Trailer wheel lug woes

[Flaptail]

Got the trailer all ready but one of the lugs just will not loosen up at all and come off.

I tried heat, brute strength ( ya sure), liquid wrench and still that little mother f&cker will not budge. It's giving me fits as I need to replace the tire but can't until the little bastard comes loose.

Any ideas, I'm at a loss now.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Bigcat]

If you have room hit the flat side of the nut with a cold chisel, that will expand the nut, you will have to replace them but it will work.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

Got the trailer all ready but one of the lugs just will not loosen up at all and come off.

I tried heat, brute strength ( ya sure), liquid wrench and still that little mother f&cker will not budge. It's giving me fits as I need to replace the tire but can't until the little bastard comes loose.

Any ideas, I'm at a loss now.

Any help would be appreciated.

heat and a 6' pipe extension on the socket wrench

[Van]

I sure like PB blaster. Worth a try with the heat and breaker bar.

Make sure you use NEVASEEZ when you reinstall.
I just got my flat off and replaced with the spare.
Those nuts and studs were covered with rust but came right off, the threads still had nevaseez on them after more than 8 years.

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by Van

I sure like PB blaster. Worth a try with the heat and breaker bar.

Make sure you use NEVASEEZ when you reinstall.
I just got my flat off and replaced with the spare.
Those nuts and studs were covered with rust but came right off, the threads still had nevaseez on them after more than 8 years.

Where can I get that?

[Raider Ronnie]

How much did you heat the nuts ???
And,
When was the last time you had the nuts off???

[Van]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

Where can I get that?

Should be available at any auto parts store.

Probably even walmart. Just stay away from the marine supply store...

Get the grey one (zinc) not red (copper).

[Karl F]

Napa, or almost any AP store has PB and nevahsieze.... wallyworld might too??

[Raven]

the leverage factor

one time i was trying to break loose the flywheel
36 millimeter gland bolt on the back of a VW motor
that was out of the vehicle


so using a real long cheater pipe i wedged the motor
under the heavy picnic table and then climbed up on
top of the little shed roof and jumped on the pipe to break it
loose... it was that stubborn...

[Nebe]

flap, like salty suggested, use PB blaster. let it soak a while. Then use Mapp Gas.. you can buy a small bottle and put it on a small soldering torch- its much hotter than propane. Heat up just the sides of the nut if you can until it glows dull orange, What will happen is that the nut will expand faster than the bolt and hopefully it will break the rusty bond that has formed over time..Then use a 6 point socket and a pipe that you can slide over your socket wrench thats about 3 or 4 feet long.. Slowly apply pressure and it will come off... I promise.

[Goose]

blow touch...use mapp gas, burns hotter then propane

* brush of never-seize on the threads,, a must.

[fishaholic18]

Heat the sh!t out of the nut..if that don't work, get a hand grinder, die grinder or what ever you can get in there with a cutoff wheel and cut a side of the nut and whack the rest off with a chisel..Most likely you'll have to replace that stud anyway... Good luck, if I were closer I'd come over and get it off for ya...

[Raider Ronnie]

Originally Posted by fishaholic18

Heat the sh!t out of the nut..if that don't work, get a hand grinder, die grinder or what ever you can get in there with a cutoff wheel and cut a side of the nut and whack the rest off with a chisel..Most likely you'll have to replace that stud anyway... Good luck, if I were closer I'd come over and get it off for ya...

I agree!
All these suggestions of using a penetrating oil of some kind are a waste of time if the lug nuts have been on a very long time!
Heat the hell out of the nut!
And a propane type of torch will never get it hot enough.
I would replace the studs when done as heating them weakens them.

[Raven]

that your a school guy
and that their auto shop
would have some air tools and
or 3/4 inch ratchet and or breaker bar
tools... but then again you're probably
not at the right place ....

but ....they (schools)
all love a challenge
like that...

[fish4striper]

take the whole tire/wheel/hub off and bring it to a garage. Its one cotter pin and one nut thats greased. grease your bearing while your at it.

[MrHunters]

nother vote for pb blaster.
last motor i was snapping bolts left and right taking off the water jacket. sprayed on some pb, wait 24 hours and the rest were easy.

[macojoe]

fish4striper take the whole tire/wheel/hub off and bring it to a garage. Its one cotter pin and one nut thats greased. grease your bearing while your at it.

Thats the best Idea!! and I always use never seize on everything on the boat! even on the aluminum parts to stop from corroding! even the spark plugs have a little on them in my truck to!!

get it at Auto Zone, Wal-Mart, any were its all over the place!!

[ProfessorM]

You need a decent size torch Steve. Nice and orange. Worse case you go buy a new hub and all and new tire if you are going to replace the tire anyway. It isn't too expensive as it is a small trailer and tire anyway.Throw the whole thing in the trash. bearing grease works fine on the nuts too. I hope you are repacking, greasing your bearings every year, don't be lazy you will regret it, plus you can see what parts are failing. Now is the time of the year you see the poor guys on the side of the road who didn't take care of their bearings. If you don't know how stop by the shop and I will show, 2 new rear grease seals is all you need and bring the other project with you too. I am struggling with my tin too this year. Just busted off 3 of the 6 bolts that hold the lower unit on as I replaced the water pump. Corroded. Got them out and helicoiled them yesterday. put back together today barring any more fiasco's.

