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Passenger side rear wheel off, drivers side has two lugs stuck. 22mm six side socket won't grip, spins on the cap. I usually loosen and re-torque them by hand also, but failed to do it this time. They have been on for 1 1/2 years.
I hate these lugnuts, but they'd be fine if shops just torqued them correctly.
Hammer on the next smaller socket? Try to remove the cap first?
Worst case, you can drill out the studs with progressively larger bits (need cutting oil and spare bits), and then replace then studs when you get it apart. The nut will come off one way or another when the stud gets thin enough. I'd probably tow it to a shop before I tried that myself but it can be done.
Last edited by merlinj79; May 16, 2023 at 04:04 PM.
Passenger side rear wheel off, drivers side has two lugs stuck. 22mm six side socket won't grip, spins on the cap. I usually loosen and re-torque them by hand also, but failed to do it this time. They have been on for 1 1/2 years.
There are special sockets for removing frozen lugs. Any auto parts store should have them. Sometimes using a different class socket (metric if the lug is imperial, or viceversa) will do the trick to get enough torque on the lug nut to come off. Don't forget to spray it with some sort of lubricant.
If the outer cap is spinning, you'll have to remove it (a destructive process as shown in this video) as your first step. Then you can size down to a socket that fits the lug nut.
Thanks again folks, been busy at work and haven't posted my progress. I hammered the socket onto the two lugs that were a problem and got them off (may have sacrificed one socket and one lug nut, but I'll work on those later). Now the issue is the rotor. I've removed rotors before; remove set screw tap a little, wiggle, tap some more and pull it off. Well, my 2011 rear rotors have no set screw. I removed the 32mm nut but I'm hesitant to tapping on the back side of the rotor. WTH?
There are two items to remove to take off the rotor, the parking brake adjuster screw that needs to be backed off, and the set screw. Are you saying the set screws are totally missing? Someone forgot to put them back on and that may explain why the wheels won't turn.
I'd say your shop put the rotors back on wrong. The hole for the set screw should be aligned with a threaded hole in the hub, but I just see a blank face.
That also means the access hole for the star adjuster isn't aligned either so you can't back it off
Might have to just beat the rotors off. I'd try to make sure the park brake is released. On some modern cars, an electric park brake won't release for real until it's in drive and you press the gas. Better read the shop manual to find out exactly how it works. Might have to jack it up, start it, and put it in gear to release the brake???