I just noticed that one of my lug nuts with a strange pattern (supposed to be so no one can steal it) was rounded out. I had some work at a few places done so i don't know who did it. I knew that lugnut was trouble and i made sure to leave it loose everytime i tightened it. I hammered the key onto it and tried to break it loose with a 4 way, a breaker bar, and my impact wrench with no luck. Does anyone know any tricks to getting lugnuts off that pretty much have nothing left to grip on? I have a torch but i really dont know how to use it right and i was thinking about sawing it off wtih my dremel. Any other tricks?

 

Ask around at some autoparts stores or wheels places there's a lug nut socket that's made for take off rounded nuts. just like a screw extractor but inverted.

 

i bought a car formula with those factory antitheft lugs and it didnt come with the key to it. what i had to do was use a 18mm (i think thats the size) deep impact socket and pound it on, making sure not to smash your rim. then use an impact to remove it if possible. i tried a prybar first and that actually didnt work because i wasnt distributing the torque evenly it just created more problems.

good luck.
Nick J

 

These lugnut locks only cause problems for the owner, not the thief that wants your wheels. Thats why I got rid of mine after a flat one night and couldn't remove the Da-- lugnut lock.

 

The same thing happened to me. I just clamped vise grips on the outside of the lock and hit the visegrips with a hammer to break it loose. So if thats all that has to be done whats the point? Which also makes me wonder why I bought a new set? Maybe to deter the stupid crooks?

 

If a thief wants your wheels he already has the method to remove the lugnut locks. So the only inconvience is to you.

 

take the car down to your local muffler shop/tire shop. they should have a socket to take one off. i used to work in a muffler shop and had to deal with this all the time. vise grips and a hammer work the best, just make sure the vise grips are un super tight. good luck.

 

lol. Take a socket the same size as the lugnut -- one you dont want, hammer it on, and whamo.. It destroys the socket but it lets you get the locking lugnut off

 

EHHHH OPPPSS
I hammered a lug nut on a few times and tried to get it off. My impact wrench couldnt get it off so i took out my torque wrench which usually takes the lug nuts off easily. I had no catching action on it so i went down a few sizes. I wrecked the bolt completely now, its a circle now. I tried the vice grips trick and even added propane to the mix but couldnt get it off. I was wondering if i should saw a notch in it with my dremel and either chisel it in half or try to chisel/screw it off?

 

Hammered a LUGNUT on it? uhh - I said socket.

 

Opps my bad, i did hammer a socket onto it... that would be funny though. I think im gonna dremel a slot into it and chisel it in half.

 

ummm you arent posed to use torque wrenches like normal wrenches it messes em up.

 

who tightened this nut?

 

Go buy yourself the corresponding size craftsman "stripped nut" deals...i got an assortment of them from sears a couple months ago and they've worked great for me...

You could torch it, but if your not skilled at it, you could also damage the wheel stud so be careful if you end up going that route.

Dave