Swollen lug nuts….

[Alvis]

All juvenile jokes aside. I have a 2015 F150 and ran into this problem. Apparently many vehicles today use a two piece lug nut. It has a inner nut and a outer cap/shell. Repeated air tool removal, environmental issues, etc causes them to swell and you will not be able to get your socket on them. Talking with discount tire people they see it all the time. They keep a 1/2 mm larger socket around just to get them off. Long story to say… check your nuts … so you are not caught in a bad spot and can’t get your tire tool on it. Invest in some solid bolts and replace defective ones now or on tire rotation.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15339991/swollen-lug-nuts-are-costing-ford-drivers-time-and-money-lawsuit-claims/

https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/mark-phelan/2018/11/01/swollen-lug-nuts-wheels-cap/1835282002/

I put these on my truck:
https://www.americantrucks.com/coyote-chrome-oem-style-lug-nut-kit-14mmx15-1519-f150-ford.html

if you google it, it apparently is not just a Ford issue, as GM uses them as well.

 

[Missing Link]

I ran into this problem a few months ago. Luckily, it was discovered during a normal tire rotation and not in an emergency situation. My local tire guy said that it is becoming a real problem. As Alvis noted above, don't buy replacement Ford lug nuts , , , they cost more and the problem will reoccur.

I have been very happy with my 2017 F150 but here is another problem that I encountered when I bought it. I took off the stock tires to replace them with E range tires. The tire shop called and said they could not replace the spare because the locking mechanism was not the same as the rest of the locks on the truck. Someone at the factory had installed the wrong lock. Ford quickly fixed it but had I not been replacing the tires upon purchase, i would likely have learned of that screw up out in the boondocks somewhere with no way to fix it. Moral of the story, if you have not already done it, please check to be sure that you can release your spare before you head out on your next trip.

 

[craig333]

Glad I have the old fashioned kind. One time in a galaxy far far away my Mom drove us in the VW microbus to the coast. I believe it was on twisty old highway 36 where we got a flat. No key for the spare. Lucky for us someone came by with a pair of vice grips and was able to rip it off.

Get yourself a good 4-way lug wrench. I'd hate to change a tire with the little wrench that comes from the factory.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I carry both the 4 cross lug wrench and a 13/16" deep socket with a breaker bar.
Tire shop people don't always torque the lugs down to the "book" pounds.
It's too easy to just use the air drive and tighten them down so much you can't
break them loose.
All good advise.Nice to know before you go info.
Frank

 

[craig333]

America's Tire uses color coded torque sticks. Never had an issue with them. I've over torqued them using my brothers rattle gun. I didn't realize it had that much torque.

 

[ntsqd]

My tire guy uses those color coded extensions, and I believe them to be pretty accurate.

Still, when I get home I break them loose one at a time with whatever it takes and then re-tighten them with the tool that I carry in that vehicle. I want to know that the tool that I carry will break them loose. While they're loose I look at if there is enough anti-seize still in the threads.

I too have encountered the SS sleeves being distorted enough that the socket won't fit. This is a great use for HF impact sockets. I find the next larger socket, be it metric or SAE, and if required hammer it on, and then hammer the nut out while held in a vise. I don't mind being brutal to cheap sockets.

 

[ckent323]

I had not heard of torque sticks before so I looked them up. A set is about $60 at HD.

I noted the following:

"It's important to note that while torque sticks can be a time-saver, they are not exact by nature. Most experts recommend using a torque stick to get to about 70% of the way there, then switching to a manual method to finish. The final torque specified value is best reached by using a calibrated torque wrench."

https://www.tirebusiness.com/shop-floor-wheel-torque/using-torque-sticks-speed-service-times

I have always used, and will continue to use a torque wrench.

 

[wicked1]

My lugs were too tight. My only tool options were an L shaped tacoma tire wrench, or my also basically L shaped socket wrench. I had to stand on it, because I could not budge them. And, rather than loosen, that very off center torque simply twisted my lugs off. Very lucky I was in a town when it happened, and not 100 miles down a trail.

