It's been a while since I visited here but I just wanted to put in a little gained knowledge. Of course, after I had these problems and resolved them I started to poke around here and found most of my questions would have been answered here first. So just note, if you are going to tackle some project concerning your car, thoroughly check things out here first.
Well, as you see in the title I had a few problems with lug nuts during a brake replacement job. whoever last tightened these wheels did the typical tighter is better routine and just way over-torqued the lugs.
(I have since found that these lugs are to be torqued to a maximum of 75 lb ft) When I tried to remove them with my pneumatic impact gun they would not move. I then got out my 14" breaker bar and a deep socket and tried to loosen them. Even standing on them and jumping on the breaker bar didn't work and I am a 6'3" 270 lb contractor type!
So, you know, bigger is better! I head out to the nearest place to buy a bigger breaker bar. It happens to be 45 miles away. Two and a half hours later I'm back in my driveway and break out my new 24" breaker bar and set it up and start jumping on it and I start to get some movement! Finally they broke loose and I was then able to remove most of these lug nuts fairly easily. But not 5 of them! for these last 5 it was stand on the breaker bar and get it a half turn at a time. The pneumatic still wouldn't work! it took about 15 to 20 minutes a piece, lots of choice vocabulary and sweat to get these last nuts off. The lug nuts had been so over-torqued they were actually mushroomed from the compression! The lug nuts had been completely stripped during the removal process and the threaded posts were full of the metal threads that stripped off during the nut removal.
Next thing I'm trying to do is get that metal out of the threads of the posts. I'm using a wire brush and a utility knife to pry out the pieces of lug nut threads and taking forever. I need a Die to chase these threads as replacing the lugs is for now out of the question. Back in the truck but now in the opposite direction 45 minutes to get the 1/2-20 die to chase out the threads so I could eventually put the new lug bolts on.
I get home and spend 15 minutes cleaning up the posts from all the stripped out metals deposited in the threads and then I am finally able to complete the brake job.
If you haven't done the brakes on this car yet, it is fairly easy and straight forward. The only really difficult parts was getting the 17mm bolts out on the front that hold the caliper mounting bracket (they were very tight) and getting the retaining springs back in was a lesson in dexterity!
I will pick up my 5 new lug-nuts in the morning at the dealer> ( cost $16.49 US each !) That was my other trip of the day 1 hour and 15 minutes each way! I had planned to get this brake job done on Thursday morning in what I had hoped would be a leisurely 2 or 3 hours of blissful wrench turning. Instead it had taken me the better part of two days with all the running around! I did come up with some really great new words to describe my feelings about the guys who worked on this car before me!
The major point I think I want to make is be sure to mention to anyone working on your wheels, to hand tighten these lugs and use a torque wrench and don't exceed 75 lb ft. I only hope these wheels aren't warped from being over-tightened!

 

I always use a torque wrench when I R&R the wheels. I also remind my Indie of the recommended torque setting when he services the car.

Just to be safe, after a wheel has been removed & replaced I double check the torque setting after about 10-14 days.

Never had a problem when I need to R&R a wheel.

This is something that people should really do now as opposed to later. Saves a lot of grief and aggravation, not to mention antagonizing an already bad back.

 

Those are the most over-torqued nuts ever! (S-Type owners have had the bolts sheer off with lower torqued nuts than that.)

After buying a car it's worth taking each wheel off to inspect things (suspension, brake lines etc) and this means you get to torque the lug (we say "wheel") nuts correctly.

I repeat this at least once a year to try to catch problems before they're serious.

 

Mr. Kitty, I know it's too late now, but I was able to find matching lug nuts for our XK8's for $1/each (new!). I replaced all of mine with these Gorilla lug nuts:

GORILLA LUG NUT 1/2"X20 Item # 73188SM $1.20 each, $1.00 each for 16+ quantity Gorilla 73188SM Chrome Lug Nuts Short Mag Seat, Domed Top 13/16" Hex Head 1/2" x 20 Thread

GORILLA WASHER FOR LUG NUT Item # GRLA-79903 $0.56 each (zinc-plated washers) Gorilla 79903 Lug Nut Washers Short Shank Style, Zinc Finish 1.22" O.D., 0.695" I.D.

GORILLA WHEEL LOCKS SHORT MAG Item # 73681SM $19.49 (includes 4 security lug nuts) Gorilla 73681SM Wheel Locks Short Mag Seat, Chrome 13/16" Hex Key Included 1/2" x 20 Thread

Now I did have an interesting problem after I replaced mine: a few weeks later I was having new tires installed, and the shop called me and said that one lug nut was stuck fast and would not budge with their impact gun, and maybe it was cross-threaded or corroded on. I told them no way to both: I had started all lug nuts by hand, so nothing is cross-threaded, and that they had only been installed (and brand new) two weeks earlier.

I ended up removing the stuck lug nut myself using my cross-style lug wrench, but it took considerable effort of my 6' 250-lb. frame to do so. Since I know it was not cross-threaded nor corroded, it appears to me that the metals had galled, something that I have only seen previously with stainless steel nuts used on stainless steel bolts (whereafter I learned to use anti-seize compound on ss threads!).

When I installed my new lug nuts I sprayed some wheel lugs with WD40, but not all of them, and I'm not sure if the one stuck lug nut was one of the ones that had the WD40 or not.

The threads on that lug, after the nut was removed, were also damaged enough that I couldn't reinstall another lug nut, and will also need to chase out the threads first. But in the future, I will put anti-seize on all my lug threads first--this can be bought at the hardware store and isn't expensive. It's also used (sometimes) on spark plugs, and any bolt that you might wish to remove in the future.

 

The only issue I've ever had with removal was a worn locking wheel nut on my current XK and it was more a problem with the locknut adaptor than the wheel nut.

Decided to bin the locking wheel nuts and got a full replacement set of 20 from Adamesh for £29.17 ($41.58). Yes - that's the same Adamesh noted for quality but not generally for competitive pricing. They are the same as on the XK8/XKR.

Always surprises me how issues with lug nuts are almost exclusively reported by US members. I'm sure it's your love of air wrenches. The wheels come off my cars twice a year to check the tyre casings, brakes and suspension and to give the wheels a thorough clean. I use a spider to take them off and torque them on refitting.

My nuts are in great shape!

Graham

 

When I have stubborn lug nut or a bolt that I can't break with a breaker bar I use a 5' piece of galvanized pipe. I slip it over the end of the breaker bar and now I have a 5' breaker bar. It's a lot easier than jumping up and down on the bar.

 

MR Kitty, what a task...

For you or anyone else...I have a set of stock lug nuts free for the asking, just pay postage.

 

Graham, I'm sure your nuts are quite lovely!

 

Sir Alex of Yotto, I think I'll order a set !