Honda Accord Locking Wheel Nut(s) Stuck

[PaulS]

I helped a friend get a air gun fitted alloy wheel off.  4 came off easily, the 5th was well and truly stuck tight.  The long bar extension resulted in the bolt head snapping off 3/4 or so along the headsuch that there was not enough head left to get anything to grip.  How to get it off??  Drilling the centre of the bolt and then hammering in a chisel resulted in the chisel snapping off flush with the end of the newly drilled bolt!  Now something REALLY hard to drill through.....

Cutting a long boring 2 day story short, I eventually drilled 4x 4mm holes in the remaining bolt head along the thread using a cobalt drill (actually 2 of them!!).  This then caused the remaining fat bits of the bolt (head and tapered shoulder) to decide to give up the fight, fall into 3 pieces  and allow the wheel to come off. 

So if anyone else has this problem, this is a solution.  But I hope no one else ever encounters it.... 

 

The long time was working out firstly how to do it after all my varios specialist removers failed - and drilling into hardened steel wheel bolts takes a very long time - especially when trying to be careful not to damage teh wheel too much

[Mazda Man]

Moral of the story I suppose is to insist that the nuts are hand tightened (ooo errrr Dave) instead of using a wind gun.  

[18650]

Just to add insult to injury I can only remove one security nut from my alloys, the other three are completely seized on. The security nut removal tool is about as much use as a chocolate fire guard, it will not bite onto the remaining three bolts. 

I can't figure out a way to remove the wheels!

[Laird_Scooby]

Have you not got the original wheel nut "key"? Should be around somewhere (usually the glovebox but often ends up in the boot with the spare) and if not, try dousing the locking nuts in penetrating oil and let soak overnight. That should hopefully loosen them enough to be able to undo them.

[18650]

Just now, Laird_Scooby said:

Have you not got the original wheel nut "key"? Should be around somewhere (usually the glovebox but often ends up in the boot with the spare) and if not, try dousing the locking nuts in penetrating oil and let soak overnight. That should hopefully loosen them enough to be able to undo them.

Yes, I've got it, it won't grip or bite onto the security nut!

[Laird_Scooby]

That was what you were referring to when you said the security nut removal tool then? In that case, douse it as suggested overnight in penetrating oil, then when you try the "key", tap it onto/into the security nut with a hammer before trying to undo the nuts.

It sounds suspiciously like some half-wit in a "while-u-w8" tyre place has tightened them up with a windy gun and not a torque wrench. If so the standard wheel brace probably won't do the job, you'll need a 2' breaker bar and a deep socket the right size for the wheel nuts which if memory serves is 19mm.

If not you may have to resort to something like this :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CT3912-Lost-Locking-Wheel-Nut-Key-Remover-Sockets-19-24mm-Lug-Nut-Removal-Tool/222398157613?

Good luck with it anyway!

[hughezee]

59 minutes ago, 18650 said:

Just to add insult to injury I can only remove one security nut from my alloys, the other three are completely seized on. The security nut removal tool is about as much use as a chocolate fire guard, it will not bite onto the remaining three bolts. 

I can't figure out a way to remove the wheels!

Sorry to hear of more woes with your coupe, personally I would try some penetrating oil (WD40) as Dave suggested first, then try a little tap with a hammer to secure the locking nut key into place,  to see if you can get it to hold to get enough leverage. Failing that there are a couple of other ways to remove them, one by hammering 19-20mm sockets onto them to get them off assuming they are genuine Honda locking nuts?   

[PaulS]

I helped a friend last year when one of his Toyota Celica nuts split and the hex bit of the nut fell off but left the chamfered part of the nut attached....I ended up drilling down the bolt with a cobalt drill bit until deep enough and then hit the remains with a chisel and big hammer to snap off the remaining small sides of the nut.  A long job but the wheel was off for the cost of a new nut and wheel stud.... and a free exchange on the blunt cobalt drill bit