Ok, I've seen people post about broken lugs before but I haven't found anything dealing with my problem.

The lugs that came with my rims were these really poorly made recessed hex lug nuts. I bought better lugs but when I went to take the very last lug nut out it broke. These lugs are the ones where you put the hex shaped tool inside them to get them out (kinda like locking ones) The lug broke in 3 pieces around the perimeter. Imagine a an open rose or someother flower from a birdseye view. The lug pieces look like flower pedals opening away from one another.

My mechanic said that he could stick the hex tool back in and try to weld the lug onto the tool, then torque it out. but he said it would probably destroy my rim (or at least make it look really bad)

I've heard of people drilling out lugs when they break, but know nothing about this. First of all what is the proper name of the stud or bolt that the lug nuts connect onto (I'd need to know this to order a replacement part when I drill it out).

Second, how difficult is it, or even possible to, replace these studs? I dont want to drill out the lug nut and destroy the wheel stud only to find out they dont come out individually and that I need to change a bunch more stuff.

Any one who's done this please let me know how or if this can be done, because I really dont want my wheel to get torched.

 

Haven't had the problem myself, but I know others who have. Only thing I've heard of is pounding a 12 or 16 point socket thats just a hare smaller than the lug over it. They use a wrench or braker bar to spin it off.

 

thanks for the reply. its a good idea, but unfortunately I dont think it will work for me.

The lug nut looks almost like a locking lug nut, in which you need to insert a "key" inside it. Mine are hexagonal shaped on the inside. Theres no room around the outer perimeter of the lug to fit anything over it to grap hold.

When the lug nut broke, the pieces bent outwards. Imagine a soup can as the lug nut, where the outer perimeter is round and smooth and its kinda hollow inside. Then imagine that someone cut the can from the top down to about the middle in 3 places. then bend those pieces outward, the way a flowers pedals would when it opens. Thats what my lug looks like. Nothing can fit around the outside and when you attempt to fit something inside to grab hold it just pushes the pieces farther apart.

Anybody thats drilled theirs out please reply cuz I really need to get this fixed. I cant take the wheel off so if I god forbid get a flat on that wheel I cant change the tire.

 

if it's split most of the way back, can't you break the lug nut all the way off? I mean, maybe get a small chisel or screwdriver in there and hit it with a hammer until the nut falls off.

 

anyone else have any suggestions?

 

Dude... it's all cool... don't sweat it.... Take a drill and drill the stud right out... replaceing the stud is cake..... and a stud is only like 4-5 bucks... i had the same prob... my stud got stripped in the back... so the lug spun with the stud... so we just drilled the stud out and off came the rim... wit little scratch on the rim....

 

i only paid like two somethin for a single wheel stud when i broke one of mine. not hard to do, just kinda banged it through and had to pull it out at an angle.