Wheel nuts wrong way round. I'm not a bloke. Its official!

[milkman]

Hello all. I stuck some wheel nuts on the wrong way round and now can't get the wheel off. Have tried hitting wheels and WD40. Any ideas?

Searches only reveal advice not to do this, not what to do if you have.
Love wood hate cars!

Cheers

 

[matt]

What type of wheel - steel or alloy?

Have you tried letting the car down off the jack or, if you have, tried lifting it enough to take some weight off but keeping the wheel on the ground to stop it turning when you try to turn the nuts? The thinking being that shifting the weight on or off may help.

 

[Doug B]

cold steel chisel & lump hammer, "tapping" them in an anti-clock wise direction.

Works for locking wheel nuts as well.

 

[CNC Paul]

Air or electric impact driver with a socket

 

[barkwindjammer]

How can you put a thread on the wrong way ?

 

[blurk99]

wheel nuts always undo anticlockwise... a 2 foot torque wrench has never let me down, though you could try a breaker bar / sleeve your normal wrench with a couple of foot of scaffolding pole if they're really stuck on. If you then find the wheel are corroded into place aswell put the wheel nuts back in leave them half a turn loose and the lower the car and drive backwards / forwards for 6 feet or so, that should sort it

jim

 

[Oryxdesign]

wheel nuts always undo anticlockwise... a 2 foot torque wrench has never let me down, though you could try a breaker bar / sleeve your normal wrench with a couple of foot of scaffolding pole if they're really stuck on. If you then find the wheel are corroded into place aswell put the wheel nuts back in leave them half a turn loose and the lower the car and drive backwards / forwards for 6 feet or so, that should sort it

jim

Not all wheelnuts undo anticlockwise, it would be useful to know what vehicle it is and perhaps see some pictures.

Simon

 

[blurk99]

whatever you do - don't use this technique...

http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2684546

i believe the phrase is 'epic fail'

jim

 

[milkman]

Whoa! Sorry gave the wrong impression. The nuts went on the wrong way round (tapered end out) and when i took them off the wheel itself was stuck. Will probably take it into a garage tomorrow but hoped there might be a quick way.

 

[blurk99]

at a guess it's possible the 'flat' face of the nut has distorted the hole in the rim just enough to cause it to catch on the threads of the stud a little - a proper beasting with a rubber mallet on the inside of the wheel should free it off - after the nuts have been removed of course!

jim

 

[Sportique]

Like wot blur99 says

Dave

 

[toolsntat]

Be prepared for a new wheel and studs on the hub

If I was going to try and do it on my own vehicle this may be the answer....

The pinch of the wheel metal on the thread will mean its going to drag and gnarl up the threads as its forced over the studs.

The distortion of the holes will dare say, have put the wheel beyond safe use.

So to try and save the studs it could be possible (wheel jacked up and on axle stand) to use a quality metal cutting hole saw mounted on the arbour but without the drill bit in place.

Let the inside bore of the cutter be bigger than the stud diameter by enough so as to leave something to enable the remaining metal to be gripped and unscrewed off the stud.

Cut slow and keep the cutter well oiled...

AA or RAC ?

Hope you get it sorted without too much expense :wink:

Andy

 

[devonwoody]

How about going out on the road and getting a punture and then requesting AA assistance. :twisted:

 

[OLD]

Extra force is required to undo the jambed nuts see if you can use your foot to apply the force this can also tend to pull the brace/spanner of the nut so a prop may be required , once set up you can use your full body weight also a tube can be used to lengthen a spanner to increase the force.

 

[Daven]

So if it is just the wheel that is stuck and you have the nuts off, it sounds like it could be ally wheels and a newish car? If so the ally can bond to the steel - as blurk99 said a good lump hammer on the back of the tyre may shift it.

Dave

 

[Tom K]

Put the nuts back on part way (But so the thread is fully engaged) and making sure the vehicle is properly supported. Place a large piece of timber across the back of the wheel and tyre and give it a clump with the biggest club or preferably sledge hammer you own.

 

[milkman]

Cheers all. Needed a bigger mallet. Got one. Sorted. Won't be doing that again : )