Whatever it takes...

[Drae]

So before I decided to invest the energy in putting my new to me wheels on (2013-14 F150 22 inch platinum wheels) I took the driver side rear wheel off with no problem. Surprisingly they fit without having to cut the axle threads down. So now I'm motivated to change my brakes, new front rotors and new solid chrome one piece wheel nuts. I struggled with a couple wheel nuts on the front driver side and front passenger but I was still able to get the old wheels off and install the brakes/rotors. Now comes the rear passenger wheel. I struggled with every wheel nut but 1. I managed to remove 4 other wheel nuts by stripping off the wheel nut chrome cover and using a 19mm socket and cheater pipe. Then comes the trouble maker. I broke 1 1/2 inch drive ratchet, my torque wrench and 3 different 19mm sockets. I went to the store before they closed and bought another 1/2 inch drive and a 1/2 inch drive breaker bar and 19mm wheel nut socket. Came home and broke the breaker bar and socket. I tried heating the nut with no success also. So here I am with 3 new wheels on and stuck with the one 17 on and decided to call it quits.

Ended up going to a tire shop to let them give it a try. He brought out all his big boy tools. He even took a air hammer and chisels to break it out with the stud and no this thing was not going to give. I ran out of time and came back on the weekend and this is what it came down too...




Yeah he ended up cutting the wheel to get one wheel nut off and half a stud. That nut and stud was really Ford tough. So I'm definitely getting a OEM stud to go back in there. But now it's all over and looks like this...



So if you have those chrome covered wheel nuts get those things off ASAP because I could've had a flat and ended up having to use my AAA to get home and stuck with a flat tire. I had the wheels balanced under a year ago so it hadn't been that long since they've been off and they were hard to get off then. I've spent a lot of money getting these wheels on including painting them because the polished aluminum finish was in rough shape with curb rash. But overall I'm happy with the outcome. Just a few more things on the exterior and I'll be happy with it.

 

[Sgt Darkness]

Looks great.....to bad you didn’t have a nut *******. It would have split the lug and off it comes......Craftsman made the one I have so no more stuck nuts for me. Does look really good and that should take some of the sting out....

 

[Drae]

Looks great.....to bad you didn’t have a nut *******. It would have split the lug and off it comes......Craftsman made the one I have so no more stuck nuts for me. Does look really good and that should take some of the sting out....

Thanks! Yeah it did make me forget about the money and time after it was all put together. I'm looking into the tool you're talking about now so I'm never in that position again. I hate feeling defeated.

 

[Drae]

After looking at the tool in action, it's no way I could have got that tool in the wheel nut well. It was in too deep to grab but I could see it come in handy for other nuts that's easier to get to.

 

[Adieu]

I'd have tried drill and screw extractor before going that far

 

[Plati]

Wow. What do you think was the root cause that make the nuts hard or impossible to remove? Did you end up peeling the stainless steel cap on the OEM off and then end up stripping the steel nut underneath? the Since the multiple sockets broke I assume someone torqued them too tight? What brand of breaker bar and sockets broke? I'm guessing it wasn't SK, maybe Pittsburgh? Why did he cut the wheel like that on the 3 spokes, not sure what that did?

Looks like a nightmare, glad it finally worked out!
I put the Gorilla solid steel chrome plated nuts on last year.

 

[Trainmaster]

Yea, what would have caused that? Corrosion?

 

[Drae]

I think it was a combination of torquing them too tight and heat from the brakes over time. All wheels had a couple that would fight me until I stood on the cheater pipe.I bought the torque wrench on Amazon so it's not very expensive and the sockets were a mix of AC Delco and some Craftsman. The breaker bar was Duralast so I got it replaced for free. The stainless steel cap was removed but the nut wasn't totally stripped. By the time the air hammer got to it, drilling it wasn't an option because it was so mangled. I don't know why he cut like he did but I told him to just get that Sumbitch off. I was there in the tire shop for about 8 hours. So it was a nightmare. I'll find another one of those wheels for cheap so no worries.

 

[mquick5]

Wow, I would think the stud would of gave before a breaker bar?

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[jimz]

I had a flat while at home. I jacked the vehicle and removed nuts. Rim would not come off. I took the eight pound sledge and "tapped" the rim and wheel without damaging it, but no luck getting rim off.

I finally called AAA road service because I am old and wifey told me to. They were here if under thirty minutes. Drove up in a old beat up car, no service truck. Driver goes to my car looks at it, kicks with foot and taps with his rubber mallet, no luck.

Then, he walks back to his car, grabs a can of WD-40 and sprays center of rim and lugs. Puts can back in car and by time he gets back he simply lifted flat tire and rim off without another hit.

Now WD-40 is standard in my cars, both of them. Ya never know.