Stuc lug nut HELP! (And stripped and destroyed)

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Malcolm Schweizer

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So 650 foot pounds would not budge my lug nut off. I can only assume it was cross threaded and over-tightened. It eventually stripped. I had the brilliant idea of trying to split it with an air chisel. So now what? It is stuck- perio. I don't see any way to get to the back of the lug without first getting the wheel off. Am I missing something? If I could pull the whole hub I could cut the lug out. Can that be done w/o removing the wheel?
 

new jeep owner

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any chance you could weld a new nut on to the old one?
it would give you a new nut to get a hold of , and the heat from the welder might help loosen the original lug nut.
 

04Liberty

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You can remove the hub without removing the wheel IF it's 2wd. If it's 4wd then no.
 

theroofable

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When mine was stuck, I took it to a tire shop and they got it off in about 30 minutes. They said they might have to break them off and replace the studs, but they got it off with extractors and air tools.
 

NJallDAY

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Did you split it at all? If not get a breaker bar and a real long poll. Tighten it until the stud shears and then replace the stud when you get a chance. 4 lugs will hold just fine until you can get a new stud
 

martin_metal_88

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torch it. you might have to use a bigger or smaller socket once it will be very hot and be ready to get rid of those socket after but it's the easier way. If you get a propane torch with a small enough flame you could save the rim.
 

Malcolm Schweizer

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I already tried impacting it with 650 foot pounds, broke a breaker bar on it, and again with the impact wrench. I didn't heat it because I was afraid the rim was magnesium. I thought surely cutting a groove with a cutoff tool and then air chiseling it would split it. Instead it just made mash of it. So I am about to the point of cutting my losses (wasted time) and cutting the rim off.

I have NEVER not been able to get a lug off. When I say it's stuck I mean STUCK! I can only guess the previous owner (the government) impacted it on cross-threaded.
 

Akedos

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You need a real breaker bar is all, shouldn't be able to break it on a stuck lug nut.
 

Xodius

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Odd. I used to break mine off all the time on my KJ. Discount tire went through a cross thread period. I think I broke off...18 or so. Lol. All with a star wrench too. No breaker bar needed. I wonder if it was welded on or they used some special locker. ? Just a thought.


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martin_metal_88

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most of the time you get cross thread just because the guy used the impact to set the nut instead of few turn with hand to make sure it's in place...
 

tjkj2002

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^Exactly. I made this mistake once, which is why I don't use impact guns at all any more.
I've never cross threaded a lugnut in 20 years using a impact.


The biggest cause I've found is poeple using antiseize on the wheel studs,get's gummed up real bad.I like how 1st time customers try and blame us for cross threading there lugnuts when we tell them they have one(or 2) that will require to be broken off to remove the wheels.Can't cross thread them taking them off and since we have never seen this vehicle before we did not put them on last either.
 

Dave

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I do my own tire rotations and always by hand. Always spin the lugnuts on by hand first. Never a problem. The only time an impact gun was used on mine was at a shop when I bought new tires. Even so, using an impact gun properly you wouldn't strip the threads.

Anyway, hope the OP got the lugnut off and the stud replaced.

Dave
 

Luke

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I only use my impact gun in reverse ... prevents any potential problems ... and builds muscle :D
 

PETET

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i had the same problem two weeks ago.what I done was removed all the wheel nuts apart from the nut with the problem.then i jacked the car up off the ground,using the smallest drill.Drilled around the stub,making sure you don't go into the wheel,Using the oxyacetylene heated the nut and stub for less than a minute.Then using a sledge hammer hit the tyre from the inside out,not the wheel and it should come off.With our nut it was totally destroyed only a tiny bit inside the wheel was holding it on.Make sure you have a stud and nut ready to replace it.good luck
 

HoosierJeeper

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I do my own tire rotations and always by hand. Always spin the lugnuts on by hand first. Never a problem. The only time an impact gun was used on mine was at a shop when I bought new tires. Even so, using an impact gun properly you wouldn't strip the threads.

Anyway, hope the OP got the lugnut off and the stud replaced.

Dave


I do the same...get them threaded on by hand then run 'em in with the impact. Then I torque them down to spec so they're not too tight so it'd be easy enough to do by hand if I got a flat.
 

martin_metal_88

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You can use impact but make sure to hand tight the nut the max you can first to prevent cross thread.
@ OP, forget to ask, do you have standard nut without top or you have the jeep on or look alike model?
If you have a no top one maybe the thread broke someway and the nut just destroyed it while going on it. also, maybe you could update a pic so we could see the thing?
 

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