Lugs OVERTIGHTENED

[DUG]

So my $300 dollar tire install isn't turning out to be such a great deal after all.

The shop overtightened all my lugs and I can only get a few off. I used to use my 1/2 Craftsman impact and truck supplied air and never had any problems.

So far I've tried -

A Harbor Frieght 1 inch drive gun, the best Craftsman 3/4 gun they had in stock and a 3/4 drive breaker with a 6 foot cheater bar.

I managed to loosen the lugs on one front wheel (luckily it was the one with the blown axle seal) and remove one outside dual. I also got one thimble off the inner dual.

I managed to bend the 3/4 inch breaker.

I'm open to ideas.

 

[Josh]

Put the front tire back on after the seal is fixed and take it back to them and make them undo the lugnuts and tighten to the proper spec.

 

[DUG]

It's 75 miles each way.

AND

Once bitten, twice shy.

I hope to fix the seal this weekend and don't have time to get it to San Diego and back to have the lugs removed and re installed. I need the truck for a scouting trip the following weekend.

 

[Josh]

Find a local truck shop to see how much they would charge, its gota be cheaper then buying an breaking tools.

 

[WillWagner]

The truck doesn't have enough volume. You need a good shop compressor and a 3/4 impact or larger. They torque to 450 ft lb.

Use a gear reduction wrench

 

[bratpackdad]

I agree with Josh (big surprise) use someone else's breaker bar and someone else's arms.

Or just ask Will

 

[DUG]

The truck doesn't have enough volume. You need a good shop compressor and a 3/4 impact or larger. They torque to 450 ft lb.

Use a gear reduction wrench

My bad - I used all the above impact guns with my shop air. It has enough volume. The 3/4 gun I just bought says it does 750 ft lb and it wont loosen chit.

 

[KsM715]

You need one of these: Ken tool geared lug wrench - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite


Is it wrong to shamelessly plug one of your own classifeds?

 

[WillWagner]

You know there are LH and RH lugs...I'm just sayin'

 

[DUG]

You know there are LH and RH lugs...I'm just sayin'

Yes, because so far I have gotten one complete outside dual off, yet only one thimble. On the hub behind it the NG unit used left handed threads on the right side. I have removed 4 of 6.

 

[ODdave]

when i saw this title i thought for shure it was gonna be about the drives side lugs......lol

 

[JDToumanian]

My HF 1" impact has 1,600 ft.lbs. of torque and tore the threads right off one of my lug nuts that was rusted on.... It will also damage threads if you tighten them too much. So I agree with Will.... You need more air and/or a bigger wrench! When I use mine with the deuce's air system I use a slave tank that connects to the truck with 3/8" hose and to the wrench with 1/2" hose. That way the wrench never starves for air. It does take a bit of time to charge between nuts...

Jon

 

[DUG]

I'm using SHOP air with the guns.

 

[Westech]

dont ask me about lug nuts.. mine have been stuck on the 5 ton sence the GA rally in 2007.
(Kenny I will be watching for your post)

 

[armytruck63]

Don't use any fittings between the shop air compressor and the big impact gun. Screw the air hose right into the wrench and at the compressor, if you can. Hopefully, the threads will match.

With no fittings, you get a bit more air flow and it might be enough to make a difference. You'll probably have to drain the air out of your compressor to unhook the hose.

 

[JDToumanian]

I'm using SHOP air with the guns.

Bigger wrench then. With 450 ft.lbs. as the correct torque for tightening the nuts, the break-away torque for removing them could easily exceed the capacity of your 750 ft.lb wrench. Personally I consider Harbor Freight's 1,200 ft.lb. 1" wrench the minimum I would trust to reliably remove any nut I come across... I bought their biggest most deluxest model (1,600 ft.lbs.) when it was on sale for $99... They're on sale pretty regularly.

Jon

 

[duffman1993]

i have some stupid advice, as you try to get em off using the biggest lug wrench (impact) you have, bang on the wheel or the socket itself with a small sledge hammer. It might be just enough grunt to get em loose enough to get em off. Keep us posted!!

 

[Josh]

Try a little heat, I had a lugnut on a 105 axle I broke 2 1/2in Snap on breaker bars on. The 1in impack couldnt budge it, 30-40 seconds with an acedlin(sp?) torch and the impack took the nut right off, only damage was to the paint. Nothing a rattle can didnt fix.

 

[Irv]

I too, had a shop change the wheels on my 5T and they put them on with a high torque 1"rattle-rench and I could not get them off. I phoned them and they directed their service truck to my place and redid them for me, complete with a torque wrench, at no cost. Might try calling them. Irv

 

[rosco]

Regardless of make, a 3/4" impact will seldom remove lug nuts predictably, even when they are torqued properly. They just don't have it!