Ford's swollen lug nuts issue / C&D article

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It's not just the Ford ones that are a problem. Chrysler, GM, Toyota, or anything that uses the POS 2 piece lug nuts are a problem. I had to buy a 19.5mm, 21.5mm, and a 23mm socket to deal with some of them, and even then it is not easy once they have been abused, and over torqued a few times. After you beat a socket on the nut, then you have to beat on them some more to get the socket off. I hate them!!! Then if the cover is missing you have a new problem.
 
Yep on my 2007 focus I had to have 2 different sizes if you completely removed the cap it was 1mm smaller

IIRC 19mm and 18mm ?

Just normal torque would damage them.. once they started "Swelling" and separating.

Of course this is nothing new even my new 2017 cherokee has goofy "2 piece" ones that are damaged very easily if you dont get the socket all the way down..

like jimbo the tire rotation chimp at the dealer.

Boom didnt get one quite all the way down and torqued lugbolt.. now it doesnt fit in the socket and gets stuck from being deformed.

The fix it to get aftermarket lugbolts instead of the $8 dealer part that is shiny but inferior construction.

Gee thanks jimbo for that complementary damage to go with my complementary first tire rotation.
 
My mom had an 03' Focus with these junk lug nuts. Constantly breaking the outer cap off while rotating tires and working on the car.
 
What was the need for these? There must be logical explanation, yes?
 
One of the worst ideas in cars and more than Ford are guilty of it. You know who is not? German cars. Bolts for the win.
 
I threw mine away and replaced them with 1 piece lugnuts from McGard. Did it on both my Mustang and my mom's Fusion. Got a few people at work to do it also.
 
Had the problem with Chryslers when I was doing tire shop. Would turn a 19mm into a 18mm that I didnt have a socket for. I dont think they delam from anything but impact guns. The pictures in that article look to me like ones that have had a few go arounds with an impact.

And yeah, its for looks and cost. Solid lug nuts that are shiny are pricy. Taking a steel lugnut and slapping a stainless cap over it is cheaper and gives the good look.
But you HAVE to make sure you have full engagement of the nut before you pull the trigger on the impact. The cap extends over the top of the actual steel nut leaving the top 10% or so looking like a nut but only sheet metal. You can't 'NASCAR' them, you will hook the portion that is unsupported and spin the cap on the nut, then you're [censored].
 
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Originally Posted By: Srt20
Buy splined nuts and be done with it. Cheap and easy.

Those aren't any better since they take a special very thin wall socket. Those, along with locking lug nuts are easily destroyed with an impact wrench. Of all the OE lug nuts I've dealt with the GM ones with the screw on caps hold up the best. Otherwise a 1 piece quality steel acorn style nut is good too, unless the chrome peels.
 
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I had the same problem and bought 10 new lug nuts to replace the worst ones on my 2003 F-150. Got worse over time, ended up just taking the outer chrome cover off. Cheap, still looks good, and only took maybe an hour of time. No lawyers needed.

Best part was it went from 21mm to 13/16", a standard size on a 4 way lug wrench.
 
2000 and 04 Jeep Grand Cherokees and '04 Wrangler all had the two piece units. 2-3 rotations, even being careful, and they would start to fall apart.
 
Originally Posted By: dareo
Bolts for the win.


Incorrect. My 2017 Jeep Cherokee uses Lugbolts.

And lugbolts are a whole different PITA than lugnuts esp. in the salt belt.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
Originally Posted By: dareo
Bolts for the win.

Incorrect. My 2017 Jeep Cherokee uses Lugbolts.

And lugbolts are a whole different PITA than lugnuts esp. in the salt belt.

Why do you you say that? My BMW uses lug bolts and I don't have a bit of trouble with them. In fact I've had less trouble with those than the rest of my cars that use lug nuts.
 
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