before they would turn. Every nut had to be fought all the way to the end of the studs to get them off. Of course it was raining and turning into snow the whole time I had to mess with it so I was soaked and ice hanging from my mustache by the time I was done. The icing on the cake was that after the nuts were off, I couldn't get the rims off. Hammers, torch, a chain hooked to my other truck pulling, even the owner of the storage area tried to use her skid loader hooked with a chain around the tire. All that did was drag the truck around sideways. The rims never did came off. I scraped the truck and saved the motor. All I can thinks of that caused it was about 3 years earlier when I got the truck, I went to boubin to have them check the brakes. I guess they were mad that I didn't have them do it for $700 like they wanted so they put the nuts on as tight as they could get them.

We use the torch to heat as suggested. We also put grease on the threads of all of our wheels, DOT frown or not. The DOT guy is not the guy running the wrench! We have not had overtorque or loosening problems from it, but we tighten with a socket and breaker bar, not an air wrench.
We were totally amazed at the performance of the military gear drive lug nut removal tools. I see them on Ebay from time to time. I finally decided to try one, and wow! how well it works. They hold the inner square drive wheel bolt or nut however you look at it while driving the outer large nut on dual wheel assemblies. I actually had to go try it on several nuts I knew were impossible with the breaker bar to assure myself I didn't just get lucky on the wheel I was working on.
Regards Marti

I use a little WD40 or liquid wrench my self, and of course check that I'm turning them the right way. Put my breaker bar and socket on with a piece of pipe over the breaker bar and stand on it... After all an extra 230# comes in handy once in a while for something. Usually some right off.

WD40 evaporates causing future problems. I always use a long term lubricant.

I have a 1 inch impact and 150 psi air supply that will twist the studs right off. Eaither way, I can certainly get them off if need be. Putting them back on might be another problem.

M543A2 said:

We were totally amazed at the performance of the military gear drive lug nut removal tools. I see them on Ebay from time to time. I finally decided to try one, and wow! how well it works. They hold the inner square drive wheel bolt or nut however you look at it while driving the outer large nut on dual wheel assemblies. I actually had to go try it on several nuts I knew were impossible with the breaker bar to assure myself I didn't just get lucky on the wheel I was working on.
Regards Marti

Click to expand...

What is the technical description and or stock number of the gear drive unit?

not that you should...
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=6227&highlight=stuck+lug+nuts
but it works