Thread: 15/16th Inch Wheel Nut Socket

Originally Posted by p38arover

I'll let KLR know so they can amend their website.

I've found that some replacement wheel nuts are not made to original specifications and an original 9/16" BSF socket or wheel brace wont fit. but a 24mm 0r 15/16" AF will.
.W.

Hello All,

One of the many things that I am not trained as is my being a mechanical engineer. So, I am left wondering since the wheel nuts I want to take off have not been touched for possibly decades, it is going to take a substantial effort to loosen the nuts. Subsequently the risk of rounding the nuts off is high. I have used heat and lanolin penetrant and a long breaker bar. All to achieve a nil result. Since the nuts and I are a very similar vintage and they have been doing their job very effectively for a long time, I do not want to ruin them by lack of my preparation that can bring poor results around very quickly.

Could some more learned person confirm how much tolerance makes a sound fit within things like sockets for removing wheel nuts? Especially since it is going to need a lot of leverage effort to get the wheel nuts to even start to undo.

A quick online sourced conversion of 15/16 of an inch equals 23.8125 millimetres.

I did buy a 15/16 of an inch hex impact socket.

To be able to reduce the risk of rounding over the nuts while applying significant amounts of leverage - what is the best sized hex impact socket to buy?

Since I was never taught Imperial measurements at school - I can only say no wonder they went over to Metric!

Kind regards
Lionel

15/16th single hex should be fine. Do yo have an impact gun?

An impact driver is definitely the right tool. Far better than the breaker bar.

The risk with these is the stud turning in the hub. These studs screw into the hub and the inner end is hollow and the thin edge is peened over into a groove round the inside of the hub. The issue is that there is a very good chance that if the stud starts to turn, it will unscrew from the hub, with the peened over bit on inside destroying the thread in the hub as it comes out. When this is done, the hub is effectively unserviceable, although it is not uncommon to find hubs with one or more studs welded in place. Studs that press in, in the more conventional manner do exist, although I have not actually seen any. These would require the hole to be drilled out for fitting, and should have all studs replaced to preserve balance.

I would use heat, penetrating oil, and an impact driver to loosen the nuts. If unsuccessful, I would use a nut splitter to break the nut - replacing the nut is easier than replacing the stud and perhaps the hub. But repeated heat followed by penetrating oil and a rattle gun should work.

(And always keep the threads oiled and clean to avoid future problems - I use nickel based antiseize.)

Edit:- makes more sense with the missing word restored!

Originally Posted by V8Ian

15/16th single hex should be fine. Do yo have an impact gun?

Hello Ian,

Yes, I do have an impact gun. It laughed at my battery powered one. Therefore, I will be moving the vehicle closer to my air compressor so I can utilise my larger pneumatic impact gun.

Kind regards
Lionel

Just make sure the impact socket is single hex and a good snug fit on the nut before you attack it with a more powerful rattle gun.

I suggest a flank drive socket, e.g., Metrinch, to avoid rounding off the corners of the nuts.

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Subsequently the risk of rounding the nuts off is high.

As JDNSW mentioned, you're likely to get the stud to turn in the hub. This is much more likely than rounding off the nuts (unless the socket is the wrong size !)
Try some heat on the nut.
I usually heat with a blowtorch & add more penetrating oil, the oil catches fire but quickly burns off.

If it doesn't come undone leave it and try again another day using the same process.

Colin