Help Needed ASAP: Frozen Lugs

[Mass. Wine Guy]

My son damaged a tire going over a curb in his 2003 Jetta TDI wagon. The lug nuts are absolutely stuck. The tire shop where the car is broke every wrench trying to remove them. Also tried a torch to heat them. Apparently, the wheels were installed last by the same shop and they said whoever did it failed to use anti seize or whatever lube was needed.

Does anyone have an idea to try? This is a crazy situation.

 

[Dannyboy]

Lug bolts go on dry at 88 ftlbs, if you put anti seize on there you'll have to increase the torque spec.

Chances are last shop monkey sent them home full bore. Lots of penetrating oil left over time, some heat and 3/4 impact. Last resort is drill

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

How would a drill be used?

 

[P2B]

How would a drill be used?

To remove the bolt heads

 

[turbobrick240]

A long soak with PB Blaster or similar and a 2' breaker bar ought to do the trick.

 

[oilhammer]

People over torque VAG wheel bolts all the time. They don't seem to realize that they require less than studs/nuts do, so if they blast the nuts on a Honda or Ford to much, that same effort will be WAY too much on a Volkswagen. You guys in the salt belt of course have that added mess to deal with.

I only use WD40, on cleaned (taken to a wire wheel on a bench) bolts and use the proper torque stick. Hasn't let me down yet.

Worth noting, the older cars (like the 2003 the subject of this thread) has a 120Nm spec, the newer cars (with the larger bolt pattern) have a 140Nm spec. Same bolts.

As far as getting them off, a good (Snap-On) breaker bar and 6pt socket always works for me.

 

[03Golfer]

Lug bolts go on dry at 88 ftlbs, if you put anti seize on there you'll have to increase the torque spec.

Chances are last shop monkey sent them home full bore. Lots of penetrating oil left over time, some heat and 3/4 impact. Last resort is drill

You'll have to decrease the torque spec, just to clarify. I usually go down about 25% when I lube threads. But even at 90 ft lbs lubed, I can't see them being THIS tight.

I'd try a 3/4" drive ratchet.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

The shop tried a lot of different things. Hope for the best.

 

[Tgray4355]

My son damaged a tire going over a curb in his 2003 Jetta TDI wagon. The lug nuts are absolutely stuck. The tire shop where the car is broke every wrench trying to remove them. Also tried a torch to heat them. Apparently, the wheels were installed last by the same shop and they said whoever did it failed to use anti seize or whatever lube was needed.

Does anyone have an idea to try? This is a crazy situation.

exact same thing happened to us, same car. Only one was stuck, nearly got hurt Trying to get it off. Towed to tire shop they were able to drill it out somehow. Not fun.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

What’s a really good, long breaker bar?

 

[03Golfer]

Anything 3/4" drive should do it. I have a snap on ratchet with a 3 foot bar. Also have a 1.5 foot long Wright breaker bar that will not bend with a cheater pipe on it

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

This is a tire shop. You’d think that they’re used to this.

 

[turbobrick240]

They probably just didn't want to take the chance of breaking a bolt and having to deal with that headache. I have a number of lug nuts on my Kubota that have seized themselves into lug bolts. Likely from harvesting peat 3 feet deep out of my bog.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

Ok. How would you remove them if you had to?

 

[03Golfer]

As stated so far in this thread, you can try drilling them out (actually not a bad job with sharp bits). Once the tension is released by removing the bolt head, they'll thread right out assuming the threads aren't rusted in place.

Alternately, you can use some big tools to get it out. I guarantee I can snap the head off a 14mm bolt with a 3/4" breaker bar or ratchet. Harbor freight should sell what you need.

 

[turbobrick240]

Ok. How would you remove them if you had to?

I'd spray them liberally with PB blaster, wait a couple hours, spray again, then put my 2', 1/2" drive breaker bar and appropriate socket on the bolts and have at it. Haven't met one that won't yield yet. If they're real stubborn I'll give the bar a good stomp or slide a length of pipe on the bar for more leverage. It's easy to break stuff with lots of leverage though.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

A big breaker bar is likely in my future.

 

[oilhammer]

This is a tire shop. You’d think that they’re used to this.

You'd think they'd know how to properly install lug bolts on cars built by one of the largest manufacturers on the planet, too.... but evidently not.

If I had a dime for every car that came in here with something tooefed from a tire store I'd by rubbin' elbows with Elon Musk by now. They are the WORST offenders.

 

[Dannyboy]

You'll have to decrease the torque spec, just to clarify.

You are correct, mistyped

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

The gas station/tire place where I bought the tires always torques to the max.

 

[Nuje]

the newer cars (with the larger bolt pattern) have a 140Nm spec. Same bolts.

What...? That's the first I've heard/seen of that.

This is from the erWin manual for my Mk7:

 

[vwgtiglx]

Get and use a spray-on aerosol Freeze spray on the lug nuts. It will shrink them and they will come off easily with an extended pry bar (as long as possible) This worked very successfully for me when I had the same problem.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

Wouldn’t shrinking make them tighter?

 

[03Golfer]

Have you actually tried any of the suggestions?

 

[bigsexyTDI]

Aerokroil is the answer

 

[turbobrick240]

Yeah, I hear Kroil works well. Kind of pricey and hard to find locally though. Supposedly a 50/50 blend of acetone and atf works best. I just grab whatever can is handy usually.

 

[J_dude]

Have you actually tried any of the suggestions?

I don't believe the OP actually wrenches on vehicles. Unless I'm thinking of another member here.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

I don't believe the OP actually wrenches on vehicles. Unless I'm thinking of another member here.

You are correct.

 

[dieseldonato]

I'd be looking for another shop....

 

[03Golfer]

I understand that. But if the primary goal of the thread is to get the wheel off the car, someone needs to be making attempts to remove the wheel. If your shop cannot either drill out or get a long cheater bar, suggest taking it to another shop. A truck shop should have large enough tools.