Impacted Lug Nuts

[StreaminGeo]

When the roadside guy put the spare tire on he tightened the lug nuts with an impact wrench and now I can't get them loose even with a 15-breaker bar. Any ideas?

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by StreaminGeo

When the roadside guy put the spare tire on he tightened the lug nuts with an impact wrench and now I can't get them loose even with a 15-breaker bar. Any ideas?

More leverage needed.
Put a pipe extension on the breaker bar.
or
Put the bar in a horizontal position and stand/bounce on it.

[AWCHIEF]

Longer breaker bar. I use a a piece of stainless one inch pine 20 inches long to get that little extra leverage when needed. Get yourself a quality torque wrench and carry it in your tow vehicle just in case you come across a shade tree mechanic (?) that does not use one.

[AWCHIEF]

Ref my previous post. Pipe not pine.

[Bill M.]

Take them off at a time and a place where breaking a couple will not cause you a big problem.

[StreaminGeo]

What might break, Bill? The lug nuts or the bolts on the wheels they go on to?

[StreaminGeo]

Or maybe I should just invest in my own impact wrench? What would be a good one to get? (Portable would be most practical....)

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by StreaminGeo

What might break, Bill? The lug nuts or the bolts on the wheels they go on to?

I doubt anything will break when loosening. Tightening is when I've broke them (not on my airstream though).

If it breaks, it will be the bolt (unless the nut is cross threaded). If the bolt breaks, it is not a big deal to replace one. Remove the wheel hub from the trailer, place it on something solid open side down, hit the broken bolt on the end with a hammer to drive it out of the wheel hub. If it does not come out after a few good whacks, you might have to heat it. The bolts are splined (like gears) just below the head so that they fit into the splined holes in the hub. That is what keeps them from spinning in the hub holes. When installing the new bolt, align the splines and tap it into the hole. Tightening the nut will pull the bolt firmly into place.

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by StreaminGeo

Or maybe I should just invest in my own impact wrench? What would be a good one to get? (Portable would be most practical....)

I just got an old second hand Craftsman electric (a gift from my brother-in-law he was not using, he inherited from his father). Last week I used it for the first time to get the lug nuts loose when I greased the axels. It makes the job a lot easier. When I put the nuts back on I start them by hand, then snugged them to the wheel with the impact wrench, then finished up by hand with a torque wrench. This electric impact wrench set the nuts to ~95 ftlb without any effort on my part.

I also have a small cordless Dewalt impact wrench that I had been using, but it will not break the nuts loose.

add edit:
This one looks very similar, but mine is probably 25 years old:
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-8-amp...FUp3wQod32MAUA

[Farmer Dan]

I have a Cornwell 1/2" air impact in my shop. I also have a DeWalt 18V 1/2" impact that I carry in my truck. The 18V comes very close to the performance of the air tool. And it is handier than a power cord or an air hose. You just need to recharge the batteries occasionally.

Dan

[perryg114]

A little antisieze on the threads and on the cone will help them not get welded on the next time. If you can't get them off they put them on too tight. Insist that they put them on with a torque wrench next time. Heating them with a torch is a last resort.

Perry

[Zil]

I had one that was tightened to the point of spalling the thread. The stud twisted free in the rotor. I had to cut the nut. Not easy and ruined the rim. After having any work done or tire changes, I have been in the habit of loosening lugs and torquing them to the factory specs.

[perryg114]

I don't let anyone touch my lug nuts. I have seen too many overtightend and cross threaded nuts. Also alloys rims can crack under the stress. In the old days when there were left and right lug nuts the left hand one would always get abused because they had the impact wrench going the wrong way. I usually take in loose wheels. They can also do a lot of damage jacking in the wrong place.

Perry

[StreaminGeo]

A 30-inch length of galvanized pipe over the breaker bar did the trick.
Thanks for the suggestions everybody!