corners rounded on lug nut?

I had an older Jimmy come in with the corners rounded on one of the wheel nuts. With a steel rim this wouldn't pose much of a problem but aluminum does. I cut the nut off as much as I could with a long stroke air hammer and then with the air hammer drove the stud threw the nut stripping the remainder of the threads. It worked ok but the rim did get damaged a little.
Does anyone know of a better way?

I would have tried hammering on a 12 point socket that was slightly smaller - metric probably.

Of course, I wouldn't have started this until I had soaked the nut for a couple of hours with penetrating oil.

Didn't work.

weld an old, smaller socket to the lugs nuts.

Or, if there's room (dependant on the wheels) you could use a smaller grinder and grind the nut so there's edges again for the socket to grap onto...if that makes any sense.

Any way you go, let some good oil soak on the nuts overnight.

I don't know if the aluminum could take the heat of the weld but the die grinder is definitely a good idea.
Thanks

I don't know if the aluminum could take the heat of the weld but the die grinder is definitely a good idea.
Thanks



Well I would certainly cover the wheels before doing any welding around them. Not just for heat, but all the spatter might look bad on them :smile:

I think I'd try the grinder first but both are good ideas.

I had a problem similar to that on my previous mustang, i had a set of lock-nuts on the rims and lost the key ,so when i took it in to get new tires the mechanic showed me a way to get it off.
Take a cheap socket and drive it onto the nut with a rubber malet or a hammer, put your air gun onto the socket and take it off; you lose a socket if you can't get the nut out but that's why you use a CHEAP socket.

The reason the nut wouldn't come off in the first place was because it was tight and rusty and I think they rounded the corners with a proper fitting socket. So hammering a new socket in my opinion probably wouldn't work in this case.

The reason the nut wouldn't come off in the first place was because it was tight and rusty and I think they rounded the corners with a proper fitting socket. So hammering a new socket in my opinion probably wouldn't work in this case.


Why not just try it? It's been a few days, you have a wheel that's stuck on your vehicle...what's to loose (besides a couple cents for a cheap/free socket)?

:eek7: :naughty:

autozone, along with other parts stores, have a set of two sockets ($10) that are threaded on the inside, designed specifically for this purpose. I have also been told that Snap-On carries something for this, if you can chase down one of their trucks...