Should it be difficult to get lug nuts off?

Should it be difficult to get lug nuts off?

Author
Discussion

ThunderSpook

3,612 posts

211 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
I am confused, you spell tyres in the British way and yet you call them lug nuts. Wheel nuts my dear boy.

Get something longer to use as a lever on the end of the wrench, or get a longer wrench. Those cross ones are not easy to use because they’re not very long. Also make sure you loosen them with the car still on the ground.

jamei303

3,002 posts

156 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
How long is your tool? You should be able to take them off with a tool at least as long as the one that came with the car.

hooblah

539 posts

87 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
Wheel nuts

IDontKnowCars

Original Poster:

172 posts

110 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
I have tried taking my wheels off my car but I cannot move the wheel nuts. I am using one of the cross-shaped tools with different sockets on each end. I have used all my strength but they do not move at all. Is this normal or may F1 Autocentres have over-tightened them last year when they changed my tyres?

Catatafish

1,361 posts

145 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
You need a longer tool to increase the torque you can apply to the nut.

Berkshire bred

985 posts

75 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
Username fits wink.
Probably some ape has rattle gunned them on silly tight. When I wanted to crack off a hub nut (torque setting for these is at least 3 metric fktonnes) I got a tree branch about 6 feet long and drilled a hole about 14 inches down it's centre, I then shoved an old bar that I wasn't concerned about bending down the length of wood and you have a 6 foot breaker bar. Neighbours did wonder what I was doing waving around a small tree though. nuts

Nickp82

3,182 posts

93 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
Lug Nuts, they are called Lug Nuts rolleyes

IDontKnowCars

Original Poster:

172 posts

110 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
Nickp82 said:
Lug Nuts, they are called Lug Nuts rolleyes
:'(

Nickp82

3,182 posts

93 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
IDontKnowCars said:
:'(
Just kidding obvs, the advice about finding some long piping is a good start. Personally I also try standing on the wrench but this is not a recommendation!

E-bmw

9,212 posts

152 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
ThunderSpook said:
I am confused, you spell tyres in the British way and yet you call them lug nuts.
Never heard anyone in the UK call them lug nuts!

ThunderSpook

3,612 posts

211 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
Well that didn’t take long for him to delete his post!

GreenV8S

30,192 posts

284 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
Get an extending wheel nut spanner. They let you apply far more torque with less effort than a spider wrench.

Since you're struggling to undo them you should consider how you're going to torque them up afterwards. Use a torque wrench to make sure you get them tight enough without going too far. Avoid the temptation to use the torque wrench as a breaker bar to take them off.

Boosted LS1

21,185 posts

260 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
We had a lug nutter a awhile ago with his mate billy rotors. It's a slippery slope.

IDontKnowCars

Original Poster:

172 posts

110 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
Nickp82 said:
Just kidding obvs, the advice about finding some long piping is a good start. Personally I also try standing on the wrench but this is not a recommendation!
Where can I buy suitable piping from?

IDontKnowCars

Original Poster:

172 posts

110 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
ThunderSpook said:
Well that didn’t take long for him to delete his post!
The thread became more about people discussing how I used the wrong term rather than discussing the topic.

IDontKnowCars

Original Poster:

172 posts

110 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
jamei303 said:
How long is your tool? You should be able to take them off with a tool at least as long as the one that came with the car.
The tool has a level about 30cm from the pivot. With it being a cross-shaped tool, another 30cm level protrudes in the other direction from the pivot giving the effective moment of a 60cm level about the pivot. The supplied wheel removal wrench is of similar size but is not cross-shaped and thus means I can provide only half the theoretical moment force with that tool.

IDontKnowCars

Original Poster:

172 posts

110 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
GreenV8S said:
Get an extending wheel nut spanner. They let you apply far more torque with less effort than a spider wrench.

Since you're struggling to undo them you should consider how you're going to torque them up afterwards. Use a torque wrench to make sure you get them tight enough without going too far. Avoid the temptation to use the torque wrench as a breaker bar to take them off.
I bought a torque wrench specifically for this job. I have avoided using that to remove it as I do not want to decalibrate the tool.

I am cautious about buying yet another tool simply for this one job. I wanted to do the brakes to save myself money and have had to buy a couple hundred pounds worth of equipment already.

PositronicRay

27,010 posts

183 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
Stick your spider back on, support the end (bricks, jack, axle std, wood) and jump on it. Or one of these https://www.screwfix.com/p/rac-telescopic-wheel-wr...


If that fails you'll need a garage or mobile mechanic.

GreenV8S

30,192 posts

284 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
IDontKnowCars said:
I am cautious about buying yet another tool simply for this one job.
The tool is inexpensive, and something you can expect to use every time you take the wheels off. Which you can expect to do many times over your DIY lifetime.

E-bmw

9,212 posts

152 months

Saturday 15th September 2018
quotequote all
[quote=IDontKnowCars]
I bought a torque wrench specifically for this job. I have avoided using that to remove it as I do not want to decalibrate the tool.[quote]

Just asking the question assuming I have read you right.

What makes you think using a torque wrench to undo a nut will "decalibrate" it?