Grrr - lug stuck - drilling stud %&@*!

[huntbuggy]

Got home to start working on the lift, took a breaker bar to 19 lug nuts without issues. Had PB blasted everything last night and again when I got home so figured same routine job, step one wheels off. One nut, however - one of the remaining infamous factory chrome capped ones has caused me a couple hours of grief - soon to become a few more hours I'm afraid.

So here's the tale. 19mm made a pop and grind (as did a couple other capped ones that just popped off) but instead of coming off the cap bent and wedged. With a punch, vice grips and some swearing, it came off. Noticed the open ended lug nut underneath was in rough shape, but did as usual and hammered the 18mm onto it. Forced, no go. Impacted fw/back no go. Forced again with longer bar - and stripped. Tightened an extractor onto it and forced - stripped it almost round. :favorites68:

So without a torch I did like I was taught - start drilling out the stud.

Bad plan. Even with hammer drill am going through bits and am only a third of the way through and it's dinnertime! As I go to the cheaper bits they're wandering and it's a mess.

Few more hours and I think if I don't pull my hair out I'm gonna pay some other sap to burn up bits and swear a bit.

Compassion pls. p:

 

[Xodius]

Dang and here I thought I was bad at just breaking them off lol. I feel for ya. I have snapped off 9 of my 10 rear lugs mostly due to discount tire cross threading them *shakes fist*.

 

[tjkj2002]

Time to invest in some high quality carbide tipped drill bits,the pure carbide tipped ones that have carbide welded on the tip and not just the coated bits.They are very pricey but well worth it when they cut through broken extractors like butter so a grade 8 wheel stud is nothing for a true carbide drill bit.

 

[huntbuggy]

No kidding tjkj! Have coated and hs steel sets and they're worth what you pay I now know, fine for wood or putting a clean hole in drywall is about what they're good for.

Carbide or Cobalt may be on the shopping list tomorrow AM depending what's in stock and nearby - am about 1/8 away from getting the bugger out... depending on how fused it is.

What a PITA. Am staring at the bags of new lug nuts I bought last week and wished I had replaced the mismatched factories and rust magnets a LONG time ago.

:yawn:

 

[Luke]

My condolences! Had the same problem with those cheap ^%&*^ lug nuts.

Finally had to take it to a shop .. no go.. soaked it over the weekend (liquid wrench) ... went back to the shop on Monday prepared to pay big $$$. They tried one more time and it came right off! Phew ... afterward I went straight to P.I. to get a set of McGaurds!

Funny thing about them .. my KJ can be covered in grime and muck and yet the lugs shine as if they have been individually buffed by HJ or something.

 

[yellocoyote]

Funny thing about them .. my KJ can be covered in grime and muck and yet the lugs shine as if they have been individually buffed by HJ or something.

:happy175::happy175::happy175:

 

[Dmut]

Funny thing about them .. my KJ can be covered in grime and muck and yet the lugs shine as if they have been individually buffed by HJ or something.

+1
the only few rust lugs I have are Raybestos, aftermarket. They went red in a year, while factory lugs still shine. lugs caps, at least :smokin:

 

[jnaut]

Stupid dealer used to crank my lugs on so hard I had to jump up and down on my lug wrench once to break a lug loose. Tighten harder, not smarter.

 

[huntbuggy]

Why me?

If I find the kid from my tire place in a dark alley... grrrr.

Looks like not only am I going to be replacing 2-3 wheel studs (well one is now a "stub" heheh) and am chasing the rest to be sure - the lugs were overtorqued, stripped, rusted and in the case of two torqued to the point of warping/crossthreading and damaging the stud.

Here's the icing on the cake. The first wheel I took off had a drywall screw fully embedded in the center siping - would never have spotted it until I was rolling it across the garage under the fluorescents. At least no longer a blowout waiting to happen but another thing to repair/replace.

Kind of hard to ask to put your own tires on at the shop - but tempting after my experience. Mind you everything on this 02 in salty, wet area of Canada is rusted, but man ppl aren't careful sometimes. Every nut and bolt so far is a battle - am going to go easy and keep PB Blasting. The rear shock bolts are likely going to be my next post with expletives.

*&^%$#@! :favorites68:

Just pulled the rear drum to check my "stub" and my press is for trucks... the huge honkin' vice wont fit in any which way behind the hub... serves me right for buying the biggest press set... <sigh> :shrug:

Is it okay on a c-clip axle like this to whack it out with a hammer?

Thank God for arty52:

 

[tjkj2002]

Is it okay on a c-clip axle like this to whack it out with a hammer?

Yes

 

[huntbuggy]

Yes

Thx again tjkj. I hope you're around this month for all my stupid questions - looks like I'm up on blocks for awhile. Long overdue - really didn't pay enough attention to this Jeep when it was the wife's - now it deserves a little TLC.

Your carbide drill bit trick was worth the investment. Picked up a set on my way home and remainder of the stud was gone like butter.

Will definitely come in handy drilling out more stubborn steel and putting some holes in the frame for the bumper install, simple common sense tips are usually the best - thx man.

Dog tired. I don't know how mechanics do it. :worship: