Wheel nut problem!

[RR-04-RR]

Hey guys

was changing my rims around so when i was taking off one of the nuts.. it started to thread through.. and now.. the nut itself is toolarge (inside) to get a good grip to the key..

question is..

how can i get this off? or could i get another one of these keys?

(will be changing to different wheel nuts soon so these wil be temporary)

1. normal wheel nut (has a good grip with the key)
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/8528/31102009091.jpg

2. bad wheel nut that the inside to too large.. how do i get this off?
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/4726/31102009092.jpg

3. the key to removed the wheel nuts.. where can i get one of these?
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/5889/31102009093.jpg

Any help would be great!!.. thanks guys

[LLS]

Those key are for sale at tyre shop.. around $10 ea. Get a new one.. those are worn as.

[RR-04-RR]

Those key are for sale at tyre shop.. around $10 ea. Get a new one.. those are worn as.

if i get a new one.. would it be big enough to fit aroud the busted one? coz the busted wheel nut is too big!

[mrwillz]

if i get a new one.. would it be big enough to fit aroud the busted one? coz the busted wheel nut is too big!

bring it with you to the shop and get the right size

[RR-04-RR]

bring it with you to the shop and get the right size

yeah i'll have to do that when i have spare time... i work 6 days a week so its hard

thanks for your help!

[wAYzoR]

There is probable 3 alternatives that i can think of, get a proper key which will prob not even get it off, go 1mm larger allen key and bash it on to get it off (they are i think 12mill size).. or if you know someone who can weld alloy and weld a nut on the end to get it off

[aaronng]

Get a 1/2" drive hex key from total tools. They sell them individually and you can use a breaker bar to give leverage. No need to bash. Allen keys are too short to give leverage.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/413M2VXACHL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

[wAYzoR]

Just bash on a allen key and use a pole as breaker bar.. :)

[aaronng]

Just bash on a allen key and use a pole as breaker bar.. :)

And if it doesn't work and it snaps the allen key, leaving the head stuck in the nut? :p

[bennjamin]

please change your nuts to proper seating OEM or OEM style nuts. The ones you have....are proven to not tighten properly and often fail.

[RR-04-RR]

thanks for the comment guys.. will be looking into this asap!

and ben.. i will be looking at purchasing new ones anyway (not the same ones)

[cdpfxz]

and if worse comes to worse and sticking allen keys etc inside it doesnt work, get a set of vice grips and stick them over the wheel nut, that'll get it off.

Nic

[lithium]

ah, bugger bugger - what a pain
on top of the good advice already given i'll add:

* soak the offending nut in penetrating oil every day for a few days before you try again. try and get something better than WD-40 - i use loctite freeze-and-release
* get a new key from the tyre shop. while you are there consider asking them to take the new key, put it in the nut and use the impact wrench to try to loosen it for you. you've got less chance of stripping out what's left of the hex head with an impact wrench than you do using the breaker bar/tyre nut tool at home
* when it's finally off get a replacement nut and tighten it with a torque wrench, or insist anyone working on the car tightens the wheel nuts by hand - it'll never happen again :)

i should add, be careful what you do now because if you manage to completely round of the hex head it will make it ten times harder to get off!

[RR-04-RR]

ah, bugger bugger - what a pain
on top of the good advice already given i'll add:

* soak the offending nut in penetrating oil every day for a few days before you try again. try and get something better than WD-40 - i use loctite freeze-and-release
* get a new key from the tyre shop. while you are there consider asking them to take the new key, put it in the nut and use the impact wrench to try to loosen it for you. you've got less chance of stripping out what's left of the hex head with an impact wrench than you do using the breaker bar/tyre nut tool at home
* when it's finally off get a replacement nut and tighten it with a torque wrench, or insist anyone working on the car tightens the wheel nuts by hand - it'll never happen again :)

i should add, be careful what you do now because if you manage to completely round of the hex head it will make it ten times harder to get off!

thanks for your help mate!

i prob wont try it anymore.. let the tyre shop do it.. hopefully it all works out... right now i'm driving with one green rim lol

yeah will have to invest ina torque wrench.. been using a breaker bar lol

[lithium]

thanks for your help mate!

i prob wont try it anymore.. let the tyre shop do it.. hopefully it all works out... right now i'm driving with one green rim lol

yeah will have to invest ina torque wrench.. been using a breaker bar lol

good luck mate. i've never had the misfortune of having a wheel nut round off but i've done it to a torx pattern alloy sump plug - was a damn unpleasant experience :eek:
if all you tighten is wheel nuts you can get cheapy cheapy 1/2" torque wrenches for $50 from ebay - they work and are definitely accurate enough for wheels :)

[bennjamin]

just a warning

these particular stly lug nuts cannot be accurately torqued.

so a torque wrench would be useless. I know , i have dealt with several of these lug nuts on customers cars and a couple have come loose even after tightening to more than OEM spec ( 108nm)

[fitme]

if you cant find a key that will fit the nut...just cut a small metal strip maybe 1-4mm thick then fill the gap between the nut and the key ..good luck..