Lugs seized

jfinley · 11-21-2022, 02:15 PM

Working on my 2013 F25 and using a breaker bar only managed to get one lug off. Blasted it with WD40 yesterday and soak overnight - still no go. Even hit it with impact gun and no bueno. Any other suggestions?

bmwPower99 · 11-21-2022, 02:59 PM

IMO What works best is shock therapy. Get 1 ball pein hammer and one small sledge hammer and put the ball pein hammer on the lug and whack it with the sledge. Doing that a few times shocks the threads and loosens them, then hit it with the impact or breaker.

pungo · 11-21-2022, 04:22 PM

Welcome to the forum...

WD-40 is not much of a penetrating oil, use something like PB-Blaster, Liquid Wrench, etc... that are meant for this type of application. Is that a 1/2" drive or 3/8" drive socket? The breaker bar looks kinda wimpy as well as the impact gun. You could always take it to a garage where they have the proper equipment to loosen them or go buy some better tools

Opie55 · 11-21-2022, 04:33 PM

Being from Ohio originally I know corrosion/rust can be an issue, but the one bolt laying on the ground does not look corroded and neither does the hole it came from. That raises the question of who last tightened the wheel bolts. A lot of people think wheel bolts are supposed to be as tight as you can get them, but they are only supposed to be about 100 ft/lbs, which is not really all that much. But I agree that is a pretty wimpy breaker bar. Your biggest issue may be the one with the wheel lock. You may not get much torque on that before it strips off.

Qsilver7 · 11-21-2022, 06:51 PM

Do you have a pipe that you can use to extend your breaker bar? If you do, adding length to your breaker bar may help break the bolts free. Hopefully you have someone to help you so that the socket stays on the bolt so that you don't strip them…then gently apply pressure to your extended breaker bar and let physics do its thing.

I have a 4 foot led pipe that helped get a neighbors lug bolts free. I added it to my 2.5 ft breaker bar…when it broke free…it popped like a gunshot…but didn’t strip or snap in half…just gave it a gentle pressure counter clockwise and the lug bolts broke free.

tracer bullet · 11-21-2022, 07:06 PM

Agreed w/ PB Blaster, maybe twice, with some time to let it work and then a bigger impact.

Swaggywhitebeamer · 11-21-2022, 08:59 PM

It’s not coming off .. I’m stuck with two of the same security bolts on my X3. They will not come off no matter what .. they were stuck on my car when I bought it or were over torqued and stripped somewhere along the way. I’ve tried everything , tire shop, BMW dealer, and all sorts of different tools and methods. This might be our only hope… do you want to go in 1/2 with me?

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-aga-tools-parts/wheel-lock-removal-tool/aga-wlrt~agt/

Opie55 · 11-22-2022, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swaggywhitebeamer

It’s not coming off .. I’m stuck with two of the same security bolts on my X3. They will not come off no matter what .. they were stuck on my car when I bought it or were over torqued and stripped somewhere along the way. I’ve tried everything , tire shop, BMW dealer, and all sorts of different tools and methods. This might be our only hope… do you want to go in 1/2 with me?

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-aga-tool.../aga-wlrt~agt/

You can't find a place that already has such a tool? I would think that shops deal with seized wheel bolts all the time. What will you do when you need new tires?

383vett · 11-22-2022, 04:05 PM

A Big O or Americas Tire will get the locks off. They deal with this every day.

jfinley · 11-27-2022, 09:48 AM

Thanks all for suggestions. Agree prior tire place over torqued it. Should never be this bad. I had my son try whom is much stronger than I at this point and was afraid of rounding it. Taking it into a shop.

Again, thanks all!

jfinley · 12-05-2022, 12:18 PM

Follow up. Took it into specialty shop. They called about 90 mins later stating someone over torqued the lugs and stripped the lug key. Asked who recently worked on it. Lol. So i wasnt the weak one originally thought

Opie55 · 12-06-2022, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfinley

Follow up. Took it into specialty shop. They called about 90 mins later stating someone over torqued the lugs and stripped the lug key. Asked who recently worked on it. Lol. So i wasnt the weak one originally thought

But did they get them off?

MPDev · 12-06-2022, 10:10 AM

I fell out with a garage who tried to charge me for taking the locking wheel nuts off for me after they’d brayed them on in the first place after doing some work on my breaks. I’ve replaced them all with normal nuts now. More trouble than they’re worth the locking wheel nuts

