stripped lug nut

[foster]

Someone ought to know this.
I have one stripped lug nut and I can't get it off. What's the trick?
I just got my new Mud Lites for the 185s, but they're kind of hard to get on WHEN YOU CAN'T GET THE WHEEL OFF THE TRIKE!
(Insert curse words here.)
Thnx folks and have a great day and an even better weekend!

[TravEX]

my S has a few stripped lug nuts, i just take the hub off with the wheel,,,that way you can get the wheel into a better position to work on the stripped nuts,,,

[Huffa]

Are you using a 6 or 12 point socket? Might want to try an american 6 point (now that its stripped) and see if it taps on secure enough to turn it. Heating it up cherry red 1st will help a great deal too.

You can get the wheel off by just simply taking the axle nut off, it's just you can't remove hub from wheel.

I think craftsmen has some sort of socket that grips stripped nuts or that might be a wrench, I'm not too sure about it but thought I had seen something on TV one time.

One for sure method is to take the wheel hub assembly (if you don't have the tools) and have a place grind the stud head off from back of hub then it will just fall right out. A bit hard to get too but with the right tools I'm sure it can be done. Get a new stud and nut and you good to go.

Maybe they can torch it right off too?

[Howdy]

Simple solution. Just drill the center of the stud out from the nut side. I personally drill a pilot hole and then grap a drill bit a little bigger than the stud and drill it. Normally I only have to drill about 1/2 - 3/4 the thickness of the nut and it comes right off. ;)

If you plan on using the rim / hub again DO NOT use a torch. The heat can damage them.
Howdy

[bigredhead]

Canadian tire has the " Nut extractors ".... spiral cut.. might work.

Vice grips sometimes work, but it's hard to twist on them without messing the vices up.

[foster]

Tried the six-point socket. It's just too stripped.
Tried the Crappy Tire spiral nut extractor. It's a POS and will be returned to the store in about an hour.
Tried vice grips. Those worked worst of all.
Still stuck.
I guess after work I'll be taking off the hub with the wheel for closer examination. Got the boys coming over for a look, each of them armed with full coolers. It's all fun until somebody loses an eye . . .

[bigredhead]

Dremel and cutting disks. !!!

But why bother if you don't have to.. just remove the axle nut.. pop off wheel.. put on new tire and gogogo..

[foster]

Yup, I was just thinking the same thing. That's what I'll do.
But I do want that lug nut removed so I can put on a new one.
You know what will happen: I'll be 55 miles in the middle of nowhere and something will break requiring taking off that nut -- and it won't come off!

[TheOlderFox]

I agree. Dremel with a cutting wheel, then pound the remaining part of the stud out of the hub once the wheel is off and replace it with another stud or a good bolt

[MO350X]

Yeah, I know this sounds a bit jerry-rigged but it saved me:
Mine only stripped the "tips" of the nut off.
So I found a standard, non-metric, socket (can't remember what size) and tapped it onto the bad lug with a hammer.
Tap it on as FAR as possible or you'll only make it worse!
I was then able to get the lug loose then used the hammer to tap the socket off, removing the lug the rest of the way with my hand.

That's a LOT faster than drilling and cutting.

Good luck!

[Mr. Sandman]

Yeah, I know this sounds a bit jerry-rigged but it saved me:
Mine only stripped the "tips" of the nut off.
So I found a standard, non-metric, socket (can't remember what size) and tapped it onto the bad lug with a hammer.
Tap it on as FAR as possible or you'll only make it worse!
I was then able to get the lug loose then used the hammer to tap the socket off, removing the lug the rest of the way with my hand.

That's a LOT faster than drilling and cutting.

Good luck!
I had the same suggestion as MO350X, but will add to use an impact wrench to remove the nut rather than a ratchet. The extra oomph provided by the impact wrench may be all you need to get it done.

[bigredhead]

if he's taken the vice grips to it already.

I bet it's bad... reallllly bad.

[MO350X]

Providing you get LOTS of engagement with that standard socket.
I used a breaker bar to get it loose once I got the standard socket on there.

[foster]

if he's taken the vice grips to it already.

I bet it's bad... reallllly bad.
Ha ha. I tried to be gentle. Honest! Really and truly! :p
I actually thought of pounding on a socket and givin' her ol' heck.
Ah, well, the boys are coming over tonight with some proper tools and proper know-how. I just want it off NOW so I can get my new tires on before the shop closes for the weekend. That's why I'm in a bit of a rush. I can always take the nut off later tonight, so I'll likely just take off the axle nut for now and run with it to the shop.
Thanks for all these tips, folks.

[bigredhead]

If at frist you don't succeed.. get a bigger case of beer !

[timex69]

if you have a welder...weld a new nut ontop of the 1 your trying to take off. Then use a the right size socket and put it on the new nut you welded on and turn.

Hope this helps
alex

[70binder]

do you have cutting discs? i had the same prob when i was rebuilding a motor (same one as in my truck) and the exhaust manifold bolt was severely rusted. no room to cut it off, so wheres what you do:

grind the outside 6 faces down to fit the socket size below the one that doesnt work

(14mm? try 13mm or 1/2", 13mm? try 12, 12mm? try 11 or 7/16", etc etc...)

i took the 9/16" bolt head down to 12mm because it was that badly stripped/rusted, and it came out no prob. this is alot cheaper than going to a shop, or using a torch, or spending stupid $ on over-hardened bolt removers that crack when you drop them, and i've yet to have this method fail me (also works for downsizing huge bolt heads for clearance)

[Tri-ZNate]

Get a socket that is one size smaller and hammer it on. I had to do that to get my lug nuts of once.

[bigyellow4x4]

more ber at your house =more friend to get it off
ps dont let them open the beer tell the nuts off lol

[TRI Z Racer]

lol, you gotta promise beer to get them there... dont just take it away once they get there..... you may end up with more things broke than when you started HAHA JK

[foster]

more ber at your house =more friend to get it off
ps dont let them open the beer tell the nuts off lol

Sounds like when you're moving to a new place -- promise lots of beer but unless you want your $1,200 TV all scratched to heck, don't haul out the beer until the actual moving is done! (Obviously, I foudn out about this the hard way.)

Got the Mudlites, brought them to a different dealer (see Bigredhead's thread titles "My Letter To Honda") to get them on, because I wanted them on immediately the place where I bought them couldnt' do it immediately. I asked him at 9 a.m. to put on the tires and remove the stripped nut. They did neither. A weekend of muddin' wasted! Anyway, thanks muchly for all the tips on removing a stripped lug nut. I -- and many others -- will no doubt use these ideas in the near and far future.
Cheers
Jim