Frozen lug bolts - a trip to hell

[Knestis]

ARGH.

The locking lug bolts on the back of the GTI are FROZEN in place. They resisted penetrating oil and a ton of whacking with the air impact on "5" before the little key thingy finally gave up the ghost and busted.

Damn NoVA salt and idiots who don't know how LOOSE 80 lb-ft of torque actually is.

Anyway, they are hard enough (the OE VW parts) that a centerpunch wouldn't even mark them. The air chisle just leaps around a lot.

Argh, again.

If anyone has a source for really effective magic tool to remove them, feel free to let me know. My default setting is using a sawzall to cut the wheels off so I can save the calipers.

K

[downingracing]

Kirk,

Try calling around to some tire stores (GoodYear, Firestone...) I'm sure someone around you has a took to remove it/them. I had an issue where I lost the key for the locking lugs and promptly got a flat! The tech at GoodYear pulled a homemade tool from his box and said "no problem - these things are cake to get off..." 2 seconds later, he has it off with no damage to anything! Good luck!



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Matt Downing
www.downingracing.com

[moto62]

Hey Kirk! A real tool does actually exist to perform the task at hand. A mechanic at any decent garage will have one in his/her posession. Borrowing it will be the only issue . Either that or try flagging down a Snap On truck and buying the tool off him. This will give you an idea of the tool needed. It's actually a twist socket.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/pro_det.asp...ore&dir=catalog
Good luck.
Ray

[Bill Miller]

Kirk,

Is there actually a part of the stud that's still sticking out that you could actually get a bite on? Sears has a set of twist sockets that they advertise for removing stripped nuts and bolts. They've probably similar to the Snap-On stuff (not deep),but will cost you ~$50 for the set. They're black instead of chrome, so they may stand up to an impact wrench

Never mind, I just read your post and saw that it was the key that broke and not the lug bolt. I've had this exact same problem in the past. I believe those cars are rear drum brakes, but if they're not, spray some PB-Blaster in from the back. Now, find a deep-well impact socket that will just about fit over the lock. Beat this on w/ a large hammer and then take the impact gun to it. I've also found that if you try to tighten it a bit before you try to loosen it, it tends to break the corrosion a bit. Worst that will happen is that you'll break the head off, and have to either drill out the rest, or replace the drum/hub. Good luck, and give me a ring if you have any questions.


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MARRS #25 ITB Rabbit GTI (sold) | MARRS #25 HProd Rabbit
SCCA 279608

[chuck baader]

As a last resort, or prehaps the first, find an old welder who has years experience with a flame wrench and have him burn it off. I have seen broken bolts removed from blind holes by welders and not hurt the base metal. good luck, chuck

[Greg Amy]

On the same theme, find a good welder and have 'em weld some hex stock onto the head of lug bolt.

[MMiskoe]

I've heard a couple of tire guys say just take a socket, not quite big enough to fit over and make it go over w/ a hammer. Then put the impact gun to it.

Heating the lug will help it come out too. Dull red is the minimum, just starting orange is good, this will also help the socket form its own hex on the lug.

I would not recommend trying to cut just the lug out of the wheel. Having a decent amount of experience w/ a torch, you'd be lucky to get just the lug and not damage everything around it.

[philstireservice]

Hey Kirk, you are going to need some good air pressure, i.e. a tire or repair shop compressor. It just won't cut it with a home air compressor. A good tire guy will be able to get it off....trust me I know.... hey I'm only 9 hours away.

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Phil Phillips
94 Acura Integra GSR #4
ITS/H3/ST1
www.philstireservice.com
Amsoil Dealer
distributor for FireCharger AFFF fire systems
Hoosier Tire Dealer
Toyo Tire Dealer

[philstireservice]

if all else fails.....get a torch and heat the nut up until its good a red.....bang a socket on it and it should come off.....

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Phil Phillips
94 Acura Integra GSR #4
ITS/H3/ST1
www.philstireservice.com
Amsoil Dealer
distributor for FireCharger AFFF fire systems
Hoosier Tire Dealer
Toyo Tire Dealer

[biovic]

Kirk, if you haven't already tried some of the previously posted methods, and your lug is still intact, you can try this.
(I had the same thing happen to me a number of years back).
Air chisel may free it enough for you to then take it off with a vise-grip (if enough room) or another method such as the undersized or right-sized socket (now that there will be a big burr on the lug.
Good luck and let us know what works!

[whenry]

I had this experience recently with one of our street Miata; the key to the lug broke and the lug began to round off. Three were removed by using a neat socket called "gator grip" which has a series of rods inside the socket that form around the lug. We found it at Sears.
The last lug was so mangled that we had to take a punch and hammer to force it loose. It just takes patience and I am not a patient person.

[eh_tony!!!]

I've had to remove lugs with both the weld-a-hex-bolt and socket-hammer method.
The socket-hammer worked well on my 911 with aluminum lugnuts. the lock was kind of a patterned spline. a 12 point and a sledge did the trick.

On an MX-3 with the aftermarket (mcGard or so), we tig'd a large bolt to it. broke it loose with an impact.

best of luck

[Knestis]

Since I'm currently working with the weakest kind of home garage situation - sold everything before the move east - I tried calling a bunch of local tire & wheel places. The first six were vague at best but number seven sounded confident enough that I believe they actually know what they are talking about:

"Five bucks a piece. Bring it in and we'll bang 'em off for you while you wait."

Okay - I'll bite. At least they are confident...

Thanks everyone for your input. At least I know I'm not alone in hell.

K

[Knestis]

True to their word, Greensboro Tire got my nuts off - well, bolts - for $10 even...

It took three guys a full hour, and they broke at least $50 worth of tools including a Snap-on twist socket, but they did it.

The unit that finally did the trick was a tool-steel socket with a smooth tapered bore, designed for locking bolts with internal keys and circular outside diameters. They had to grind 1/2" off of the end of the socket so it wouldn't bottom out in the wheel (more $$ in tools) but it worked: They wailed it on with a crappy old claw hammer(!) and, even though it took more than a few tries, it finally galled onto the bolt and out it came.

Reminded me of when I heard that the heads on Renault Alliance valves are friction welded to the stems: They chuck each piece in a lathe thingie and spin them together without lubricant until they seize. I know this only because I had one un-seize once with a renter in the ITC car...

Happy Kirk

[racer_tim]

Kirk, now invest on some longer wheel "studs" instead of the wheel bolts.




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Tim Linerud
San Francisco Region SCCA
#95 GP Wabbit (Bent)
http://linerud.myvnc.com/racing/index.html

[Geezer]

... and don't forget the anti-seize.

[joeg]

Kirk--Thanks for posting the result.

[Knestis]

I've long been a fan of anti-seize but the other Showroom Stock entrants might look at me funny if I have studs poking out of my wheels...

K