11-21-2022, 02:15 PM	#1
jfinley Registered 0 Rep 3 Posts Drives: BMW X3-F25, Jaguar IPace Join Date: Nov 2022 Location: Ohio, US iTrader: (0)	Lugs seized - any advice? Working on my 2013 F25 and using a breaker bar only managed to get one lug off. Blasted it with WD40 yesterday and soak overnight - still no go. Even hit it with impact gun and no bueno. Any other suggestions? Attached Images
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11-21-2022, 02:59 PM	#2
bmwPower99 Private First Class 26 Rep 152 Posts Drives: bmw f25 X3 35d Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: uk iTrader: (0)	IMO What works best is shock therapy. Get 1 ball pein hammer and one small sledge hammer and put the ball pein hammer on the lug and whack it with the sledge. Doing that a few times shocks the threads and loosens them, then hit it with the impact or breaker.
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11-21-2022, 04:22 PM	#3
pungo Colonel 961 Rep 2,650 Posts Drives: Z4MC, X3-35i,525i, Corrado G60 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: MD iTrader: (5) Garage List 2011 BMW X3 x35i [10.00] 2001 BMW 525i [0.00] 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe [8.76]	Welcome to the forum... WD-40 is not much of a penetrating oil, use something like PB-Blaster, Liquid Wrench, etc... that are meant for this type of application. Is that a 1/2" drive or 3/8" drive socket? The breaker bar looks kinda wimpy as well as the impact gun. You could always take it to a garage where they have the proper equipment to loosen them or go buy some better tools
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11-21-2022, 04:33 PM	#4
Opie55 Colonel 1233 Rep 2,928 Posts Drives: '15 650i Convertible Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: US iTrader: (0)	Being from Ohio originally I know corrosion/rust can be an issue, but the one bolt laying on the ground does not look corroded and neither does the hole it came from. That raises the question of who last tightened the wheel bolts. A lot of people think wheel bolts are supposed to be as tight as you can get them, but they are only supposed to be about 100 ft/lbs, which is not really all that much. But I agree that is a pretty wimpy breaker bar. Your biggest issue may be the one with the wheel lock. You may not get much torque on that before it strips off.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-21-2022, 06:51 PM	#5
Qsilver7 Major General 4906 Rep 8,098 Posts Drives: F06 650ix GC / F15 X5 50i Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Indiana, USA iTrader: (0)	Do you have a pipe that you can use to extend your breaker bar? If you do, adding length to your breaker bar may help break the bolts free. Hopefully you have someone to help you so that the socket stays on the bolt so that you don't strip them…then gently apply pressure to your extended breaker bar and let physics do its thing. I have a 4 foot led pipe that helped get a neighbors lug bolts free. I added it to my 2.5 ft breaker bar…when it broke free…it popped like a gunshot…but didn’t strip or snap in half…just gave it a gentle pressure counter clockwise and the lug bolts broke free. __________________ 2015 F06 650ix Gran Coupe`(Moonstone/Cohiba Brown)\| 2014 F15 X5 50i MSport (Space Gray/Mocha) Become a BMW CCA member! Click HERE to join and feel free to use my BMW CCA member #191509 as a referral.
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11-21-2022, 07:06 PM	#6
tracer bullet Brigadier General 3433 Rep 4,099 Posts Drives: '25 Z4, '15 X3 35i (135i sold) Join Date: May 2011 Location: Saint Paul, MN iTrader: (1)	Agreed w/ PB Blaster, maybe twice, with some time to let it work and then a bigger impact.
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11-21-2022, 08:59 PM	#7
Swaggywhitebeamer Private First Class 7 Rep 134 Posts Drives: 2016 X3 35i MSport Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: VA iTrader: (0)	It’s not coming off .. I’m stuck with two of the same security bolts on my X3. They will not come off no matter what .. they were stuck on my car when I bought it or were over torqued and stripped somewhere along the way. I’ve tried everything , tire shop, BMW dealer, and all sorts of different tools and methods. This might be our only hope… do you want to go in 1/2 with me? https://www.ecstuning.com/b-aga-tools-parts/wheel-lock-removal-tool/aga-wlrt~agt/
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-22-2022, 04:05 PM	#9
383vett Major 642 Rep 1,058 Posts Drives: 2018 X3 M40i, 2012 X3 Xdrive35 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Moraga, California iTrader: (0)	A Big O or Americas Tire will get the locks off. They deal with this every day. __________________ 2016 Z06 Vette, 10.53@132 1984 Vette, 406, 10.23@131 2021 SQ5
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11-27-2022, 09:48 AM	#10
jfinley Registered 0 Rep 3 Posts Drives: BMW X3-F25, Jaguar IPace Join Date: Nov 2022 Location: Ohio, US iTrader: (0)	Thanks all for suggestions. Agree prior tire place over torqued it. Should never be this bad. I had my son try whom is much stronger than I at this point and was afraid of rounding it. Taking it into a shop. Again, thanks all!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-05-2022, 12:18 PM	#11
jfinley Registered 0 Rep 3 Posts Drives: BMW X3-F25, Jaguar IPace Join Date: Nov 2022 Location: Ohio, US iTrader: (0)	Follow up. Took it into specialty shop. They called about 90 mins later stating someone over torqued the lugs and stripped the lug key. Asked who recently worked on it. Lol. So i wasnt the weak one originally thought
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12-06-2022, 10:10 AM	#13
MPDev New Member 3 Rep 21 Posts Drives: BMW X3 (F25) Join Date: Jun 2022 Location: Teesside iTrader: (0)	I fell out with a garage who tried to charge me for taking the locking wheel nuts off for me after they’d brayed them on in the first place after doing some work on my breaks. I’ve replaced them all with normal nuts now. More trouble than they’re worth the locking wheel nuts
	Appreciate 0 Quote