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

You need a decent size torch Steve. Nice and orange. Worse case you go buy a new hub and all and new tire if you are going to replace the tire anyway. It isn't too expensive as it is a small trailer and tire anyway.Throw the whole thing in the trash. bearing grease works fine on the nuts too. I hope you are repacking, greasing your bearings every year, don't be lazy you will regret it, plus you can see what parts are failing. Now is the time of the year you see the poor guys on the side of the road who didn't take care of their bearings. If you don't know how stop by the shop and I will show, 2 new rear grease seals is all you need and bring the other project with you too. I am struggling with my tin too this year. Just busted off 3 of the 6 bolts that hold the lower unit on as I replaced the water pump. Corroded. Got them out and helicoiled them yesterday. put back together today barring any more fiasco's.

Paul, I repack the bearings each spring (Actually I replace them each spring) I want to take no chances. I never had this problem with the lug nut before. I always had no problem with them and take off the wheels each time I do the bearings. I also do lower unit lube and plugs on the motor each spring plus pull the prop and clean and grease all that up. The motor does not stay on the boat all winter either. I still have the original packing case with it's foam inserts. In early december it comes off of the boat, is cleaned up and everything under the cowling is sprayed with wd-40 and then she is packed away in the crate standing upright in my warm basement.

Ask Stiiftip, I'm anal about taking care of all that stuff. That is why first push of the starter button each spring she goes right over and purrs like a kitten.

Some of my friends laugh at how much work I put into a small boat. I just finished repainting the inside and re-surfacing and uerthaning the seats. I just redid the springs on the trailer this week along with new tie plates and bolts as well, and lastly I just ordered new fenders from Eastern yesterday for it. The old ones looked faded.

Are small boats and trailers supposed to be this much work?

[macojoe]

If it is a boat, and goes in Salt, yes they are that much work!! Thats why I have a big boat!! If I have to work at it might as well be worth it

[ProfessorM]

I may take my boat to you next spring for god sake. You do all the right things Steve. Just salt water and metal, it happens. You would not believe what I just went thru to get mine up and running, every thing I touched turned to crap. Finished up finally today. I am just like you except for the aesthetics. All the mechanical stuff I am fussy with but the looks I slack on that. If you want to bring the hub to my work I can get the torch out and heat the nut off. Should be pretty simple, although you will probably have to replace the stud and nut after. Let me know.

[Gary]

My favorite method is to heat up the WHOLE FASTENER until it is glowing red/orange and then douse it with cold water from the garden hose. this will remove most of the excess rust and prevent the threads from galling. As for the Anti sieze I use it on everything EXCEPT marine, Silver antisieze is powderd aluminum and when mixed with salt water it becomes everseeze. Marine grade blue grease works much better than antisieze in those aluminum/stainless situations.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by Gary

As for the Anti sieze I use it on everything EXCEPT marine, Silver antisieze is powderd aluminum and when mixed with salt water it becomes everseeze. Marine grade blue grease works much better than antisieze in those aluminum/stainless situations.

Now you tell me. I just put the thing back together yesterday. If it isn't one thing it's another . Where do you get this blue grease you speak of ?

[Van]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Now you tell me. I just put the thing back together yesterday. If it isn't one thing it's another . Where do you get this blue grease you speak of ?

Don't worry about it. Even if it has some metal in it, it works...
But there is a marine formula if your that concerned.

The "original" anti-seize compound and extreme pressure lubricant formulated with copper, graphite, aluminum and other ingredients to protect metal parts against rust, corrosion and seizure up to 1800ºF. Fine metallic and graphite particles in special grease protect parts even in high heat, high pressure and corrosive environments. Ford ESE-M12A4-A, Garrett Engine Div. PCS5724, Pratt & Whitney PWA 360523-2 and tested to MIL-A-907.

The permatek brand (Loctite) is also well suited for marine applications. Frankly I've never heard or seen issues with the regular stuff. I've also used it on my prop shaft (with a bit of grease), and its come right off every year.

[ProfessorM]

Yeah I am not going to bother to redo it again this year. I have had enough of the stupid motor and need to start fishing immediately.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Yeah I am not going to bother to redo it again this year. I have had enough of the stupid motor and need to start fishing immediately.

but hey the sound of Bee's here sounded like a freeway off in the distance they were so many and so loud...
and then Baltimore oriels were up there too sippin nectar...

i was within 15 feet of them...which was kinda cool
oh heres the tree...

[Flaptail]

SUCCESS!!!!! I got the lug nut off last night. The only thing that worked and worked quickly was a spray called "Open/Shut" by Drummond American Chemical Co. One of my guys lent me a can and bingo, couple sprays and it dissolved everything that even remotely looked like corrosion.

Custodial Supplies companies sell it. I am sold.

[Goose]

sounds ta me like someone didn't eat his weaties