Cross post from tech forum...stripped splines on wheel adapter

Dueller · 07-20-2010, 08:22 AM

Figured some of you guys might have some ideas...

Shades of the kid on the Honda forum.

I have adapters to use Cup II's (Twists) on my '87 911. A few months ago I blew a tire on the rear while on a long distance trip. I switched to the inflatable donut and limped back home.

Had both rears replaced at local tire shop. I go out last night to pull the wheels since I'm eleminating the twists and going to correct offset wheels. On the wheel that I had the flat, it appears the lug nuts were cross threaded. One lug cam off fine, one snapped off the stud on the adabpter/spacer and the other three were on so tight that when I tried to remove the splines on the adapter stud have stripped and are turning (albeit difficultly) in both directions. So I have this turbo twist stuck on my driver's rear.

I don't know whether the shop cross threaded them (all of them???) or whether when I bolted up the steel spare I bottomed the capped acorns nuts and ruined them or whether the shop overtorqued the lugs when I installed the new tires. Not trying to lay blame...just trying to figure out how to get this wheel off.

There is no way to get at the back off the adapter obviously since its bolted to the hub. Any suggestions? The lug nuts are "capped" and are recessed deep inside the wheel.

Time to break out the blue wrench and cut the wheel off...don't really want to do this as I have someone who wants the wheels as a set. Don't know that I can drill the nuts since they are round top capped and recessed deep in the holes.

Another reason to not use adapters

Suggestions?

MotoSook · 07-20-2010, 08:36 AM

Tough one. I would still consider the blue wrench, but only to heat the lug nuts enough to get them to release. It sounds like the studs on the adapter are turning with enough resistance that a hot lug nut may spin off.

Otherwise, lots of patience and a long drill bit. Center punch the cap of the nut and start drilling....all the way into the stud to weaken it.

What ever you do, don't pull the shotgun out, nor the angle grinder

stomachmonkey · 07-20-2010, 08:39 AM

Drill straight thru the center of lug nut using progressively larger bits?

Dueller · 07-20-2010, 08:40 AM

Thanks, Souk...I'm thinking of heat and then spinning them in back and forth both directions quickly with my impact wrench.

fastfredracing · 07-20-2010, 08:53 AM

Even light heat with the smoke wrench will discolor/ruin the finish of the wheels. The acorn of the nut is usually not that tough. Maybe you can break off the acorn part of the nut with an air chisel, and then drill??. I would make every attempt to drill them if you can. It is going to suck up some of your time. Keep drilling them in progressively larger sizes, then when the hole is close to the size of the stud, use a pry bar on the back of the rim ( using the rim for leverage) and attempt to snap them off. I hate it when I have to do this. usually , it is on a rusty old pickup, or caravan, and I can just burn them out( when the customer does not mind the finish of the wheel being ruined).
Best of luck

javadog · 07-20-2010, 09:38 AM

Take a socket that fits the lug nuts to a machine shop and have them drill out the end that normally attaches to the ratchet, to a size that will let you use the socket as a drill guide. You can then use a hole saw just slightly larger than the root of the stud.

JR

Dueller · 07-20-2010, 10:22 AM

Good suggestions, guys...

Called a bud at the tire shop. They recommend heat and a big azz high speed impact. They have some stuff call "stop heat" that is a gel you put on the wheel in the area you're heating to insulate it from burning. Since the car is immobile right now, he volunteered to come over with a tow truck that has a mobile compressor and highspeed/high torque impact to see if they can help free it.

Mind you I never remotely suggested their techs screwed it up when I talked to my bud at the shop. Why? Because it very well could be I screwed it up by bottoming the lug nuts when I put the spare on. But perhaps more importantly, this shop always does pretty good work, they'll flip my track tires and rebalance for free, and finally, on slow Saturday afternoons they'll let me roll my car on their high tech 4 wheel alignment machine, have a tech assist me on alignmet and even let me set up my scales to corner weight. Even if they were at fault, a 200$ used wheel and adapter is a small price to pay for such access and free service.:

:

Dueller · 07-20-2010, 11:15 AM

Pic to give you an idea of what I'm dealing with:

r

widgeon13 · 07-20-2010, 11:34 AM

I'm not trying to be a wiseass but I am curious how this will get resolved, best of luck with the situation.

