Bloody Wheel Nuts!!

[chris.hunt22]

I have got my new wheels curtousey of a well known auction site, fastened my battery down and remove my side steps so lets off road but hang on...I can only get one of my alloys off because the stainless cappings on the nuts have swelled up  To save me arsing around for hours trying to bang the wheel wrench on with a big hammer (spent time trying this already but to no avail) has anyone got any good ideas to easily get them off, I am going to need to get new ones I presume, anybody got any going cheap (I have 4 from my last disco where I fitted locking nuts!!) :lol:

[clbarclay]

Those bl***y capings are a right fart just to make a wheel nut look nicer, the old style with no capping are far better IMHO. Unfortunatly they don't make them any more, favouring the bling instead .

They are made worse by people over tightening them which ruins the cap (fools with breaker bars). A short T-bar without extension provides plenty of torque to do up wheel nuts, the only thing longer that i use to do up wheel nuts is a torque wrench.


Any way enough prevention (and ranting) how about a cure.

If in dought a bigger hammer (and suitable soacket). If you can get one a 3/4" drive 27mm socket suitable for use with air tools so they won't cark/shatter when hit and a large lump/sledge hammer. As they say in the chocolate orange adverts "don't tap it, whack it".

Failing that a 6 sided socket thats a fraction bigger than 27mm (28mm or imperial equiverlant) might work.


Once off I'm not sure what size socket you would need, but you can just remove the cap and use the nuts as they are.



I assume you currently have alloy wheels on the car, If using wheels then you could alternatively cut the ruined cappings of and use a smaller socket or get a large stilsons on the nuts.

[B90]

I find you are better off with a twelve point socket and a big (24") breaker bar to get the nuts off. The twelve point socket goes on easier (and is a damn sight easier to remove afterwards). Do NOT use the 24" breaker bar to re-tighten the nuts.
It works for me.  8)  8)
Best of luck. :roll:
Bryan

[Range Rover Blues]

I found using a Halfords 27 mm deep impact socket that it fits better anyway, but yes they are a faff.

Does it show a lack of servicing that they are so tight due to corrosion though

[Sharpshooter]

They usually come off with a good set of waterpump pliers, and brute force. :)

[hobbit]

While you lean on the bar and socket on the nut, as said give it a reasonably firm knock with a heavy hammer, time the bounce of the foot on the brace with the tap for max shock and torque

Good luck

[muddyjames]

those wheel nuts are a right faf and I hate them. I have steel wheels on my road tyres and rangie rims on my mut tyres so need alloy nuts and I think they look nice on the steel rims just a shame I cant find some with the caps off though.

I have rounded and miss shaped many a cap and have to whack a 27mm impact socket on with a hammer to get the socket on. Argh!!!!

Good luck.

[Range Rover Blues]

Well if mine had been so difficult to remove I might not have found 2 off them missing completely and 2 others nearly off as well, all on one wheel, last night whilst out laning.

Someone has tried to nick one of my wheels, I've a rough idea when it happend too but as one nuts was still tight I didn't notice for a while that anything was wrong.

Fitted a set of locking nuts now.