KC9UWZ

Yes pun partially intended

I went to replace the front brakes on my 98 Cherokee, had it up on jack stands, the lugs would not come off with the air impact. No big deal, it's limited to 90 PSI anyway, so drop the axle onto the ground, engage 4x4, grab the trusty breaker bar and cheater pipe, I got two loose on one side and three loose on the other. Now the three on the drivers side and two on the passenger side are rounded off (Yes I used the right socket.) and the biggest kick in the head is that I had the front wheels off earlier this year to install my front bumper and I put anti-seize on the lugs, concept being that it would keep this from happening.

So I guess now what? I kinda want to get my front brakes replaced before the snow starts flying too much. I'm open to suggestions

Orlo

Get out the next size smaller impact socket and hammer it on the rounded off nut. Make sure it's really on there and then give it a go. If it works, repeat. You may need to buy a couple of the sockets as getting the toasted nuts out of the undersized sockets may be difficult.

67 GMC

Don't ever put anti-seize or any lubricant on lug studs. You'll end up over-torqueing the nuts (which is probably what happened). Don't use an air gun to tighten them either. If you have to use an air gun, use it with a torque stick. I have never had to tighten lug nuts more than I could with a breaker bar. If you go ape on them, you are going to have that happen all the time. You could try spraying PB Blaster on them, heating them cherry-red with a torch and then use vice grips to try and rock them back and forth to remove them. Once you get them off, replace the studs. That's pretty easy (knock them out with a centre punch from the outside) and they aren't too expensive. Get a new set of nuts too.

burg3rlicious

That's strange, they should really only be torqued to like 100 ftlbs tops

Turbo X_J

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Turbo X_J

Deflate the tire & remove the valve core, still not the safest but better than getting the whole mess in your face.

caged

strongly suggest this.
if you're gonna use a torch, you had better do this or you will end up in the hospital, if not dead.

you probably cross threaded them when you put them on.

i have used anti-seize on my lug nuts for many many years with absolutely no problems. i torque to 100lb/ft

Firestorm500

Lug nuts should be installed dry, torqued to around 75 ft-lbs or so.

Hand-threaded to start. Do not lean down on the wrench/socket/bar/4-way. You will gall the threads.

The OP stripped his going on earlier this year.

firehawk618

How in the world could heating a lug nut cherry red or even white hot cause the tire to blow? You'd have to have damned near the whole rim red hot to do that.

With shocks and stuff, yes that is very dangerous but a car / truck size tire that's only inflated to ~32psi to start with?

OP, go with the undersized socket, hammer that sucker all the way on and go for it.

salad

Not really. Air and the moisture in it expands a fair bit when heated.

Regardless of the exact temperature required on a specific rim to blow a specific tire you should still perform some basic self-preservation safety. It's bleeding some air out FFS.

Firehawk068

Correct!


Definitely NO anti-seize on the wheel studs!


Clean any rust/debris from the threads with a wire brush, and install dry is the recommended procedure....................................Make sure they are clean!


Some HD truck lugs recommend (1) drop of oil on the threads, but it's not that common..................

freegdr

Watch this.....And heat is heat know matter how it applied....

freegdr

Lug nut extractor easiest way.

67 GMC

That youtube video is not depicting the same thing as we are talking about. Heating a lug nut which is attached to a lug stud and the rotor is a huge heat sink and I can't believe it would transfer heat to the tire the same as welding a rod onto the rim would in the video.


You could also just grind a slot into the nut and break it off. Either way, you'll need new lug studs.


As I posted earlier-I would not put anti-seize on the threads unless you are always the one putting the nuts on and you are always using a torque wrench. I put snow tires on four of my vehicles this year-in cold weather in my driveway. All the nuts came off and all went back on like every other year except for 1 wheel. No anti-seize or oil every applied. I had trouble with one of the wheels (needed my 24" breaker bar)- that one had a flat repair in the summer at a gas station and was probably put on with an air gun.


If you are the only one doing work on the vehicle, you could be fine.

1998blackXJ

Just learned this is class... You CAN use anti seize on lug nuts.. However keep it mind it is a lubricant.. Therefore by the book you're supposed to drop the torque spec by 40% if you use anti seize. In my opinion.. Clean the threads and put then on dry, torque to 100ft lbs.