Shitty aftermarket locknuts help! urgent

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

I have a set of lock nuts, but the tool that is used to take them off has gone and snapped itself from the pathetic amount of torque. These will never be used again, and i have never seen another tool for them ( are not a standard head).

Anyone have any idea how to get them off?? It looks like a torx bolt with more outside area and th e cuts into it are more shallow. If you have removed one before you will know what I mean

Edited May 5, 2011 by _Ethrty-Andy_

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

I can get a 17 on there but it slips because the head is like a rounded hexagon and i don't want to f**k my sockets

[_Matt_ 42]

[pureboiracer 0]

or bash a 16 over the top.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

That's just going to ruin the head even more and if it slips wreck the wheels. That is one tool I own and never use. There MUST be a better way

[Jamez 2147483647]

or bash a 16 over the top.

This or a 11/16 might be worth a try

[pureboiracer 0]

prefferably a 12pt socket rather than an 6 pt

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

Tried that, and tried 9/16s, too big/small. I have no need for the imperial part of my set. If I had a 5/8 it would be on the money, but I do not own

[pureboiracer 0]

well i suggest either going to buy one or taking it to a tyre shop to remove.

[tcbaurpower 5]

Bashing a smaller socket on is the best way I have found. Other options could be: weld a bolt on the end, use a chisel and hammer see if you can break it. (can be done to lock nuts)

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

Had a look on the workshop bench for a suitable tool, found a 5/8 too small :/ I did find a BMW 16mm socket thingy from an incomplete tool kit so I will try bashing that on ( don't want to bash on my bahco one for obvious reasons) I wonder why there is a 16 in the BMW tooling though, I don't recall any 16s on the ones I've worked on lol

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

Mixed news, got one of them off.... By off I mean the head of the bolt snapped off the shaft, but at least I'll be able to get the wheel over that. Badness: still one bolt to go and the head is jammed in the only tool I have lol

[Sick Puppy 1]

There are Koken impact sockets that you can use - they have spiralled or threaded knurling/ripples and are driven onto the nut, and are then used to take the nut off. Not available everywhere for obvious reasons, try a tyre shop, or engineering supply place to see if they know anyone with them?

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

There are Koken impact sockets that you can use - they have spiralled or threaded knurling/ripples and are driven onto the nut, and are then used to take the nut off. Not available everywhere for obvious reasons, try a tyre shop, or engineering supply place to see if they know anyone with them?

I'm trying to picture this in my head, are they like a 6 sided pyramid in the middle to give you a a tapered socket?

I have some regular impact sockets and I wouldn't want to use those I don't think? Unless I'm reading you wrong and/or I don't know the proper use for them... I very rarely do

[Sick Puppy 1]

I'm trying to picture this in my head, are they like a 6 sided pyramid in the middle to give you a a tapered socket?

I'll see if I can find a pic.

Edit: Koken 3127 (3/8") or 4127 (1/2") Nut-Twister® Impact sockets.

Edited May 9, 2011 by Sick Puppy

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

Ooh I managed to get the bolt off in the end, but I'll remember that tool for next time I have this emergency!

[Nobimmer 694]

Those Koken sockets are awesome. Have saved me multiple times. Think they cost me like 14 dollars each at trade price.

[westy 614]

This is what happens when tyre guys rattle gun on a lock nut.

Dont let them do it!

[my_e36 43]

^^^

No point in them rattle gun the nuts HARD then torque wrench after. I reckon most of them just do the torque wrench part for show.

[JiB 0]

FWIW, Rattle guns are fine as long as the correct torque sticks are used.

[melowpuf 19]

Hrmmm, Yes having a punture and not being able to remove the wheel because the key for the lock nut strips while trying to get the wheel off... I knew there was going to be no way in hell it was going to come off after having to borrow a breaker bar and socket and literally jumping on the end of it (cheers guys at Repco) because the standard bmw wheel brace was just bending.

In the end I bought a small 12v compressor pumped the tyre up and leap frogged my way home. Called the Tyre shop the next day, they sent a mobile guy out and couldnt get it off. Drove the car into their shop and sat there for 3 hours while they bashed the hell out of the rim with hammers and chisels. 5 oclock came around and still couldnt get it off. They offered a death mobile for me to use for a charge.. Refrained from using bad language and kindly declined their offer.. Was just about to leave and finally they cracked it.

They put my spare wheel on and gave me the bill.. I laughed assuming it was a joke.. somewhere in the vicinity of $300. Callout fee + labour to remove the locknut + putting the spare tyre on and they had cut me a deal at that price...

Nah ah ah.. If you guys didnt do them up so tight in the first place I would never have been in this predicament. "Oh but the wheels were put on 3 months ago they can tighten naturally after driving and who knows what youve been doing with the car, it looks pretty dirty" ???%$@#^#&%^

Ok.. so what do you guys torque the wheels up to when you put them on??

"for BMW's we set them to 120ft lbs (I think is what they said)"

Ok wheres your Torque wrench..

they set the torque wrench to 120ft lbs and put it on the wheel they just put on and straight away "click"

"see its at 120ft lbs"

Ok increase it to 130 "click straight away"

140 "click"

150 "click"

160 "click"

180 "clicK"

200 "click"

220 "click"

240 "click" (twice what they said they did them up to with out the wheel nut budging)

Right.. wheres your Manager.. had a rip roaring argument with him telling me that wasnt how a torque wrench worked.. while the lacky ran round the car with a breaker bar loosening off all the other wheelnuts. Told him to stop, he carried on and I had to physically put my hands over the wheel nuts to stop him.

Still insisted I pay the bill. Stood firm and told him we could sort it out one of 2 ways.. Manager rang the owner and they offered a further discount.. "someone has to pay for the labour to remove the locknut". Laughed and said see you in the Disputes Tribunal. He snarled and basically told me not to go back there. I laughed in his face.

Out of interest anyone know what wheel bolts will snap at? Poohry Tyres you SUCK

Edit: another melowpuf super novel post..

Edited May 12, 2011 by melowpuf

[E30-323ti 66]

IIRC it should be 120Nm (~88ftlbs)

Did they rattle gun them, then the torque wrench? implying all were torqued too much initially.

[melowpuf 19]

IIRC it should be 120Nm (~88ftlbs)

Did they rattle gun them, then the torque wrench? implying all were torqued too much initially.

Sorry Nm you are correct..

Yes they rattle gunned them on and didnt put the torque wrench on until I requested them to do so which showed they were at least twice what they said they did them up to..

[*Glenn* 854]

We do all our wheel nuts with a dedicated torque wrench which is set at 90 ft llbs

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

Yah they were put on by tonys tyre service. Moral of the story, by quality parts, not sh*t