So I'm dealing with a brake problem and while doing the on-again-off-again cakewalk with my wheels, I got to one of my security lug nuts and the socket wouldn't grab it. I took a closer look at the socket, and half of the damned security pattern on the inside has chipped off. The security lugs are round on the outside and have a female pattern on the inside that the male pattern on the inside of the socket locks into. Then you attach a 21 mm socket on the exterior of the security socket to turn it.

Anyway, I'm now left with a truck with bad brakes in the garage (thank the Lord this didn't happen roadside in the rain). There are four fully-tightened security lugnuts on the vehicle, and as (bad) luck would have it, my other 4runner's socket doesn't fit the first one. Any ideas on how to get the lug nuts off?

 

Find a socket that will just barely fit over the outside of the security lug nut and hammer it on. Once you have the security lug nuts off I'd throw them out.

 

Is there a solution/tool that would let me get the lug nuts off intact? I've got four to remove and they're all normally installed, so it seems like it would be easier to grip them properly rather than beat them to hell and possibly damage the lugs. Once they're off, they're going in the trash and I'm installing regular lug nuts in their place.

 

This is how I have done it...

you might need a couple of sacrificial sockets...

 

There are sockets that hammer on designed to grab rounded bolts and security lug nuts. Have teeth that dig into the metal and grab the nut. Most thiefs will have such tools, security nuts are mostly only goos for throwing a monkey wrench in your day when you lose the key. Ask me how i know hehe.

 

You say you're going to throw them out but you're worried about hurting them? Don't worry about the threads on the stud. The nut is tight against the wheel so you won't mess the threads up. If you have a welder you could weld a nut onto the end and then use a wrench. Oh, but that would damage them too...

I give up, I don't know of a nice way to get them off.

 

No, I was just saying that it seemed like taking them off in a violent manner might cause additional headaches. I was mainly thinking to avoid potentially damaging the lug threads or ruining a couple sockets, but if that's the only way, so be it. I don't particularly care what happens to the nuts themselves, I was just hoping there was a specific tool for this job.

Anybody know if Toyota was the original supplier of these lug nuts, and thus, could potentially supply a replacement socket?

 

Nut Remover Set
Just make sure you get a set that is largest enough.
Will avoid sacrificing sockets and useful for other ruined bolts.
Measure the security nut.

 

if you need lug nuts, let me know. i have 24 shouldered style (for aluminum rims) 12x 1.5 thread lug nuts i'm about to take off my truck. had to buy new lugs for my steel wheels i got and i have 24 acorn style lugs showing up here in the next few days.

 

Most tire shops run into this all the time. lost keys, left at home bought vehicle and never got the key etc.

locking lugs are more of a pain

Inquire of your local tire shops what they do.

weld on nuts or hammer on cheap sockets .

I am not sure if The Irwin sockets go large enough.

 

Just smash a socket on or buy one of those remover sets. Whatever the case your gonna damage the locking lugnuts either way.

Then throw them out and buy regular ones

 

Looking for something else on Napa Prolink i came across lock nut removal sets .

For the cost one can buy 4 cheap sockets and throw them away when done.

One set was about $120.00 the other was like $200.00 be good to have if one needed to remove this on a regular basis.

might be worth while to just go to a tire shop and have them removed.

as you don`t seem to want to really do this yourself.

 

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-10-pc...p-00952166000P
i used one of these, the socket was toast after one and i had 32, yes 32 security lug nuts on an old gmc pickup. then i put the lug nut in a dixie cup, filled it with plaster, carefully removed the nut, filled the plaster negative with wax, broke the plaster away, used the wax mold of the lug nut to press into an over sized deep socket filled with quik steel, let the set up, put the whole thing in the oven and came away with a working security socket for the remaining 31 lugs.

 

or do what the thieves do and hammer an undersized socket on attach a breaker bar and pull toward you until the stud snaps off.

 

McGard makes all Toyota's lock nuts. I lost mine, they made me a replacement after I emailed them a photo of the top of a locking nut.

McGard.com
716-662-8980

It was far cheaper than I anticipated. I ordered an extra to keep in the toolbox, just in case. You could also order an extra locking lug for a swingout tire carrier.

Very easy company to deal with. I was quite pleased.

 

when my security lug nut remover broke i just got a hammer and chisel and chiseled away and replaced them no harm in that just be careful not you chisel your rim...

 

craftsman makes a socket its a 3 piece set, I belive there called Turbo Zip sockets, I used them many times but it takes some hammering,

If you want to do it in a non violent manner you should go to your dealer and show them the key, they will have the right way to order or let you borrow the right one!

good luck to ya those lugs suck!

 

they will not always have the correct one on hand, there are a few of them.

personally I would buy a couple of cheap sockets and get them off myself and then spent $30'ish on a new set. dealer would probably charge one hour of shop rate to get them off ...$100+/hr..

not that hard of problem to solve...

 

Okay, thanks for all the input, guys. Here's what I ended up buying:



This is the Performance Tool Lug Nut Remover Socket Set #M980 - two made in Taiwan impact sockets (13/16" and 1") made of Cr-Mo. I payed about $16 at O'Reilly Auto. These are supposedly made for the express purpose of removing locking lug nuts without a key socket. The 13/16 fit my 21 mm lug nuts, so I figured I'd go with the right tool for the job.

Unfortunately, I do not recommend them. By the time I got the first two lug nuts off, the socket had stripped out the internal threads and just spun when I tried to tighten it (I was hammering it on hard with a 3 lb hammer and turning with a breaker bar). I drove back to O'Reilly and exchanged it (no problem).

Operating on the assumption that maybe I shouldn't have hammered on the first socket - which doesn't seem like it should be a problem, given it's an impact socket - this time I played more gently and hand threaded on the socket until it bit, then turned it with a 1/2" ratchet until snug, then applied my breaker bar. The next lug nut came off fairly easily. However, when I started on the fourth lug nut, it was clear that the new socket had once again stripped off about half of the internal threads (they were sitting in the bottom of the socket well).

O'Reilly was closed at that point, so I kept leaning on the socket. It was catching on only about half of each turn, but it was putting a little torque on the socket each time before popping free. Eventually, all the weak tugs on the socket added up enough to break it free and I got number 4 off. I'm going to return the useless socket set to O'Reilly tomorrow, hopefully for a refund. It's a real piece of crap.

So anyway, I wanted to update y'all and thank you for the input.

 

Glad you got them off. Surprising that those sockets would break that easily since that's what they're made for.