Thread: Stuck Nuts.

Sounds brutal, but if you can slide a tube of steel over to protect what I gather are alloy wheels, then hitting the nuts with a gas torch might help. With corrosion, repeated heat cycles are your friend.

Also, what was the tool made of? If steel, I can weld it if you haven't got a glue gun

Use lubricant. The stuff with the gentle warming action.

No good, well try this then.

If it was me, I'd weld a socket to the nut. Probably a 3/4 drive one.
The nut will either come off or the stud will break. Either way, you can get the wheel off.

You could maybe try this...
Remove the other wheel nuts.
While hitting the lock nut with your cold chissel or other rotate the wheel.
The little bit of movment of the wheel my help.

I had the same issue. Ended up bashing on a 23mm (I think, maybe 21) 6 point socket and taking it off that way. Brutal, but it worked.

I just had the same problem a few weeks back.

Mine were the two front wheels.
By the time I got the back wheels loose the lock nut socket had flared open.

The tyre places can do it for a price but in my case it was at my risk.
As the back of the nut is open they can use a left hand easy out but there is the chance of it snapping off.

After some consideration I decided to have a go myself.
I decided to sacrifice my 24 socket and hammered it onto the lock nut. Then with a long bar was able to loosen it. The socket actually cut into the lock nut. The socket was the multi sided type not the six sided type.

Its just a pain to get the socket off the lock nut afterwards, but nothing a big hammer can't fix.

Hi
Last time this happened to me I was helping to restore a vintage/vetran motorcycle that had been rusting away in a shed for many years. We tried everything from heat to lubricants nothing worked.

Eventually I used a Dremall grinder with small metal cutting discs. The trick is to cut Parallel to the stud as deep as possible towards the thread on the stud and as close as you can to the wheel without cutting into the stud or wheel.

You will need patience and a lot of the small cutting discs. USE SAFTY GLASSES as the little disc are prone to shattering and fling bits everywhere.

When you have cut as deep as you can get a cold chisel with a fine point & carefully try to widen the cut. If your cut is deep enough there will be a weakness in the remaining metal on the nut allowing some release of pressure on the stud.

Once you have done this go back to the pipe wrench.

You might also want to spray lubricant onto the nut and into the cut while its still hot from the cutting disc.

This has worked well for me in the past with much older seized Nuts bolts etc. Good Luck.

Thanks for the replies guys. Look like I have a few more ideas to try tomorrow. I'll let you know how I go.

If I can't get them off I can let everyone have a go at the Wombat camp on Saturday. Who ever gets them off came be the king.

Originally Posted by Landover

Thanks for the replies guys. Look like I have a few more ideas to try tomorrow. I'll let you know how I go.

If I can't get them off I can let everyone have a go at the Wombat camp on Saturday. Who ever gets them off came be the king.

Find a 1/2" drive socket that doesnt quite slip over...

Bash on with a hammer...

Attach bar and undo..

Before it comes off, use bar to "wiggle" the socket off the nut...

Done it probably 30-40 times... works like a charm.