Tight nuts

[pigbike]

I took my Dodge 3500 to the local Dodge dealer for a tire rotation today. They said that they couldn't get the lug nuts loose on the rear duallies. They tried soaking them with penetrating oil but they wouldn't break loose.

They never got them off and told me to make an appt. so they could heat them up and try again.

Has anyone every had this problem? I was there when the tires were put on and the tech tightened them with a torque wrench to my surprise.

Any suggestions on how to get them loose. They said they tried a breaker bar and air tool but no go.

[Me_Again]

toolman1 wrote:
Having run a front-end and alignment shop for a number of years I have seen this all too many times. The aluminum alloy lug nuts interact with the steel studs that they are threaded on to. Not corrosion, but something similar to electrolysis. I don't care how large of an air impact a person use's those lug nuts will usually destroy the threads of the studs. So a torch might be necessary, but that is usually a last resort. The bottom line will be stud replacement, as well as new lug nuts, and a good coating of "Antiseize Compound" will prevent future problems. Yea, it'll cost ya now, but there isn't any other option. Sorry.

What vehicles of which you speak use such lug nuts. I have owned quite a few vehicles in the last 55 years and have never seen that. Chris

[Hannibal]

I bought a good torque wrench and tossed it in with the jack and lug wrench. I too have never heard of aluminum alloy lug nuts. I don't have a shop but I did splurge for a standup Dewalt compressor and an Ingersoll Rand impact wrench so I could rotate my own tires at home. Makes it a fun chore. I agree though that it's probably going to be new studs time. I broke some frozen lugs off of our first used 5th wheel a few years ago. They were rusted and weren't about to turn.

[robsouth]

"boxer briefs" is an oxymoron. They are either briefs or boxers. Totally different things.

[Vulcaneer]

I think the problem might be that the rims are aluminum. And the nuts are steel. As are the studs. The problem is not the nut being too tight on the stud. But the hole in the aluminum rim galvanizing (as said above, Galvanic action... is kinda like electrolisis)
to the OD of the nut.

It does take heat to break the nut loose from the lug holes in the rim. But really, all they need to do is apply a small (as in just warm) the area of the rim around the lug nut. The heat opens up the hole enough so an impact wrench can loosen the lug nut. A good shop should know that. A bad shop would apply way too much heat, and screw things up even worse. But the shop you took it to should know that. So find a good shop.

[Water-Bug]

The 10K mile oil change on my 2012 RAM 2500 took a lot longer than I expected. When I asked the dealer's service manager why, he told me that when they did the tire rotation, the lug nuts were all deformed during the removal process. They had to clean up the threads on the studs and replaced all the nuts. He said that he searched for service bulletins on the subject but found none, so he notified Chrysler of the incident.

[fj12ryder]

MFL wrote:
I noticed the torque listed for my truck is 165lbs. What do people do when changing a flat tire? That puny little wrench under the rear seat does not look sufficient.

Do most people carry a breaker bar and socket, or a large T wrench?

Jerry

The lug nut wrench is pretty stout and I suppose it could do okay, but I do carry a 24" breaker bar too. 🙂

[fj12ryder]

Aluminum alloy lug nuts? I don't know what year the OP's truck is but my '01 Dodge dually has steel lug nuts and steel wheel studs. But I also have steel wheels.

[coolbreeze01]

Taco wrote:
It is very surprising that a dealer didn't have a mechanic able to remove tight lug nuts, that is pretty sad.

I agree. Amazing lack of competence. I wouldn't let them touch any of my vehicles. Good luck.

[shakyjay]

My first thought was that extreme cold will make them tight so a heat application might help. :W

Sounds like toolman1 has the experience and is right on this issue.

toolman1 wrote:
Having run a front-end and alignment shop for a number of years I have seen this all too many times. The aluminum alloy lug nuts interact with the steel studs that they are threaded on to. Not corrosion, but something similar to electrolysis. I don't care how large of an air impact a person use's those lug nuts will usually destroy the threads of the studs. So a torch might be necessary, but that is usually a last resort. The bottom line will be stud replacement, as well as new lug nuts, and a good coating of "Antiseize Compound" will prevent future problems. Yea, it'll cost ya now, but there isn't any other option. Sorry.

[Taco]

It is very surprising that a dealer didn't have a mechanic able to remove tight lug nuts, that is pretty sad.

[MFL]

I noticed the torque listed for my truck is 165lbs. What do people do when changing a flat tire? That puny little wrench under the rear seat does not look sufficient.

Do most people carry a breaker bar and socket, or a large T wrench?

Jerry

[Bull_Rider]

Are you sure that they're not reverse threads? I seem to recall that some vehicles had reverse threads on one of the sides.

Just wondering....

[dockmasterdave]

Switch to boxer briefs

X2

[toolman1]

Having run a front-end and alignment shop for a number of years I have seen this all too many times. The aluminum alloy lug nuts interact with the steel studs that they are threaded on to. Not corrosion, but something similar to electrolysis. I don't care how large of an air impact a person use's those lug nuts will usually destroy the threads of the studs. So a torch might be necessary, but that is usually a last resort. The bottom line will be stud replacement, as well as new lug nuts, and a good coating of "Antiseize Compound" will prevent future problems. Yea, it'll cost ya now, but there isn't any other option. Sorry.

[TNRIVERSIDE]

This will not help with the removal but will help the next time you need to remove the tires. Be sure the tire shop has and uses some type on anti-seize product on the studs when installing the new tires. Most reputable tire shops will use one of these products when they install the tires.