Lug Nut Problems

[Dr_Mackey]

Newbie to the forum here with a 1988 325i and one very stubborn lug nut. In the process of restoring my badly scuffed rims and painting them. Yesterday i arrived at the last wheel and the final lug nut has graciously decided that it will not come off. The rims fitted by the previous owner are aftermarket and they come with a key. Unfortunately the lug nut has been tightened way too far, only giving me half the normal purchase: the result is a complete lack of tread on both the lug nut and the end part of the key. Nothing seems to work, from anti-lock products to a socket large enough to fit over the entire lug nut, even a number of tyre fitting outlets can offer me no help aside from the suggestion of drilling the stud. So i'm posed with two choices destroy the rim to get at the lug nut or drill the stud. Can i replace the stud after destroying it? Or is it attached to the axle as i've been told is common in older cars? If i can't would it be cheaper for a new set of rims or a new axle? Yes i'm a collosal noob when it comes to cars but soon ill be starting an apprenticeship and have some future plans for my e30 :) Any help would be much appreciated.

[Blackout]

The Lug bolt is not attached to the axle in any way.
You can have a machine shop / body shop drill the head out.

[Dr_Mackey]

Thanks for your reply. So you wouldn't recommend i drill it myself? Kind of stretched for cash in major way hence the painting of the rims myself haha

[S62]

You could probably drill it out with the right tools, it just takes awhile. What tool did you use to try and break the lug?

[Dr_Mackey]

Haven't tried to break the lug as it sits pretty flush against the wheel. I tryed a couple of different drill bits with my hammer drill and have so far only made an indentation on the top of the stud. Looks like some significant drilling ahead. Is the stud easily replaceable? assuming i can manage to drill it out and snap it off. Would a picture help in demonstrating my predicament?

[S62]

Yes look at a picture. The nut and the bolt are one piece. Your thinking of the type of studs that are connected to the hub that are not supposed to come out when you take the nuts off. The type with just the nut.

[S62]

Does your car have wheel spacers? Sometimes it can be a pain to get to lugs off if they do. Are you using an impact gun or what?

[Dr_Mackey]

nup no spacers. moved about a 3 quarters of an inch so far using an impact drill and 3 dif sizes bits. but i just snapped the drill bit inside the lug damn and now its getting seriously dark so until tomorrow. thanks for your help, hopefully the new day brings better luck

[CHIF8008]

they have kits specifically to drill out crap. reverse bits and the whole shabang

i would NOT take it to a place just to get this simple procedure done.

[Dr_Mackey]

hmm yeah really don't want to pay someone to do something i can do myself so those kits sound great heading to the hardware store tomorrow to get myself a few extra drill bits so ill check it out

[TurboJake]

If you're already painting the wheels, is there enough room to just weld a nut to it?

I've done that many times with those pesky keyed lugnuts that people didn't leave in the car when they sold it to me...

[Madhatter]

When this happens to us (tyre shop) we use a smaller impact socket and hammer it over the bolt or nut. So if it had a 17mm head, a 5/8 or 16mm socket should have given you enough purchase on the head.

[Dr_Mackey]

@jake i'm not confident enough in my welding abilities to attempt that, would have been a nice if i could @madhatter i couldn't fit any size socket over the nut as there is no room at all to work with around the lug as they sit flush with the spokes once they are tightened. i just have to hope i don't drill too far and hit the hub, but given the painfully slow progress that's some time away

[bmwguy325is]

Ive used an impact hammer on stuborn ones.

[Madhatter]

@jake i'm not confident enough in my welding abilities to attempt that, would have been a nice if i could @madhatter i couldn't fit any size socket over the nut as there is no room at all to work with around the lug as they sit flush with the spokes once they are tightened. i just have to hope i don't drill too far and hit the hub, but given the painfully slow progress that's some time away

You use a smaller socket than what will fit over the head of the nut, then you bash it on with a hammer. Nuts are largely soft, a tempered socket is much harder and will gouge out metal from the nut as it slides over it. You aren't looking for something to fit over it, you want something smaller so it bites into it.