How do I get wheel off?

[SDJunkMan]

Went to plow snow today, and had a flat tire on my plow truck. It's been sitting for a while, the tires are pretty old, and one was flat. The truck is a 88 2500 that has aluminum wheels. I'm not sure if they are stock or aftermarket, but they use a shouldered lug nut. Put a wrench on the first one, and broke the head off. It broke flush with the wheel, but the shoulder is still in the wheel, and it looks pretty corroded. Rather than cause more damage (and not be able to plow the lot), I just aired up the tire and it held long enough to plow the lot. If I can get the remaining lug nuts off, I am afraid the wheel will give me trouble due to the broken lug. Any suggestions?

I have had trouble before when changing a tire on this truck, the lug nuts seem to corrode in the wheel, and I have broken a lug stud before, but the wheel came off OK.

 

[CSFJ]

Short of warming it (stopping short of damage) and hitting it with a good penetrant, I got nothing. I would figure if the first one broke, then odds are good for at least a couple more. Might be time for some tire slime, and revisit it when the weather is more favorable for replacing studs.

 

[SDJunkMan]

Its not the stud that broke, the head broke off the lug nut, leaving the shoulder stuck in the wheel.

 

[SDJunkMan]

It uses this type of lug nut.

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[CSFJ]

Its not the stud that broke, the head broke off the lug nut, leaving the shoulder stuck in the wheel.

Now that you say that again, I did get that the first time, but my brain went to the familiar problem. I guess i'd try heating the lugnuts. And use the penetrant. Hopefully that would wick in and lube the shank of the nut, while the heat expanded it enough to turn.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

I don’t know what things are like in your neck of the woods, but I had a mostly stripped lug nut that was a weird size, and I paid a local tire shop $5 to remove it for me.

 

[highdesertrange]

"How do I get the wheel off?". maybe try a reach around. LOL sorry I couldn't resist. highdesertranger

 

[QBuff02]

might be a fun one, or it might work off pretty easy with a few prybars and some muscle.. pending you don't' break off any more in the process. then make sure you clean the bores of the stud holes real good with a small bottle brush and be generous with the anti seize on both the threads and the outside "shank" or shoulder of the lug nuts when going back together. My truck runs that style of lugs with the aluminum slots and that's what I've always done, it generally does pretty good to keep the corrosion and "swelling" to a minimum.

 

[87scotty]

For the broke off one cheap deepwell welded to the washer pat that's left

 

[SDJunkMan]

"How do I get the wheel off?". maybe try a reach around. LOL sorry I couldn't resist. highdesertranger

I'll pass on the reacharound

might be a fun one, or it might work off pretty easy with a few prybars and some muscle.. pending you don't' break off any more in the process. then make sure you clean the bores of the stud holes real good with a small bottle brush and be generous with the anti seize on both the threads and the outside "shank" or shoulder of the lug nuts when going back together. My truck runs that style of lugs with the aluminum slots and that's what I've always done, it generally does pretty good to keep the corrosion and "swelling" to a minimum.

Unfortunately it's kind of late for anti seize, this thing has been a plow truck for most of it's life, and I'm guessing the PO never used any. The lugs are pretty corroded all of the way around. I have only had to pull the fronts once when I did a brake job, and they came off without too much trouble. The rear is a different story. Rather than screw it up any further, I put some fix a flat in the tire, and it is holding. Hopefully it will last the rest of the season and then I don't care, as I will be junking the truck. I only plow one lot, and the truck stays there, so it doesn't go far.

For the broke off one cheap deepwell welded to the washer pat that's left

I may try getting it off when it warms up, I'll give the pry bars a try, not sure if there's enough of the old lugnut exposed to weld to.

 

[smoothandlow84]

First of all...those shouldered lugnuts are notorious for breaking as you explained. After finding a non destructive way to get the rest off, replace all of the studs and get different lugnuts. I would also suggest applying a layer of anti-seize on the studs. Even with non-snow weather here in Phoenix, the studs can still become brittle with age and rust. I have always used anit-seize and have prolonged the life of my wheel studs. Anymore, the replacement studs are crap and with heat, friction and moisture will still weaken and break. If you have access to a torch, try heat cycling to remove any other stubborn lugnuts, penetrating oil and like another member suggested weld some steel to the remaining shoulder piece and try to twist it off. If that doesn't work, you may have to patiently drill out the shoulder and use a small steel punch to remove the pieces until the wheel breaks free.

 

[Frankenchevy]

do you have an easy out set? is there enough material for an easy out to hold in the lug nut?

edit: I second the idea of a tire shop taking care of it, or at least attempting whatever your going to try in the tire shop parking lot. that way, if all else fails you have a backup. the fact that you'll be picking up new tires might persuade them to take care of you on the lug nuts.