[Beefalo]

Hello all, Something unusual happened this weekend. My car 34,000 mile 2016 MT had started making noises like a bearing or CV joint going bad. I also, noted the clunking suspension noise mentioned by others. I jacked the car to removed the wheels and inspect. Removed the driver's side wheel and found a clump of grass wedged in the axle in the drivers side, shaft rotated nice and easy, no problem. Sprayed some silicon on the A-Arm bushing. Started removing the lugnuts on the passenger car side, and one of the lug nuts was stuck, the stud rotated a limited amount in either direction. I supposed the stud splines got stripped? Probably from over-torquing? I guess my option is to cut the lug nut so that I can remove the wheel and the hub and press a new stud in the hub. Any ideas? I wonder if an impact wrench would loosen it? Anybody heard of this happening?

 

[S100Y]

Impact wrench can help loosen it. Use a six point socket not a 12 point one, latter tend to round the nut and make the problem even worse. It would also help if you soak it in WD40 or PB Blaster for an hour or two before applying the impact wrench.

 

[Beefalo]

Thanks S100Y, THose are good suggestions! I am actually going to take the car to the Stealer and argue that they should fix it under warranty, since they are the ones that mostly have manipulated the lug nuts when I take the car to them for schedule service. Hope that they will cover it under the 3yr/36,000 bumper-bumper warranty.

 

[keenyia]

Definitely a poor install on the techinician/mechanic that worked on your car previously. They basically cross threaded it when they put those nut back on. This causes the metal shavings from the stud to get stuck in the nut, thus preventing you from taking them off now.

If the dealer will fix it (it's a cheap enough part/labor that they should), definitely ask that they only use hand tools on it in the future. If they will not, it's an easy enough job you can probably find a diy on it if you don't already know how.

Lastly, if you have to do it yourself. There's no point trying to figure out how to cut it, just got at it with the impact wrench(if it have enough power) or use a breaker bar and just break it off. Will save you a ton of headache trying to cut/torch/saw it off with the wheel getting in the way.

 

[tickerguy]

Be careful here. The good outcome is that you either get it off or break it off, and then can knock out the stud and replace it. The BAD outcome is that you strip the splines in the hub and the nut doesn't come off. The vigorous cursing will start right about then....

If the stealer did this in the first place let THEM deal with it.

This is why I never, ever use anything but HAND PRESSURE to run nuts down on studs or run bolts in. If they don't go then something's wrong and you need to figure out what it is instead of putting a wrench on it.

 

[waughoo]

What @tickerguy says is truth. If you want expect the dealer to fix it, don't touch it or you will likely lose the he said she said battle on who done it. When I worked at a boat yard many moons ago, we used to joke that we had two labor rates at the yard: 65 an hour or 110 if you've already worked on it ;-)

Another thing... if you already have a lose stud, I'm going to bet that the hub is already shot. If it's the rear, that's not too big of a deal. If it's the front? That is a project.

 

[tickerguy]

What waughoo said. If you have movement in the stud on the splines the hub is shot and needs to be replaced or it WILL strip over time due to fretting.

WHEN it strips you have a REAL problem on your hands.

They did it, make them eat it and don't screw with it first or they'll find a way to make YOU eat it.

 

[Beefalo]

Thanks for your replies! It looks like having the stealer do it is the way to go! It is the place where I bought the car, hopefully they won't hassle much!