Swollen lug nuts.

[mark powell]

No, not a reason to visit A & E, but an expensive car repair, possibly.  A friend had these pointed out when her car was in for service.

https://agradetools.com/swollen-lug-nuts-fix/

[Pete Lewis]

most cars I have  a tool  included to remove the stainless shiny  or plastic  nut covers  

why would you try to remove a wheel nut with the trim still in place its just there to pretty up your nuts 

very few nut trims would stand a impact gun rattling away ..  take em off first 

Pete

 

 

 

[Gully]

I started reading the linked article and checked to see if it was dated 1st April... It wasn't, but I'm guessing the reference to 'lug nuts' means it's American...

Gully

[Colin Lindsay]

Fords (my daughter's Fiesta for one!) have the chrome covers that must be removed prior to the nuts allowing a standard socket to fit - however - the wheelbrace supplied will fit over chrome cover and all. I found that out the hard way whilst replacing the front brake pads.

[PeteH]

What the article appears to be saying, is that disimilar metals intereact to cause the external finishing to "swell or grow". You see a similar action in very bad cases of corrosion in steels.

This is not the same as the Plastic/cromed "Finishers".

Pete

[JohnD]

A/   It's an American web page.   Ever seen the "Customer states" series of videos?

B/ It's site that sells car tools, "Life Hacks" etc.  Nuff said.

C/ It's a site that carries ads that encourage you to add CocaCola to your fuel tank.

D/ The main picture on the page is of a wheel bolt (aka 'lug nut') with its trim cover that some monkey amateur mechanic has mistaken for the real thing, and tried to wrench off.

Do I need to go on?  Please! don't waste our time on idiotic article like this!   

John

[Colin Lindsay]

5 minutes ago, JohnD said:

D/ The main picture on the page is of a wheel bolt (aka 'lug nut') with its trim cover that some monkey amateur mechanic has mistaken for the real thing, and tried to wrench off.

Do I need to go on?  Please! don't waste our time on idiotic article like this!   

John

You're correct in the photo - done it myself.... I spent almost two hours trying to find a socket that would fit, and none did, neither metric nor Imperial, and I ruined the nut cover trying other means - if you don't have the proper tool for removing them they're difficult to pull off. I eventually tried the wheel brace from the Mondeo tool kit and it was a perfect fit for cover and all, so got me out of a hole, and her car being somewhat shinier and newer than mine, she got replacement nut covers from my car and I got the tatty ones. They're something like 18.5mm and round off incredibly easily.

Therefore I'd argue it's not a complete waste if it stops some other poor sod from doing the same...

[clive]

Many cars have the stainless(?) thin covers over a steel nut, and they are not removable. Fords of the 90's/00's certainly use them. Possibly MGF?

I have fitted open nuts on my wheels, I like to see the thread has come all the way through and not bottomed out.

Just bought youngest daughter an MX5. Rear wheels had locking nuts fitted. And teh chap showed me 2 removers. one binned as nothing like correct, the other a bit battered but did fit the nuts. Sadly when we got it home, the battering made removal very tricky. A 2 man job to get them off, and a hammer to get the tool on enough. locking nuts binned and replaced by a new set. But I had visions of having to weld a nut to the locking nuts..... not a job I like doing.

[Colin Lindsay]

3 hours ago, clive said:

Many cars have the stainless(?) thin covers over a steel nut, and they are not removable. Fords of the 90's/00's certainly use them. Possibly MGF?

That's true for some Fords; on some the covers aren't removable whilst others have a tubular removal thingie.