5th Wheel Lug Nuts Seized??

No, the tire guy was not the one involved with the trailer tires. Both sides of the trailer have the same problem. The nuts went on fairly well, using anti seize compound, but not the old spin on with thumb and finger I used to have.

I took a nut off this morning to take around and look for new lug nuts. To my old "cateract surgeried" eyes, the threads in the lug nut looked rounded and destroyed, the threads on the studs looked sharp and undamaged. I'm thinking the guy who said install new lug nuts every 2 or 3 years may be on to something.

Not to change subject; I sure did see better close up (5" from the eyeballs) before surgery. Of course distance vision is much better. Piles of cheap glasses and magnifying glasses don't really do the trick.

What was it like putting the nuts back on?

I have never used a lubricant on studs but working in corrosive environments Never-Seize was mandatory. Used in all situations and many times in high torque high pressure applications. It changes torque value.

I'm curious, which side of the trailer did this happen on?
And have you tried the other wheel on that side?
The wheels on the other side?
I ask because road action tends to tighten the passenger side lugs, and loosen the driver side. It used to be common to use Left-Hand threaded fasteners on the driver side wheels, but not much anymore.
If one side is going to work loose before the other, it's going to be the driver side. I don't know if that's ever meant the passenger side becomes over-tight...

FWIW I've used anti-seize on all the lug nuts on all my cars, trucks, trailers, and motorcycles for several decades. I have never, ever had any issues and I've never had a lug nut loosen up over time. And, on the plus side, the wheels will come off when I choose to remove them. And I intend to keep on with my practice. If something works, stick with it. :)

Although you do need to make the tire change people aware that you're using anti-seize if you have them remove/replace your wheels.

So do you (or have you) camp anywhere near the Texas Gulf coast? Lot's of salt air that just loves to rust up things.

Clean them up with a wire wheel, give them a squirt of Corrosion-X (Academy or Sutherlands)then see if you can spin them on by hand. If you can, finish up the job and have a cold one and don't worry about it.

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
OK, I will clean studs with wire brush, use anti seize compound and new chrome lug nuts.

Do I really have to replace the studs? Can't do that myself, but guess if I hafta, then I hafta.

DO NOT use any type of anti seize compound or any other type of lubricant on your lug nuts, or studs. Ask any auto or tire shops about doing this.

Lug nuts and studs are CAREFULLY engineered by SAE so the nuts are not nearly as hard or strong as the studs. So over-tightening STRETCHES and DISTORTS the threads in the nuts.

Wire brush, wipe the STUD threads clean, then screw on a new lug nut by hand. If it spins on by hand and needs only a small wrench tweak here and there to pass burred stud threads, you are home free.

Your trailer guy may need his nuts tightened as a proper example.

Quote:
My tire guy says this is normal on a trailer??
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The same tire guy that over tightened them, the same one thats trying to save his ashed ?

Be careful when replacing lug nuts. I bought some full lug nuts at Pep Boys. Found that the ribs of the lug nuts contacted the bore of the rim and did not tighten against the face of the rims resulting in 2 broken studs and a loose wheel.