One that fits? It doesn't matter who supplies a POS it's still a POS.

Isn't doing the same thing repeatedly hoping for a different result a sign of insanity?

 

Even if it fits, it can be a POS, aka wrong tool for the job.

In particular, any wheel wrench made of sheet metal. It doesn't have the precision, nor does it have the rigidity of a quality six point deep socket.

Even a quality six point deep socket on an impact in the hands of someone in a hurry is a recipe for disaster.

 

I (have always) used the best-fitting socket with a torque wrench to remove/replace wheels because, like other cars, the Jag tool does not incorporate the means to measure torque.

Heard about the lug nut problem from this forum. Day after my STR arrived I went to fit a set of solid lug nuts. Did not use the Jag tool and, sure enough, deformed the s/s caps on 2 nuts. After that, my socket just kept slipping, and the Jag tool would no longer fit.

Lucky I was in my garage, because that could have been at night in the middle of nowhere. Good ole forum!

 

Just received my Dorman 611-229 nuts, will be installing ASAP!

 

+1 plums


I've had good success with these sockets, available from Summit Racing and probably other vendors:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ttn-21092/overview/


I purchased individual sockets to fit the lug nuts of all our vehicles (17mm, 19mm and 21mm), but you can also purchase them in sets:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/apt-7835/overview/


They also offer a thin-walled version:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sxt-284919/overview/


The one problem you may encounter is that they may not fit onto a lug nut whose stainless cap has been previously deformed. You may have to use a looser-fitting 6-point socket, or shudder to think, a 12-point socket to remove a deformed lug nut.

Before reinstalling a deformed nut, I use a small ball pein hammer and the anvil on my bench vise to carefully reshape the cap until it will fit in the Titan 6-point socket. Roughness can usually be polished out with progressive sanding from 600 or 800 up to 1500 or 2000 grit and then a quick buff on the polishing wheel with white or green stainless buffing compound.

Cheers,

Don

 

ALWAYS replace the crappy two piece stock lug nuts.

There is no other way and if you wish to screw around with them go for it. Me I swapped them out and no more problems.

Pages of failures and problems with the stock lug nuts. Just a bad cost saving design. They should have been solid stainless steel from the factory.
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For the record, we've owned our '93 XJ40 for 16 years and it's still sporting all 20 of its original two-piece lug nuts. The only trouble I've ever had was when a flat tire was repaired by a "professional" who deformed a couple of the stainless caps, but I was able to repair them with just a little effort.

Cheers,

Don

 

I'm sure the stock nuts will work fine if not abused and especially for those that are original owners. On my '03 I was the third owner and after getting a flat I learned that they were slightly compromised by previous owners/operators. What should have been a simple spare change ended being lengthy drama of towing to a shop who then graciously got my wheel off for no charge. I noted that the OE lug wrench was way too loose also. For me the clear choice was to replace with one piece Dormans and a Gorilla wrench. When I got the STR I did the same. I think my old '05 Ford F150 truck had a similar capped design. Must have been a Ford legacy cost saving measure.

 

Stainless capped lug nuts are not unique to Ford/Jaguar. They are the OEM design on many makes. Perhaps this choice is based on safety.

Stainless steel behaves differently from plain steel. Furthermore, in a closed end design the thread cannot be cut the same way as in a open end design. The capped design is in essence an open end design.

A OEM lug nut supplier says this:

ARP who knows a few things about high stress fasteners offers three pages of wheel studs and nuts:

The Official ARP Web Site | Wheel Studs & Nuts

Notice that despite the willingness of their customers to pay premium prices, not one item is made of stainless steel. Every item is chrome moly steel.

If someone wants to go stainless, I am by no means opposed to them doing so.

However, I am adamantly opposed to any one person insisting that everyone else follow them off the cliff as validation of their personal decision.

That, by the way, is the usual dynamic of most yelling matches on JF. One person insisting that his way is the only way. Well, it's not.

 

Ok, now its my turn!

I successfully removed 19 of the 20 wheel nuts, of course the last one broke off!

I installed Dorman 611-229's in the stock nuts' place.

Now I have to use the hole saw method of removing the remainder of the last wheel nut.

Question: did you use other bits to drill down into the stud, or just the bit on the hole saw?

I bought a 9/16" hole saw and started in, but jeez is it taking a long time! I think I drilled about an eighth inch in about an hour, and I used alot of Tap Magic cutting fluid.

I ordered new tires, have to get it off by Saturday!

 

A pilot hole always works a lot better when drilling larger diameter holes/studs. I personally would use a couple different smaller bits.

 

Hey keep using the crap stock lug nuts!!

I LOVE to read the stories of towing and drilling/breaking studs off. Damaging alloy rims and such all because of CRAP!

Much better to keep crap and suffer.
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Wow, you normally post useful, helpful information.... Thanks for the constructive criticism

 

I think he meant well. But he's right, you know. Get those lousy factory lug nuts off of your wheels ASAP. Solid lug nuts are the only way to go. Well worth the cost and effort, especially when you have to deal with a flat tire in the middle of a rainstorm....

 

Yes, I got it, loud and clear, I've read the threads on this issue, advice well taken. Thats why I bought a new one piece style set of nuts, all 20, ( Dorman 611-229), removed 19 of the old crappy ones, threw them in the garbage, installed 19 of my new ones,all torqued to 92 lb-ft, and then, on the last one, #20, the stubborn, old, crappy, two piece lug nut that wouldn't move so easily, broke off and now I'm left with its remnants on the wheel stud.

Not surprised because the car is 11 years old. The three previous owners had no idea of this issue I'm sure, because the car still had its factory original lug nuts when I recently got this car, thats why I did something about it. I'm not surprised more of them didn't break, just this one.

All I had was a question about removing whats left of the broken one! Jeez.....

 

Well, good luck

Mine had 6 previous owners and one 2-piece nut that was skewed but I got it off because it wasn't too bad.

 

Thank you, Sir!
I started in, but did not get far. I will now start drilling, increasing bit size every time until I can get the locating drill bit of the hole saw down in the stud enough to get the hole saw to actually contact the remnants of the wheel nut, and hopefully it will come off.
Its amazing the amount of rust/corrosion on the stud and the nut, fused together.

I'm not exactly thrilled about the condition of the other 19 studs, and I will replace them in time. They're not horrible, the new nuts went on okay, but they need cleaning up in the meantime.

 

I believe it's best to go up by more than the minimum as you change bit sizes as otherwise the hole can grab the new only slightly bigger bit.

 

Finally got the rest of that wheel/lug nut off today!

Had some Cobalt left hand drill bits I used from work, they drilled into the stud like a hot knife through butter!

I used a 9/16" bi-metal holesaw, and it got down near the end of the nut when it stopped abruptly, then broke apart!

I then soaked the nut with PB Blaster, took a break, made a slot in the nut, then I used a screwdriver and hammer and unscrewed it loose, then it fell out.

Next, a new stud to install.

 

Progress! Hooray.