I break lug nuts and threads when taking wheels off

[Shadow277]

Normally I do it just fine but on my last car, the threads would not come off with the standard car jack kit, though I use the cross bar to take lug nuts off. A few years ago it did not work so I used a breaker bar and the thread came off, stuck inside the thread. On a different occasion, Firestone said one was broken and charged me for a new one. Funny how that worked out when I asked the tech for the piece that broke off. Someone lied.

Anyways, that was a different car and I have never taken the wheels off of this one. Should I use a torque wrench or finally invest in a battery powered tool? Only asking because I want to check my brake pads as they squeel in the morning but stop once warmed up.

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[kz]

You should never ever use torque wrench to undo the lug nuts (unless you're trying to measure breakaway torque). Use either an impact or a breaker bar. It has 150 ft/lb of torque so it's most than in other cars.

 

[DougS550]

Normally I do it just fine but on my last car, the threads would not come off with the standard car jack kit, though I use the cross bar to take lug nuts off. A few years ago it did not work so I used a breaker bar and the thread came off, stuck inside the thread. On a different occasion, Firestone said one was broken and charged me for a new one. Funny how that worked out when I asked the tech for the piece that broke off. Someone lied.

Anyways, that was a different car and I have never taken the wheels off of this one. Should I use a torque wrench or finally invest in a battery powered tool? Only asking because I want to check my brake pads as they squeel in the morning but stop once warmed up.

I bought the 1400 ftlb Milwaukee M18 fuel impact tool with the 12amp battery. My lugs come off like butter, auto speed reverse controlled. When installing the lugs, always use a torque wrench. Have fun

 

[NeedForGreen]

I bought the 1400 ftlb Milwaukee M18 fuel impact tool with the 12amp battery. My lugs come off like butter, auto speed reverse controlled. When installing the lugs, always use a torque wrench. Have fun

Those Milwaukee M18's are amazing.

 

[BimmerDriver]

I bought the Rigid portable impact wrench because my air powered monster is too big for some jobs. I picked the Rigid because of size, power, cost and Home Depot lifetime warranty.

I also got some 19mm lug nuts so that I didn't have to torque it down so ridiculously high.

As for the OP, your comment is confusing and I can't help but wonder if there was something else going on with that car that broke lug bolts. Rust? Overtightened? It's unusual.

 

[DougS550]

I bought the Rigid portable impact wrench because my air powered monster is too big for some jobs. I picked the Rigid because of size, power, cost and Home Depot lifetime warranty.

I also got some 19mm lug nuts so that I didn't have to torque it down so ridiculously high.

As for the OP, your comment is confusing and I can't help but wonder if there was something else going on with that car that broke lug bolts. Rust? Overtightened? It's unusual.

I agree on his lug nuts breaking. Almost always, when I had lugs that snap, the tire installer had over torqued them.

 

[Shadow277]

I bought the Rigid portable impact wrench because my air powered monster is too big for some jobs. I picked the Rigid because of size, power, cost and Home Depot lifetime warranty.

I also got some 19mm lug nuts so that I didn't have to torque it down so ridiculously high.

As for the OP, your comment is confusing and I can't help but wonder if there was something else going on with that car that broke lug bolts. Rust? Overtightened? It's unusual.

Perhaps they were over tightened and I would not be surprised if rust played a hand.

 

[Shadow277]

I agree on his lug nuts breaking. Almost always, when I had lugs that snap, the tire installer had over torqued them.

How can I tell if they are over tightened? I still go to Firestone for alignments and tires so I don't want this happening again.

 

[DougS550]

How can I tell if they are over tightened? I still go to Firestone for alignments and tires so I don't want this happening again.

In the past, if I broke a lug removing it, I would drive to the place where I had them installed and tell them they over torqued my lugs and want them replaced. Every time they replaced my lugs. When I go get my tires replaced or swap out my snow tires, I always ask what torque they will torque them at, and reemphasize I want them torqued accordantly.

 

[Dr. Norts]

Sounds like a case of the old seperating lugnuts.

The chrome outer barrel is "pressed on" to the inner threaded portion. They're was issue of this happening a few years back but I can't recall if it was limited to the ford nuts.

"Ford used the steel lug nuts from roughly the 2000 through 2015 model years, on car and truck models including the Focus, Fusion, Escape, F-150, Flex, C-Max, Expedition and F-350. Detractors contend that dirt, road salt and moisture can work their way under the cap, creating corrosion and even the possibility that the wheel the lug nut is holding on its hub could fall off if the nut is not properly tightened. Under less dire circumstances, they say, removing the nuts is difficult and time-consuming, and over-tightening can damage a bolt by stretching its threads"

 

[Dr. Norts]

In the past, if I broke a lug removing it, I would drive to the place where I had them installed and tell them they over torqued my lugs and want them replaced. Every time they replaced my lugs. When I go get my tires replaced or swap out my snow tires, I always ask what torque they will torque them at, and reemphasize I want them torqued accordantly.

Torqued accordingly at most places means they're going to use torque sticks and not a torque wrench on your lugs.

 

[Zrussian13]

How can I tell if they are over tightened? I still go to Firestone for alignments and tires so I don't want this happening again.

Which firestone do you go to in AZ?

 

[Shadow277]

Torqued accordingly at most places means they're going to use torque sticks and not a torque wrench on your lugs.

I have never used either but it seems like torque sticks are inferrior. Just got a tool bench for Christmas and I only have the basic hand tools. Does getting a power tool set result in my duralast set and breaker bars becoming not desirable?

 

[Shadow277]

Sounds like a case of the old seperating lugnuts.

The chrome outer barrel is "pressed on" to the inner threaded portion. They're was issue of this happening a few years back but I can't recall if it was limited to the ford nuts.

"Ford used the steel lug nuts from roughly the 2000 through 2015 model years, on car and truck models including the Focus, Fusion, Escape, F-150, Flex, C-Max, Expedition and F-350. Detractors contend that dirt, road salt and moisture can work their way under the cap, creating corrosion and even the possibility that the wheel the lug nut is holding on its hub could fall off if the nut is not properly tightened. Under less dire circumstances, they say, removing the nuts is difficult and time-consuming, and over-tightening can damage a bolt by stretching its threads"

Interesting. Though I must mention my car before this was 2012 Civic Si that I bought after doing a deployment in the Armt. Loved it. There was a nick in the engine block that could not get machined out. So do I get a new engine or get a different car? Obviously the latter lol.

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

Get yourself a good torque wrench and a Milwaukee cordless impact and loosen and retorque the lugs when you get back from the tire shop. I used to work for firestone 20+ years ago and we were required to use those "torque sticks", I personally never trusted them. Make sure you get a torque wrench that has a range big enough so that the desired torque setting is as close to middle of the range as possible, they are a lot more accurate that way. The accuracy goes way down when you at or near the end of the range. Ford's spec for lug nut torque is 150 ft lbs on all S-550 mustangs as they use the larger 14mm wheel studs.

The torque wrench I have that I use strictly for wheels is a 25 year old MAC that ranges from 0 to 250 ft lbs, paid 200 for it new 25 years ago.

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