Lug nuts seized, they have caps!!

[raroberts]

a little over two years ago I replaced my steel, rusting, trailer wheels with new aluminum wheels. The lug nuts were rusting too, so I bought the good ones (I thought) that were stainless steel. I had a blowout while on a trip and when I tried to take the nuts off one of them was very tight. I put a pipe over my breaker bar to make a long lever and the nut stripped (I thought). After many tries I finally pounded a smaller socket on the nut with a hammer and got the nut off. Upon inspecting the nut I was surprised to realized the nuts had a cap over the nut and it was the cap that was sliding over the nut. I looked at the rest of the nuts and the caps were all loose. I am posting this for you information,,take a look at your lug nuts the next time you take yours off. You do not want to be put in the same situation I was. I think I was very lucky to be able to get that nut off. Get solid nuts.

I do have a question. Does anyone know of a website that has good prices on good nuts? I need 48 of them.

[Airstreamer67]

I use a torque wrench on my vehicles and trailers, and I lube the nuts and studs too, with engine oil or grease. I derate the torque values by 30% because of the lube factor.

I've never had a stuck nut or one too loose in all the years I've been doing this. Prior to that, I sometimes had a difficult time removing rusted, screeching lug nuts. No more.

[John_Joey]

X2 on it's not over kill. My old 460 F53 was known for breaking studs because of over ambitious (built like bull) tire monkeys.

[fj12ryder]

It's not overkill, I do the same thing. I have a bending beam torque wrench that lives under the rear seat of the truck. Also an extension so I can get to the lug nuts on the dually wheels. They're going to be tightened by hand anyway so it's no big deal to use a torque wrench instead of a breaker bar.

[Tachdriver]

RJsfishin wrote:
The question was to lube or not. Over tightening is another topic.
Come on you ole timers,...........do you really use a "tork" wrench on lug nuts ?? Head bolts, and valve bodies yes, but when the day comes where I loose the "feel" of tightening a lug nut (w/ or w/o lube) short of stretching it, just put me 6'under !

I use and keep a torque wrench in the truck specifically the trailer. I know, I know its overkill but I have made it so convenient that there is no excuse.

The reason I use it is that I cannot tell when the nuts are tight enough. I remember taking wheels off my truck to do a brake job and the nuts were so tight it took a six foot breaker bar, 3 grown men and a Chihuahua to remove it. :B

[MEXICOWANDERER]

How many people know when to say when ?

When a lug nut cannot be spun down with the fingers (well, almost)?

Then go out and buy (32?) new lug nuts? Price lug nuts lately?

Special TORQUE SENSING extension adapters are used these days not a torque wrench.

Use lug nuts dry on dry threads down here and you are looking at 32 broken studs inside a year's time. Tropical salt air is m-e-a-n. Starting with new lugs on good threads (able to almost spin down with the fingers) if the nuts ever start to back off (without being corroded) harder, then you're doing something el wrongo.

Years ago I purchased a 12 volt INERTIA TYPE impact wrench from Harbor Fright. I set the digital LED torque to 80 lbs and then finish tightening with a 38" breaker bar and torque limiting extension.

[RJsfishin]

The question was to lube or not. Over tightening is another topic.
Come on you ole timers,...........do you really use a "tork" wrench on lug nuts ?? Head bolts, and valve bodies yes, but when the day comes where I loose the "feel" of tightening a lug nut (w/ or w/o lube) short of stretching it, just put me 6'under !

[Stranger]

A Prius has enough poop to loosen wet lug nuts?
Who'da thunk it? :B

[sum1]

RJsfishin wrote:
Yeah, like an owners manual knows everything !!
I have never heard of even one who had nuts come loose from never seize.

Yup. What RJ said. I always use it on the taper, as well. Reduces galling. And as others have said, do not let some idiot "sock'em down good" with all the power his impact can give.

[hammer21661]

bucky wrote:
I always use Deese Nuts.

Grow up.

[drsteve]

beemerphile1 wrote:
Maybe not but I have seen ruined lugs that were stretched by over torquing. When a bolt is tightened it actually slightly stretches the bolt which creates the tension that keeps it tight.

If a bolt is lubed it is easy to over tighten. Once over tightened the bolt (lug) will fail due to being stretched to the point the elasticity of the metal is destroyed. Yes, I've seen it happen.

That is exactly right. I believe it is also the reason some manufacturers explicitly advise not using lube. I've found that keeping threads clean will avoid most problems. A wire brush works well. And, if you rotate TV tires regularly and service trailer bearings and brakes yearly, the nuts won't have time to freeze. 🙂

[down_home]

When buying wheels for heavy vehicles, all they make are wheels hub centric and use shoulder nuts. they heavy ones like our MHs use an attached washer. The manual says t lube the shoulder of the bolt but not under the washer.
I bought, new wheels for a car several years ago. they were supposed to use shoulder nuts with washers. They used cone nuts. The wheels didn't ride right. when I attempted to take them off, I found out. Over two hundred pounds of torque to remove them. Dealer replaced the wheels and nuts.
Hard to shop for the right nuts or wheels some times. The Dealers mostly want to sell the same Chinese junk, maybe with different labels even. Many don't even know what the fuss is about.

[beemerphile1]

RJsfishin wrote:
Yeah, like an owners manual knows everything !!
I have never heard of even one who had nuts come loose from never seize.

Maybe not but I have seen ruined lugs that were stretched by over torquing. When a bolt is tightened it actually slightly stretches the bolt which creates the tension that keeps it tight.

If a bolt is lubed it is easy to over tighten. Once over tightened the bolt (lug) will fail due to being stretched to the point the elasticity of the metal is destroyed. Yes, I've seen it happen.

[Tachdriver]

RJsfishin wrote:
Yeah, like an owners manual knows everything !!
I have never heard of even one who had nuts come loose from never seize.

Agreed, however the torque should be adjusted if you do use anti-seize. Engineers design and forward the specifications to the technical writers who write the operating/repair manuals. Then there are manuals that don't address whether you can you use it or not which can be quite frustrating.

[bucky]

I always use Deese Nuts.