Do you know for a fact that the studs are loose in the splines or could the three just be stripped threads?

Zeke · 07-20-2010, 11:51 AM

I think the high speed impact will do the job. Big air line, big wrench (or NASCAR wrench) and high air pressure. You might suggest tightening if they don't come off first try to make sure the splined studs are pulled up to the adapter real good.

Dueller · 07-20-2010, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by widgeon13

I'm not trying to be a wiseass but I am curious how this will get resolved, best of luck with the situation.

Do you know for a fact that the studs are loose in the splines or could the three just be stripped threads?

Because I can turn the nuts with a breaker bar in either direction with similar heavy resistance. In other words my WAG

It will get resolved....has to

May take the blue wrench, but I'm gonna fix it...one way or anotehr.

Dueller · 07-20-2010, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milt

I think the high speed impact will do the job. Big air line, big wrench (or NASCAR wrench) and high air pressure. You might suggest tightening if they don't come off first try to make sure the splined studs are pulled up to the adapter real good.

' hope so...

fastfredracing · 07-20-2010, 02:25 PM

If those are factory soft lug nuts, and they are indeed bottomed out. They will drill real easily. Maybe just drill off the tops of the acorn, exposing the stud. That is where they will be stuck. And then a generous blast with the impact gun may spin them right off. They are the hardest when they are in deep lug pockets like that.

MT930 · 07-20-2010, 03:04 PM

Hole Saw I learned from John Walker good on aluminum never tried it on steel.

Take the pilot bit out

5/8 If I remember correctly for the P car

Worked great no thread damage.

john70t · 07-21-2010, 09:14 AM

If you diy with the torch, try using a hollow steel tube and apply with a small welding tip.

Zeke · 07-21-2010, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john70t

If you diy with the torch, try using a hollow steel tube and apply with a small welding tip.

Good idea. He could shoot a flame down a socket too. Except the torch like to blow out when in tight places.

Dueller · 12:34 PM

I went out and looked at them more closely. I think I did bottom them out when I put the steel spare on last year. You can barely see it on the pic, but the lug at the 7:00 position has a slight split in the "dome" of the lug nut.

Great suggestions...so what is the consensus? Heavyduty high speed impact alone? Impact with heat first? Drill first? All of the above?

Edit...I'm gonna take off a lug nut and see just how thick the dome is. I bet its very thin. Maybe drilling that out will release some of the pressure if its labor bound.

Dueller · 07-24-2010, 10:50 AM

PARTIAL SUCCESS...

Bored this morning I went out to the garage with a cup o' joe. Stared the wheel down. Broke out my new budget electric (cord) impact...cranked down on them in increasing longer bursts to looosen. POW...two came off albeit stubbornly. The third was much more stubborn. Although it is now loosened about is 1/2 inch. Enough for me to shoot some PB Blaster on the lug between the adapter and wheel. Lettin' it soak. I think I'l be fine with a bigger pneumatic impact.

Turns out the two that came off were cross threaded.

sailchef · sailchef's Garage

A good stare down always seems to help. Glad it worked out for you.

widgeon13 · 07-24-2010, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dueller

PARTIAL SUCCESS...

Bored this morning I went out to the garage with a cup o' joe. Stared the wheel down. Broke out my new budget electric (cord) impact...cranked down on them in increasing longer bursts to looosen. POW...two came off albeit stubbornly. The third was much more stubborn. Although it is now loosened about is 1/2 inch. Enough for me to shoot some PB Blaster on the lug between the adapter and wheel. Lettin' it soak. I think I'l be fine with a bigger pneumatic impact.

Turns out the two that came off were cross threaded.

So the splines are not damaged and you just have one more to remove? I didn't think the studs were turning, Good progress.