Help/rant. Locking lug nut stuck!

[hex]

Hey TM3,

Just wanted to ask of you have experience in getting a stuck lug nut off.

Here's the back story:
I went to a wheel and tire shop (a sponsor of TM3 that I will not name) to get a new set of tires on my car. All in all, a great process, or so I thought. A couple of weeks after getting the tires installed, I went to remove my wheels to work on my car. I broke one lock key on the second wheel.

I called the shop back, and told them what had happened, and I said that they probably overtorqued my wheels. Spo sor denied it and told me to come in to their shop to see what they can do for me.

Next day rolls by, and I go in. They take a look at it, bring out some extraction tools, but none fit the lock. At this point they tell me to order a new key from McGard (the manufacturer of the lock nut) and tells me to call them when it comes in.

A week is gone, and the key arrives ($30, BTW) and I go in. After waiting an hour past my appointment time, they bring the car in, and after 15 minutes, they come out and said they broke it on the first attempt. At this point, I'm pissed off, and it doesn't help that the guy kept saying "you're titsed bro". He goes on to say that the guys in the back hand torque all lug nuts, and that they are one of the only ones that do, and that they don't even allow their guys in the back to use air tools (meanwhile, I hear an impact gun going off in the background).

I sent an email out to mcgard, and they sent out a pound on removal tool, but I haven't had any luck with it. I've been trying for 2 hours using different techniques. Searched google, and they said to use a 12 point socket, which I also tried, but it just slipped.

Can anyone give any other solutions?

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/li_howard14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150606_153712_zpsn7bbdhmy.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/li_howard14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150606_153712_zpsn7bbdhmy.jpg.html)

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/li_howard14/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150606_153810_zpswwvtkbdm.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/li_howard14/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150606_153810_zpswwvtkbdm.jpg.html)

[hex]

I want to add that I've had these lock nuts for 3 years and I've never had any problem removing them until now. They have only been used in the summer on my summer wheels. The other 3 look brand new (not even kidding).

Also, while the shop said that they hand torque ALL nuts, while removing the other lug nuts off my wheels, they all came off with different force applied to them using a breaker bar. Some came off with ease, some felt like nothing was holding them on (I retorqued my wheels after a full day of driving to 80 ft. Lbs) and some nuts felt like I was gonna break more sockets trying to get them off.

I'll continue to do business with the company, but I'll never again let a shop install the wheels on my car.

[McGuyver_3]

Go to Canadian tire, buy the bolt extractor. It comes in a kit from I think 8mm up to 17mm(about 75$) . You pound them on with a hammer (air hammer if you have one) and you remove them with the according sized socket. Come to think of it you MAY be able to buy them from princess auto for cheaper. They make another style that looks like a thread on extractor and those don't work at all

the extractor you want looks like this.
http://www.irwin.com/tools/screw-bolt-extractors/bolt-extractors

this is the extractor set you do NOT want
http://images11.palcdn.com/hlr-system/WebPhotos/82/821/8211/8211633.jpg?_v=5a94e708-b43a-47fc-b9d2-56110847a5a6

I have removed several wheel bolts but I had to physically break them with an air hammer before getting them off. The cars I work on have an "antitheft" slip ring so it doesn't allow the extractor to dig in to the key itself.

[morganc]

Princess auto also has a locking lug nut extractor kit. If it doesn't work then PM me and bring it down, I have ways.....

[GWN]

had a similar thing happen with my mcgard locks, the extractor tool won't work with them (weird size). Luckily, mine came loose enough that we could twist them off using just a regular needle nose vice grip.

if that hadn't worked, a very reputable friend of mine told me the only option left would have been to loosen (not remove) all of the lugs on the wheel and drive carefully on a back road until the lock nut "wiggles" itself loose enough to remove by hand.

really shitty situation to be in man, I know the feeling

[hex]

had a similar thing happen with my mcgard locks, the extractor tool won't work with them (weird size). Luckily, mine came loose enough that we could twist them off using just a regular needle nose vice grip.

if that hadn't worked, a very reputable friend of mine told me the only option left would have been to loosen (not remove) all of the lugs on the wheel and drive carefully on a back road until the lock nut "wiggles" itself loose enough to remove by hand.

really shitty situation to be in man, I know the feeling

I've got McGuyver_3 coming over today to try and remove it. I told him the size of my lug but, hopefully it works.

[midnightfxgt]

Why protect the sponsor? They clearly messed up. You gave them the opportunity to resolve the situation and they didnt.

I'd make them get the lock off, of pay someone who is competent

[Default User]

How did the second key break?

[midnightfxgt]

How did the second key break?

My guess is it's over torqued, and the slapped the lock in the gun, and it broke from the torque

[GWN]

soooooooooo what happened?

