Wire wheel plastic lug nut stuck

[PhotoRecon]

In prepartion for detailing my 1989 Buick Lesabre I removed the wire wheel covers which are held on by a green plastic nut and a replacement plastic wire wheel key wrench from the local dealer as the original metal key wrench that came with the car seems to be lost.

I had one last wheel cover to remove and the plastic nut appears to be stuck and the key wrench keeps slipping as the edges are getting rounded.

One suggestion I heard was to tap on a 3/4" socket and then use the ratchet to break it free. The nuts have a round outside which makes it pretty hard to grab onto. I'm afraid I'll end up making things worse. At the same time you can't get to the lug nuts without removing wire wheel cover first.

Any help or solutions are welcome.

Regards...

[Murr1525]

Re: Wire wheel plastic lug nut stuck

At worst, you'll have to clean them while one, which *****. My Dad had a 88 or 89 Park Avenue for 15 years....

Not sure if one of those 'grip-wrench' types would get in there, I forget how big the space is.

[PhotoRecon]

Re: Wire wheel plastic lug nut stuck

Murr1525:

The wire wheel center hole just barely allows the key wrench to get in there so tools don't seem like an option. I've found a couple of lug nut removal tools that would probably work. I'm hoping I can find another Buick in the area that still has the metal tool that came with the car. The plastic lug shouldn't take to much to get off as I only hand tighten them. Its still a big pain. If and when I get the stuck nut off I think I'll switch over to a metal one to prevent this from happening again.

Regards...

[BillyJack]

Re: Wire wheel plastic lug nut stuck

This is a crapshoot, but it's what the dealers and tire shops do when a nut is stripped beyond use. Take a 12 point socket that closely matches the lock nut, and tap it on with a hammer. Sears Craftsman sockets that are broached full length usually work best. Attach a ratchet and break it loose. You'll likely need to replace the nut. I worked at a Buick dealer for many years. Anti-seize is definitely your friend when you have repeat customers with locking wheel covers.

Bill

[PhotoRecon]

Re: Wire wheel plastic lug nut stuck

Finally got the stuck plastic lug nut off today. We tapped on it and then using some long nose vice grips were able to get ahold of it and then turn the vice grips with a large crescent wrench.

The antiseize I had on there was well distributed but apparently didn't work.

I set out to replace the plastic nut with a metal one and maybe a washer.

Went to every place in town including the local gm dealers and hardware stores. They don't have anything close to the diameter and thread size.

My cousins husband is a machinst and he took a look at it thinks it between 15/16 and 1 inch. He didn't have anything close and would have to machine it from scratch. I guess it could be metric.

I don't know why a stud and nut that simply holds on the hub cab would have to be so large and of an unusual thread size.

I'll never a buy anything with a locking lug nut system of any kind again.

Maybe I can find something on the net.

Thanks for the replies everyone...

Regards...

[JoeDirt]

Re: Wire wheel plastic lug nut stuck

I hate locking lugs. I've had to go through many pounded-on Craftsman sockets removing wheels at the junkyard to rescue them. I fail to see why people put locking lugs on 95% of factory wheels, nobody is going to take them.