Stuck locking Wheel Nut

[flashash]

Hi all I am after a bit of advice, I have a locking wheel nut stuck and the key isn't grabbing its worn out. I looked at those laser removal tools but the socket is too thick to fit over the nut.

Anyone any advice.

Cheers

[RW1]

Looking at the gap around the stud bolt in the wheel, I don't think a metric socket will go round the outer diameter easily. If you can find one that will, fit it to an extension bar. The principle is to drive the splines of the socket into the metal ring band so the socket ring band forms its own spline grips and crushes the ring band hard onto the stud bolt body. The socket must be a diameter size where when driven on there is no gap at the outer "v" peaks. It really needs to be tight and driven fully home before you try to turn it. Once it moves a little, it will just undo as usual using the driven-on socket and extension bar.

Put some wood panels up soft padding around the wheel to protect from any missed or bouncing glancing blows. Cos what you now need to do is take a 3lb metal head mallet and drive the socket/extension bar onto the wheel stud. This is not for the faint hearted, you will need to hammer it hard, very hard, hence the wood protection. You are going to beat the living daylights out of that extension bar with the mallet. So watch your hand on the extension bar. This will deform the stud ring band so that you can put something like a torque wrench (get get good leverage (50cm long)) onto the extension bar to turn the stud. Do not attempt to undo until the socket has gone fully home and is good and rock solid.

Beforehand apply copious amounts of easing oil for 12 hours. Soak a rag in the oil and push it up against the stud and leave it overnight. If you can park the car with that side of the car is higher in height than the otherside, this will keep the easing oil on the stud.

The last one I did 6 months ago on one of my other cars. It took me 2 hours to get there. It came out eventually with no wheel damage.

The other alternative is to drill it out. Can get get messy if your drill is not upto it (slips and scores the wheel recess.). At that point leave it to a garage.

C.

[ZephyR]

You could try heating up the nut head with a blow torch to get it to expand a little. You might then get just enough grip to move it.

[flashash]

Cheers for the reply, I sprayed wd40 around the nut then ended up taking it in to kwik fit. all sorted now

[Elitetech]

Glad you got it sorted.
Here's an alternative method for others who may encounter the same issue.

Find a suitable Nut, with 17mm across flats.
Hold it on the end of the locking wheel bolt and then weld down the centre of the nut, filling the area with weld.
As the wheel is aluminium there no risk of welding the wheel to the nut and bolt.

Using an impact wrench, fire the bolt out.

Works also for getting snapped studs out of aluminium engine heads etc.(Put the ut on the aluminium surface and weld down the bore, building a new shaft with weld)

priceless!

[Ian_Mac]

I had the same issue once, unfortunately discovered when I had a puncture in the p*ssing down rain. RAC man had numerous attempts and in the end it was off to VW on the back of a truck.