i have a lug nut on my car and i dont' know how to get it off. it's a different kind of special key and my sockets don't fit it. is there any way i can get it off some how? i have no idea how it got on there. i think 1 of the shops workin on it got it mixed up. and it's been getting towed all over i have no idea which shop it might be

 

might help with a picture? also is this a locking lug nut, whats it look like? my old lincoln had a wierd one that require the most f'd up key but can't really help you without a pic.

if you can get some vise grips to it try getting it off that way with a leverage pipe or something of the sorts.

 

Pic would help, but if you mean a locking lug nuts that require the special key and you don't have the key, use some vice grips and try to turn it off. That's the only way I've ever heard of getting it off.

 

I've gotten around this by beating a *smaller* 6-pt socket on, and then use a breaker bar.

My toyota parts truck had locking lugs on it so I beat an 19mm 6pt on there and it came right off. Also try soaking the lug in PBlaster to help loosen it up, stuff works wonders.

Yeah it ruins the socket, but hell, if it's a craftsman or snap-on you can always break it and exchange it.

 

Also, sometimes depending on the makeup of the locking lug (def post a pic like they're sayin) you can use some other tools instead. Like if it's a reverse-patterned lug you can beat a torx bit in there instead of beating a socket over it.

 

I've allways ussed a craftsman socket on it when I worked at sears, when I was done if the socket was messed up I walked over to hardware and got a new one.