MIAMI S-2000

I was trying to install my new Honda wheel locks this weekend and got to a nut that won't loosen, what is the best way to do this without breaking the stud?

daktruckie99

Put a huge extension on your wrench and try to snap it free. I have a 4' pipe in my garage I have used in the past.

Sometimes it will break loose, sometimes it will break the stud. But either way you have to get it off.

MikeyCB

I think snap it free is the key. You could always try a little penetrating oil on it a couple times, then go back at it. Don't try to get it off slowly, use a sharp motion to break the bond between the lug and stud.

slalom44

Also, remember in the future to torque the lug nuts to 80 lb-ft. They should never get stuck if they are correctly torqued. If you're getting rust on the stud threads, you may want to use a little anti-sieze compound in the future.

IMO, your best bet in removing the lug nuts is to use a pneumatic impact wrench. If you use a lug wrench, you need to make sure that you apply a torque load (pure twist) and not a lateral load or you may snap the stud.

Here's a last-resort trick: Apply penetrating oil liberally, then heat just the lug nut with a propane torch then quickly try to remove the nut. If you put the flame on the wheel, you will ruin the mylar film so you will need to mask off the wheel if you try this. By heating the lug nut, thermal expansion makes the nut slightly bigger, allowing it to free up.

hyper

go to a shop / a friend that has an impact wrench and see if they can take it off?

also, were you trying to do this when your car's been sitting over night or when you've been driving for a while? i found that if my wheel was warm, the lugs tend to be a bit tougher to loosen (probably heat transfer from car to stud, expanding tightly against the lugs?)

MIAMI S-2000

Thanks guys, I'll try all of the above mentioned.

slalom44

This is especially true with alloy wheels. Aluminum has twice the thermal expansion coefficient of steel.

And I agree - since the studs are hotter than the lug nuts when the wheels are warm, the threads will be tighter.

NoRawkus305

I would probably suggest using an impact tool... this way you have a better chance not breaking anything. If you dont have one, take it to a shop to loosen it up and just retighten after. I cant imagine them charging you much.

hyper

Excellent (scientific) response

I wouldn't have been able to put that together as I forgot all that science stuff when I left high school (and I'm not in the materials engineering industry).

jeggy

take it to the dealer and ask them to do it. it's such a minor job that i'm 99.998% sure that it'll be a free-be that takes no longer then 30 minutes on a busy day.
too many people under estimate the generosity of a dealer service department.