Lug nut removal

[Mmart]

What’s up all,
I have a 2010 EB and ran into the dreaded lug nut issue. I recently went to get my tires rotated and balanced and the quick shop guy couldn’t get the rear passenger side tire off. So I did some research here on the forum and went ahead and ordered a set of the gorilla lugs. I brought the truck to Goodyear figuring a “tire shop” would be equipped to handle this and much to my disappointment they were able to get 22 of 24 lugs off and replaced.
So based on the pics, I’m trying to understand what I can try. I’ve seen vids that showed drilling them out through the stud, and others using a torch but the rims will not hold up to that. Has anyone had any luck with these stripped nut extractors? At first glance they don’t look like they’ll fit over the nuts.

I’d rather spend a few bucks on the tools then give the truck to my mechanic. I just paid his mortgage last month when my front brake locked up and actually caught on fire. After seeing that I had him replace all the pads, calipers, rotors, and lines. So needless to say I’m interested in saving a few bucks to fix this myself if I can.

 

[JasonH]

Try going up .5mm to 1mm in size, or hammering on the properly sized socket.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

What’s up all,
I have a 2010 EB and ran into the dreaded lug nut issue. I recently went to get my tires rotated and balanced and the quick shop guy couldn’t get the rear passenger side tire off. So I did some research here on the forum and went ahead and ordered a set of the gorilla lugs. I brought the truck to Goodyear figuring a “tire shop” would be equipped to handle this and much to my disappointment they were able to get 22 of 24 lugs off and replaced.
So based on the pics, I’m trying to understand what I can try. I’ve seen vids that showed drilling them out through the stud, and others using a torch but the rims will not hold up to that. Has anyone had any luck with these stripped nut extractors? At first glance they don’t look like they’ll fit over the nuts.

I’d rather spend a few bucks on the tools then give the truck to my mechanic. I just paid his mortgage last month when my front brake locked up and actually caught on fire. After seeing that I had him replace all the pads, calipers, rotors, and lines. So needless to say I’m interested in saving a few bucks to fix this myself if I can.

On our 2008 Expedition, it had plastic lug nuts over the real ones. The technicians would just get their air sockets and take them off with the lug, and eventually it welded itself onto it. I don't know if this is the same, but it could be what's happening.

 

[Mmart]

The outer caps for the two nuts are gone, what you’re seeing in the pic are the severely gnarled inner bolts of the OEM nut. It appears they tried to “hammer on” undersized sockets with no luck leaving not much to work with. That’s why I’m questioning if there are any specific stripped nut remover sockets that would be able to fit over these and still have clearance for the socket holes in the rim.

Something like this maybe?

THINKWORK Bolt Extractor Set, 10 Pieces Lug Nut Socket Set, Stripped Lug Nut Remover for Removing Damaged, Frozen, Rusted, Rounded-Off Bolts, Nuts & Screws https://a.co/d/emUEXFs

 

[Gary Waugh]

the only thing I can think of, is to get a local welder to try and weld something to the end of the nut that you can then grip to and again try to remove with some kind of impact gun!! however you look to have the pressed steel wheels with the shiny chrome plastic hub caps, so I would be very worried about the plastic hubs melting due to the heat when he welds to the nut!!
You need to get it fixed soon, before you get a puncture otherwise you will really be in trouble..

 

[GlennSullivan]

Couple things you can try.

From your pics, you can see where the lugs are rusted, which prolly caused this issue. Before you do anything further soak the inside of the nuts / face of the lugs with PB Blaster or WD40, Several applications over a 24 hour period. Next obtain a female nut extractor or extractor set - sometimes referred to as lug nut extractors, some examples here ( https://www.amazon.com/lug-nut-extractor/s?k=lug+nut+extractor ). https://www.amazon.com/lug-nut-extractor/s?k=lug+nut+extractor

You will need to make sure that the extractor you use has an inside diameter that will work with what is left of your lug nut and an outside diameter that will fit inside the lug nut opening in the wheel. If you can borrow these from a friend or shop, you can try out several until you find the one that best fits. It may be necessary to carefully heat the nut (so as to not damage the wheel or expand the lug too much to further bind it to the lug nut. A fine tip Acetylene or Oxy / Acetylene torch will concentrate the heat in a small area.


BTW, Whenever swapping or rotating wheels, make sure you use a healthy amount of anti-seize on the lug studs and you will not run into this problem, that is, unless some idiot uses the wrong size socket (like an SAE socket close to the metric size required).

Good Luck

 

[twodollars]

I've had to clean up after some failed lug nut removal attempts. From your picture, if you cant grab the outside of the lug, you can drill through the lug stud. Use the end of a nut as a guide to start with a large bit, just large enough to chew through the stud. Use that one just long enough to get a v cut into the stud. Then start small like 1/8 bit amd work your way up in a few steps. Obviously you will need a new lug stud, but you can save the wheel. Use some oil as you drill to ease wear on the bits.

 

[RobE]

Drill it out then get a new hub with the lug studs.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

Try going up .5mm to 1mm in size, or hammering on the properly sized socket.

This. ^ This is how I got my swollen nuts off.

Even with the caps broken off you should be to hammer a deep socket on there.

 

[Trainmaster]

Take it to a tire shop that handles truck tires... a real tire shop. They'll get the nuts off in a minute.

They have a torque multiplier (which you can buy for about $150) and every socket money will buy. They get tires off thirty year old rusty over the road wheeler trailers every day.