Yea, I always hand torque to 90 lbs.
I believe all 4 wheels were last installed by a shop due to a tire change.
My electric impact says 300 ft/lbs, and could not remove a single lug.
I am sure the monkeys went nuts with the impact, even though I always tell them to hand torque.

This was the last straw.
I am shopping for a different car that regular people can actually work on.
Either a Subaru or BMW.

 

You should never put Anti seize on the studs or the flange. this effects the clamping force that they put on the rim and can cause a loose wheel situation. Just make sure that all the surfaces are clean and rust/ debris free. Use proper torque and re check after 50-60 km.

 

Working on the Jeep will seem like a walk in the park if those are the only two brands you are going to consider.

 

Yes. I'd guarantee that this is exactly what happened.

Avoid Subaru. Anything that you think is difficult or is problem prone on an XJ is 1000x worse on a comparable condition Subaru.
If you want an Asian car, go with Toyota or Honda.

I have no idea about BMW, but I'd love to have a chance to find out - I just don't have that kind of money.

 

You give up too easily.

 

Did you try heat? If you take a MAP torch to the nuts and get them heated up a bit, use a nice long breaker bar with a cheater (aka a section of pipe or a hollow handle that fits as tight as possible around the end of the breaker bar so you have a longer torque arm) and see if that gets them free.

Another option is to take a dremel with a cut-off wheel and carefully cut the lug nut as much as possible - then take a crowbar or big chisel and try to split the nut apart.

 

Well not for nothing, but...

If the BMW or Subaru you buy next is also a steaming rustbucket, it wont be any more fun to work on.

The XJ is insanely easy to work on. A rusty ANYTHING is not easy to work on.

 

Really? Honestly i never had an issue with this happening plus many other tire shops do this on certain vehicles to prevent the issue happening again. Plus i retorque them every month with no change in torque.

 

I dont think u really want me to do that ....:

jack on pumpkin, axle tube,or front suspension mounts,, stands on axle tube

my white Jeep had wheelnuts @150ftlb....a couple of them started to deform upon removal

I arrive at the tire joint with my Torque wrench and re-do them in the carpark

One way to get bad wheel nuts off...weld the socket on (using the welder u bought to fix the caliper groove)..the heat loosen the nut.
In addition, the "candle" trick works like a miracle...let hot candle wax drip on the thread/nut junction...it wicks in as good or better than any penetrant

I always personally use anti-sieze on the wheel stud threads, acorn nut taper, and wheel rim where it mounts, but VERY sparingly, and add 20% torque

Never had a wheel nut come loose, or get stuck since doing this

 

 

yeah forgot to mention dont glob it on like ketchup on a bad burger lol.

Also i honestly heard so little about the candle wax trick does it really work as people say?

Also 150 pounds!?!?!? thats like big diesel truck with 8 lug hub territory!!!!

 

A Cherokee is one of the easiest vehicles to work on, if you can't work on an XJ then absolutely don't buy anything European made, they are much much worse, a BMW is a never ending money pit, parts cost 3 times more than they do for a Jeep and when they get 5 years or more on them they break down all the time, same goes for Mercedes, Land Rover, VW, and Volvo. If you don't want American made then I would stick with Toyota, although they are mostly American made now too.

 

some yotas go forever i typically see them come into work with 300k miles or more

 

You guys are on page two of telling this troll how to jack up his Jeep.

Please... just stop.

 

I love jeeps. Ive loved all my jeeps, even the sad looking '92 I'm currently rejuvenating. But i have a BMW because its also nice having a quick, comfortable, reliable car that NEVER leaves me on the side of the road.

My 18 year old BMW.

With 240K miles.

That everything still works on, even the heated seats.

That still avgs 30mpg.

And will boil the tires right off the wheels.

...

On the rare occasion i do work on it, its easy to work on, & the parts are dirt cheap.



I wouldn't hesitate to hop in this car tomorrow and drive it clear across the country.