Jammed Lug Nuts

[CommonRail]

Hello everyone,

I had a flat tyre while returning from my office, i tried unscrewing the lug nuts but couldn't do it, i even tried by standing on the wrench but had no luck. Finally i decided to get a mechanic and he removed it after a bit of effort with the pipe which he brought along.
This happened luckily in the city where i had access to a mechanic, but what if this happens in a less traveled highway where we don't find a mechanic.
Can you please suggest some tips in similar cases.


Thanks,

 

[Sam Dinkar]

Hello everyone,

I had a flat tyre while returning from my office, i tried unscrewing the lug nuts but couldn't do it, i even tried by standing on the wrench but had no luck. Finally i decided to get a mechanic and he removed it after a bit of effort with the pipe which he brought along.
This happened luckily in the city where i had access to a mechanic, but what if this happens in a less traveled highway where we don't find a mechanic.
Can you please suggest some tips in similar cases.


Thanks,

Lug nuts don't jam all of a sudden. They could jam for reasons like having been torqued too much than what is required, having not been opened for a while, or having been rusted, etc.

Some tips to avoid this situation:

1. Seiso - Yes, the third S of 5S. Seiso in Japanese = Shine in English. Thoroughly cleaning your wheels and the lug nuts even once a week would go a long way in avoiding jammed lug nuts. Clean the surrounding area of the lug nuts with plain water and a toothbrush and dry it with a clean cloth/tissue paper/news paper.

2. Never over tighten a lug nut while replacing a punctured wheel. While tightening, there should be no sound of 'crraannngggg' - tighten only a little more after you feel the resistance in the wheel spanner.

3. Carry a can of WD-40 or any other multipurpose spray. Even a small bottle of hair oil would do. Spray/drop a little on the jammed nut, wait for some time and then prove to other passengers that you are a He-Man by easily removing the jammed nut thereafter.

4. I can say this from practical experience that at most times, pulling the wheel spanner up applies better force on the lug nut than standing on the wheel spanner and pushing it down. Same applies while tightening the lug nut as you have better control over the torquing part of the operation when you are using your hands to pull the wheel spanner up (as it enables you to stop immediately when you hear the 'crrraannngggg' sound) rather than your legs to push it down.

5. Umm...eat almonds daily, perhaps followed by a couple of glasses of milk. A Dara Singh can open any goddamned jammed lug nut, no?

Hope that helps.

 

[CommonRail]

Thanks for the useful tips.

How about adding some grease or lubricant while tightening the nuts? Can this be a good idea.