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  View original topic: Lug nuts
gt4life@hotmail.com Thu Mar 27, 2003 12:04 pm

my bug was sitting for two years before i got it, and i cant get my frnt left wheel off. i drenched it in WD-40 but it still wont come off. those lug nuts are on there tight! im thinking they are rusted on it. any suggestions?

1965_bug Thu Mar 27, 2003 1:03 pm

tried a cheater bar? the longer the bar the more leverage... beware you can break a wrench real easy this way!

keifernet Thu Mar 27, 2003 1:13 pm

Get an old 1/2 19mm socket your not partial too and put it on the offending nuts and whack the crap out of it ( each one before you try loosening them) with the biggest hammer you have, even a small sledge, then try it...
the pounding WILL loosen it up, if you do the cheater bar thing you could break the lug off in the drum and that is a PIA...

1965_bug Thu Mar 27, 2003 1:18 pm

He is right about the cheater bar possibly breaking the lug nut.

keifernet Thu Mar 27, 2003 1:44 pm

And your right too Passat!, I have personally broken/bent numerous Craftsman ect. breaker bars and managed to hurt myself a time or two many years ago in my "youth" LOL!

Dominic Thu Mar 27, 2003 3:23 pm

TORCH!

Air-Cooled Head Thu Mar 27, 2003 4:07 pm

There was a post on this a while back.
WD-40 is not designed for this. You might as well p*ss on it.
Get some PB Blaster or some other rust buster. WD just displaces water, does nothing with/for rust.

6v Thu Mar 27, 2003 4:31 pm

Yup, you want to use some penetrating oil instead of WD-40. Liquid Wrench works great. Put it on (a lot), wait for a while, then give it another try. If it doesn't work, apply it again and let it sit overnight. If that fails, then try some more drastic means. A torch, as the man says, skillfully applied, might help to loosen it up. John Henry's site goes into more detail than any sane man wants to read about removing stubborn fasteners. Might check that out, too.

hoxviii@aol.com Thu Mar 27, 2003 6:01 pm

Try the hammer thing first, using a breaker bar and a 3 lb sledge can actaully loosen nuts that are tightened to the 750 lb range (kinda hard to believe). If that doesn't work, go to your local shop and have them shoot the bolts of with a impact gun, then put them back on by hand. Most shops will do this for free (around me anyways).

Justin

cruzerv@hotmail.com Thu Mar 27, 2003 6:28 pm

my best luck has been to put a good socket and ratchet or breaker bar on the bolt and hit it with a 2x4 a few times, i know it works well for gland nuts and axle nuts

TimGud Thu Mar 27, 2003 7:46 pm

An impact gun will do the same thing. If you can't tow it to a garage try and find a friend with a portable air compressor and an inpact gun and give him a six pack of his favotite beverage for the aggravation he will save you.
I dont like to use a torch on lug nuts.
Good luck.
Tim

glandnut Thu Mar 27, 2003 9:49 pm

My grandfather taught me that afew drops of brake fluid is the best penetrant. It's never failed me in any circumstance.

gt4life@hotmail.com Fri Mar 28, 2003 1:19 am

Thanx guys, and gals if any, i finally got the sucker, broke two ratchets in the process, but it worked with a 6' bar on my buds snap on ratchet, snap on tools are freakin strong. thanx again

79SuperVert Fri Mar 28, 2003 11:35 am

Yeah, not longer than 6' because I used 8' (there was nothing else around) and it's just enough additional leverage to bust every ratchet ever made. I know, I broke four of them.

www.L5VW.com Fri Mar 28, 2003 12:37 pm

Kiefernet had the best suggestion...I`m usually to lazy to use the socket...just whack each lugnut squarely on the end with about 3 to 5 lb hammer about 5-10 times and they will come right off...sounds wierd but try it it works!



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