 

[buckland]

Glad I re-found this thread as I had just redone my brakes and the mechanic suggested all new lugs as I have the 2 piece lugs and about half are separating or cracking. I'd like to get capped solid if they make them for my truck Colorado 2016. The company above does not make them for Colorados.

 

[ntsqd]

I've purchased from these folks a couple times and always felt like I got what I asked for:

https://lugnutguys.com/

 

[buckland]

Just half hour ago I bought these White Knight Wheel Nut 11709D4
for the Colorado. I swear I could not find out if the nuts were solid or jacketed like the OEM. I prefer solid and we will see on Monday.
Thanks for the suggestion though because if I don't like these I'll be sending them back!

 

[Dirt Rider]

Dodge/Ram uses those swell up lug nuts also, switched them out to normal ASAP as I could not get any size socket on. I always carry a breaker bar and socket with extension but am tempted to start carrying an electric impact.

 

[ntsqd]

In the trade they're called "Bulge Nuts".
Some have a SS cover on them and when that cover is removed or lost the remaining hex is not a common size. Ran into this with a DD.
I carry a Milwaukee M18 1/2" impact when we go really remote because there is no way my wife could get the lug nuts loose if I am incapacitated.

 

[buckland]

I believe I may have screwed the pooch as I ended up getting g bulge when I really did not want them. The OEM on my truck are 6 years old and I am changing them all out as there are many that are 'loose' . If I swap them out every 4 years at $55 for all. It is still cheaper than the solids which I could not find for under $6 a lug nut (I need 24). It does amaze me how complicated buying a lug nut has become. Frankly it's nuts!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I remember running into the problem with the "cover" coming off on a Jeep I had.
But I was able to use a metric size socket to remove them.
That was many years ago so I think my memory it correct.

All I need to know is that my Tundra and Highlander both have solid lugs.

Ouch $6 each that's a lot.

Frank

 

[ntsqd]

I prefer the bulge nuts because it means that I can use a socket with a smaller OD. Which is less likely to make contact with the wheel and scar it.

In one vehicle's case it also means that the Snap-On deep impact socket that I bought for it's original 1/2-20 wheel studs will fit the lug nuts for it's soon to be 9/16-18 wheel studs. To get bigger OEM brakes I'm moving from 5 on 5.5" to 8 on 6.5" which uses the 9/16 studs and it wasn't possible to stay with the 1/2" wheel studs..

 

[buckland]

Okay ...I hate learning the hard way but it seems i'm on a oneway street. The White Knights listed above came and are also wrong despite what the website said. Just as well as I can send them back for full amount. I tried a few local places and all (I'm learning the lingo) were acorn bulge lug nuts.... It's 'capped' I discovered was the word for what I did not want (the ones with that thin chrome jacket that swells up with rust) . I found a guy at CarID that knew his stuff and hated lug nut customers because all his info is so hard to sift through... He came through for me. Solid metal, (not capped) bulge cone acorn lugs in a set of 24 (most sets are 20???? and list my truck as 'fits') They were also cheaper than the capped! So though it is a pain to have to drive to UPS to return the other ones at least I found what I wanted. If you need lug nuts call CarID ask for Frank in the Wheel dept. He is dedicated.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Glad you found the right ones.
I was going to suggest an auto store like O'Rileys.

Thanks for the right terminology.
Frank
( no relation to your Frank the "nut" guy)

 

[buckland]

I switched out the lug nuts and boy am I glad I did. I'd say of the 24, 10 were split. One was so bad I couldn't get the 22mm socket on it and of course I had a 24 but not a 23. I used a larger tire iron and it then just spun on the interior nut. I cut the end of the jacket off and was able to split the jacket and remove it. The actual steel nut is a 21mm which I had. I now have both the 22mm and 21mm in the camper tool box as well as the long handled torque wrench (set to 140 ft lbs). I carry a cross style lug wrench (4 sizes) as well. Much easier to deal with that at home then on a dusty hot roadside.

 

[ntsqd]

A note of concern that may be misplaced, but if your torque wrench is a "clicker" type and it has been left at some setting other than zero it probably isn't accurate any more. Clickers are notorious for going out of calibration if left on anything other than zero, and sometimes even then.