[HappyJappy]

Chuck Norris happened.

soooooooooo what happened?

[Cab0oze]

Loosen all the other lug nuts a tiny bit and I would venture a guess that even the overtorqued one would loosen up after a short drive around the block. Disclaimer - if something else breaks it's not my fault. It worked for me in the past though in a slightly different situation.

[McGuyver_3]

I did not have the right extractor with me. I was under the impression they were oem not skinnier aftermarket ones. He had it removed by Jimmy

[Darth Maz]

I've always had really good luck with these. The only time they didn't work was on a lug that had an outside sheath that spun.
http://image.popularhotrodding.com/f/tech/craftsmans-bolt-out/15982921+cr1+re0+ar1/craftsman-bolt-out-kit.jpg

[GWN]

what did jimmy use? did he have the right size extractor? My buddy had like a full set of them and none of them fit the lock :/

[SomeGuy]

When totally futzed you grind a notch into them and then use a hammer and chisel to get it to rotate.

[hex]

Why protect the sponsor? They clearly messed up. You gave them the opportunity to resolve the situation and they didnt.

I'd make them get the lock off, of pay someone who is competent

i have the urge to post their business name here, but my conscience won't allow me.
like i said, i would continue doing business with them, but will never again let a tire shop touch my car, no matter how reputable they are.


How did the second key break?

i broke the first key the first time i tried taking my wheels off (wanted to do some maintenance on my car). after breaking it, i called the shop, they told me to bring it in to see what they can do (turned out they didn't have the right size extractor kit), and told me to order a new key ($30 from McGard). after receiving the key, i took it back to the shop (as per their request, because they said they have "plenty of experience with these situations"). he sprayed plenty of penetrating fluid on the three remaining lock nuts, waited 15 minutes for them to creep, and broke it on the first try (pretty sure he used a breaker bar, because he told me he did it himself, by hand).


soooooooooo what happened?


what did jimmy use? did he have the right size extractor? My buddy had like a full set of them and none of them fit the lock :/

jimmy did use one of those extractor sockets, he just happened to have one in his tool box. it was a pain in the ass to get off, and an even bigger pain in the ass to get it off his socket. he had to use an air hammer to remove it. the lock nut broke off in pieces.


When totally futzed you grind a notch into them and then use a hammer and chisel to get it to rotate.

if everything failed, i would've gone to a machine shop to let them weld something on to the nuts. i wanted to avoid this as much as possible because my rpf1's ARE powdercoated. regardless, i have one wheel being recoated right now because there was damage done to the wheel while trying to remove the lock nut.



i should've updated you guys!

the lock nut is off. thank you to McGuyver_3 for the attempt, i appreciate you coming over after work and trying to help me.

the nut was overtorqued WAY too much. jimmy did use one of those extractor sockets, and he had to give it a couple of go's and pretty much all his body weight and more to take the damn thing off. even jimmy was stunned as to how hard it was to take this lug nut off.

[sarujo]

hex I'm glad you got this resolved (albeit after so much effort), but you still owe it to the TM3 community as to who the offending business was. If you don't want to do it in this thread then go to the reviews section and post something there - that's why we have it.

[midnightfxgt]

I hope the offending shop is paying for the powdercoating!

[FD22]

Jeez what a mess. Sounds like an awkward and unfortunately situation to be stuck in. Sucks that you had to recoat the rim, but at least it's all sorted out now. Definitely a little discouraging to hear its a reputed shop that did that, especially if it's a TM3 sponsor.

[hex]

hex I'm glad you got this resolved (albeit after so much effort), but you still owe it to the TM3 community as to who the offending business was. If you don't want to do it in this thread then go to the reviews section and post something there - that's why we have it.

sarujo
Well, if you put it like that, then I guess it would help others if something like this happens again.

The shop that did I dealt with was Simply Tire. I was reading all their feedback on their sponsor page, and they get nothing but praise. If it wasn't for this incident, I would praise them as well.

There was no need for them to beat around the bush and lie straight to my face about not allowing any of their staff members use air tools. They could have admitted fault, paid for the removal, and paid for the key that I had to order (and that they broke).


I hope the offending shop is paying for the powdercoating!

They are not, as they are not the ones that damaged the wheel. They're just the ones that messed up, leading me to damage the wheels while trying to fix their mistake.


Jeez what a mess. Sounds like an awkward and unfortunately situation to be stuck in. Sucks that you had to recoat the rim, but at least it's all sorted out now. Definitely a little discouraging to hear its a reputed shop that did that, especially if it's a TM3 sponsor.

I know Frey! It sucks. Thank god I have a spare rpf1!

[SomeGuy]

Worth giving S.F.W. the head's up about this.