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J. C. Brandon
Dodge Dakota
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5/29/2002
23:04:25
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 Subject: rounded lug nuts?
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This morning a tire shop put the wrong size socket on an impact gun and rounded all the corners off two lug nuts on my truck. The store manager tried to blame it on "poor engineering at Dodge." I pointed out that all 24 lug nuts on the truck have been removed many times with both lug wrenches and impact guns and never damaged. I had to almost strangle him before he agreed to reimburse me for the cost of the replacement lug nuts; about $12.
Drove home and managed to remove one of the damaged nuts with a socket wrench. The other is still on the truck after I spent most of the day trying everything I could think of to get it off. After trying to drive various size sockets on it in an effort to rebuild some corners, there isn't much left of the lug nut. Tried using chisels and punches to turn the thing. No luck.
Any ideas?
It's the rear axle. And the tire still needs to be repaired. And I have an interstate drive in two days.
-J.
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Dr. D
Dodge Dakota
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5/29/2002
23:27:29
|  RE: rounded lug nuts?
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I had the same problem with GM lug nuts on my 95
Chevy work truck and now when I take it to have
tire work done I supply them with the proper
metric socket v/s the 7/8" that most shops try to
use on GM (and you better watch them closely or
they will not use it).
My DODGE has standard S.A.E lugnuts (aftermarket)
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DaveR
Dodge Dakota
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5/29/2002
23:33:06
| RE: rounded lug nuts?
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I think I would tell them to get the rounded nuts off of it. Try and large adjustible or pipe wrench depending on what wheels of course. If worse comes to worse you could probobly tackweld your other rounded nut to the offending part and turn it off. That would give you enough extension to get a wrench on it. 3 foot pipe wrenches come in handy for fixing all sorts of probloms.
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Nicholas
Dodge Dakota
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5/29/2002
23:55:58
| RE: rounded lug nuts?
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There are acctually cool little "socket" like tools that you have to bang on to the lug, and its easily removable with no damage to the pots or rim. The tool however it about $20. May be able to find them cheaper somewhere, or a garage should have one and be able to get them off for you. Or check your local auto parts store and tell them your looking for a tool to remove stripped lugs, and they will hook you up.
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Clevite 77
Dodge Dakota
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5/30/2002
01:13:48
| RE: rounded lug nuts?
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Message:
I had this probelm once, look at the nut and bolt long ways. I drew a pic, see the red circles drill a small hole on each side, try and drill the length of the bolt.
what this will do is take the stress off of the threads.
hope this works for ya
btw... here is the pic, hey don't knock it I drew it free hand with a mouse hehe
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/clevite177/vwp?.dir=/lug+nut&.dnm=removal.jpg&.src=ph&.view=t&.hires=t
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Don
Dodge Dakota
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5/30/2002
01:21:10
| RE: rounded lug nuts?
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i have a problem with those sorry cheap dome top covers coming off my lugs, leaving the ugly plain lug nuts visible amongst the nice looking dome top ones. where can i get some dome top lugs (not more covers) and how much are they? i checked auto zone and they said they can't get them. i haven't tried the dealer and i dont' really want, don't know why, i just dislike car dealerships. any help will be appreciated.
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R_U_FST2
Dodge Dakota
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5/30/2002
13:38:21
| RE: rounded lug nuts?
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Message:
Dremel, and steady hand. If you have to get it off for your trip just cut the b!tch off... put some slices big enough for a flathead screwdriver and wedge it in there. It should only take two cuts (top and bottom) and some swearing to get it off.
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J. C. Brandon
Dodge Dakota
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5/30/2002
13:51:10
| RE: rounded lug nuts?
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Message:
Thanks for the ideas. This one's tough to get to as I've got factory alloy wheels. So the lug nut sits at the bottom of a narrow aluminum tunnel, completely shielded from any attack perpendicular to its axis.
Right now the truck is at the Dodge dealer burning up $108 an hour in labor. I figure as a last resort they can open the diff and pull the axle out of the housing with the wheel attached. Grind the head off the stud from the rear then replace it and reinstall the axle.
When I get the bill from the dealer, I'm headed over to the tire shop with my bad attitude on.
Which sounds more effective?
"If you're looking for trouble, you just found the West Coast distributor."
or:
"Either you pay this bill or I'm gonna stick my foot so far up your ass you're gonna think it grew there."
-J.
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Dragonoak
Dodge Dakota
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5/30/2002
14:02:43
| RE: rounded lug nuts?
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Get a set of the bolt removers(looks like a reverse drill bit, drill a hole in the top of the lug nut and insert the remover, they bite in pretty hard, it might be enought to loosen it up. Just don't drill too far or you'll hit the stud.
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J. C. Brandon
Dodge Dakota
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5/31/2002
01:28:25
| RE: rounded lug nuts?
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In case you're interested, the Dodge dealer had to completely drill out the stud then fit a new one. Total cost: $155, plus the $11 I paid earlier for the two new lug nuts.
I still have the slow leak that started this whole thing.
But the tire shop seems more willing to make it right.
-J.
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kevster
Dodge Dakota
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5/31/2002
10:02:43
|  RE: rounded lug nuts?
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Guys, Guys, get some 1/2" drive cheapo sockets, 12 point. next size smaller than the rounded off nut, pound the socket onto nut, remove with 1/2" breakerbar.
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Craig
Dodge Dakota
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5/31/2002
10:10:03
| RE: rounded lug nuts?
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snap-on makes a removal set for those damn lock nuts, I have used it before on regular nuts, works well, you can remove a (lock) nut in about 20 seconds.
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Todd Bouton
Dodge Dakota
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5/31/2002
10:19:48
| RE: rounded lug nuts?
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Guys, Guys, and Gals,
All good suggestions, but I think he already posted that it's fixed! Die, thread, Die
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jonnywaddmake
Dodge Dakota
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6/22/2004
20:15:41
| RE: rounded lug nuts?
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Message:
pump her rear till it looks like a stewed tomato and your pecker looks like a red crayon.
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JavaJohn
Dodge Dakota
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9/06/2013
22:31:07
|  RE: rounded lug nuts?
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Message:
So I had my first mishap the other day with my 02 Dakota lug
nuts. The caps have slowly, but surely, been popping off one by
one and I always keep a box of replacement lugs I purchased
from Napa in the door. Seems to be a real Dodge lug nut
dilemma since I'm having great difficulty finding a 18mm impact
socket. I tried my 19mm with the snapped off cap inside and my
electric impact wrench, but no go. Then the boys at the
Goodyear gave it several good tries and told me to "drill the
post/stud out".
So heres my plan...I've tacked on a center punch and when I get
the chance I'll put in a 1/4 in. pilot hole in the stud and then
gradually drill out with bigger bits till the damn thing comes off.
I can then get the wheel off and was told I could get a
replacement post at the local auto parts store. I plan to replace
ALL of my remaining lug nuts NOW.
FYI~ have an uncle who's a mechanic. He said their having more
and more problems with the Dakota wheels and the lug nuts.
There seems to be a problem with the aluminum alloy wheels
against the steel lug nuts. He said that over time while driving
the tend to get tighter for some reason. He recommended lubing
the posts and not over tightening the lug nuts.
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