Somethng like this seems happens to me often. I have a lug nut that stripped. I am sure the wheel stud is not stripped, because I use anti seize. ( learned that one last year.) can anyone offer suggstions on how to remove the lug nut?

Could I drill it off? How would I do that?

Can I use my impact gun to remove it? What special socket would I need?

I am trying to avoid driving to a wheel shop.

 

Wait...the lug itself is stripped? Can't you just pull it off of the stud, leaving what used to be threads on the stud itself?

What exactly has happened? Is the lug on the stud, and turns freely but won't come off?

 

hmmm... if you mean that the lugnut is still on the stud and is siezed, even withthe use of antisieze, then well, its not a matter of only the lugnut being stripped. both are going to be needed to be replaced. once siezed, just gotta torque the nut off which will break the stud and replace the stud and nut. if this is not the case, im not sure what you mean by only the lugnut being stripped.

btw, front or rear hub?

 

The couple times that this has happened to me, I've just put all my weight into it and broken them off.

 

I am very sorry for not giving enough detail. The outside of the lug is rounded. The sockets so not have anything to grip onto to spin the lug. The lug is on the stud, and I cannot remove the wheel.

front passenger side.

 

Craftsman has just realeased a new socket which has a bunch of teeth on the inside that grab the stripped head as you torque it. Look into that.

How'd you manage to do that?

 

The standard way to remove it is buy a sacraficial socket. It should be slightly smaller than the correct size. Slam it on with a hammer. Try to remove it & pray it doesn't slip. Make sure that the other lugnuts are on & tight. The stripped one should be the first to be removed.

As mentioned above, there are speciality sockets you could also try.

 

depending how well it's on there, you could try to CAREFULLY cut a - or + into it and use a bar/big screwdriver, before you sacrifice a socket (though that seems easiest).

 

most of the time the best way is to go to ace or a local hardware store, get a 1mm smaller socker and hammer the **** on there.

it works 99% of the time.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by civicrr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Make sure that the other lugnuts are on & tight. The stripped one should be the first to be removed.</TD></TR></TABLE>

this is probably a very important thing before you attempt it. keeping the others tight means theres less friction keeping the lugnut on, thus easier to remove.

 

It sounds like it's time for some Turbo Sockets.

Snap-On sells a really nice set, but requires you to give up your first new born.

Hammer the socket on the lug, then as you loosen it with an impact gun, it cuts into the nut so it can grab it and it should spin right off.

good luck,

aj

 

I did the sacraficial socket thing. I pounded the next smaller sized socket and the used the impact gun to remove it.

You guys saved me a few dollars!