Here's the deal. About a 18 months ago I took my car to Tire Kingdom to get an alignment, etc. The guy assured me that they wouldn't use and air gun on my lugnuts, and even went out of his way to show me that they used plastic (or plastic coated) bits. So I got my alignment done and all was well. However about 1 a year ago I found that they infact must have used an airgun on them, and they cracked most of the lug nuts. The part that cracked is labeled #1. Unfortunatley #2 didn't crack. The lug nuts are on there really tight, but because they are partially cracked, the lug just expands when you try to turn the key to get it off. Has anyone got instructions and/or tips on how to drill the stud, or any ideas as to how to get the lug nuts off?

Sorry about the bad diagram, I'm no arteest.

 

you're tellingme you never once took off your lugnuts for a year? not even to rotate tires or anything? If that's the case, it's probably not the alignment shops fault, the lugnuts probably seized onto the lug studs.

 

I haven't taken them off in a year because they are cracked. There is no question, they're cracked. They're my be siezed too, but they are cracked too. It was only 3-4 months before I went to take my wheel(s) off and noticed it.

 

I don't quite understand how they are cracked. What happens if you use a socket on them that's exactly the right size? It wouldn't have any space to expand. Or, try that thing called the Gator Grip. I hear they work well on stripped/messed up lugs.

You can also do what my friend did. He took a dremel and slowly dremeled pieces off the lug nut until he could just take it off by hand. Just make sure you do it carefully so you don't mess up the rim. Good luck.

Have a pic?

 

are these stock lug nuts or after market ones that have a key type thing in the middle?

 

They are the kind of lugs that have a key that slides into them rather than over them... I'll see if I can get some pics.

 

Yeah, see their the "tuner" style. I see what hes saying. Its kinda of like a cracked socket wrench, umm...socket. When its cracked, and you put it over a nut, and turn it, the socket just expands and slips around the nut. Which is essentially his problem. Unfortunatly I dont know how to fix it. Sorry.
gmoore

 

EXACTLY! Unfortunatley neither do I... only thing I can think of is drilling the lug.

 

If they are cracked that much then go with a hammer and punch and break the rest of the lug nut off hitting it away from the stud.

 

Kinda hard to do, because the nut sits almost flush with the wheel.