Last week I bought new tires from a shop I've been dealing with for a few years. Not a particularly noteworthy event, in and of itself. However, the lug nuts are on so overly tight that on one wheel I can feel the lug nut starting to strip internally. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

Toyota lug nuts are on both of mine.

 

Best to buy a 6-point lugnut socket. These are available specifically for lug nuts, and will usually get the nut off. I bought one about 18 months ago and it has proved invaluable.

 

I'd spray the gooched lug nut with PB Blaster penetrating oil and let it set overnight. As Fraser Mitchell has said using a 6-point lug socket is the way to go. Get a black drive socket. I'd go with one for a 1/2" drive and use a piece of pipe on the socket wrench for extra leverage. Go s-l-o-w-l-y. If the PB did its work the nut should come off. Clean the stud with brake cleaner or similar. I replaced all lug nuts with DPAccessories D3116-HT-2305/20 20 Chrome 12x1.5 Closed End Bulge Acorn Lug Nuts - Cone Seat - 19mm Hex Wheel Lug Nut.

These came from Amazon. They've been on the car 3 years and show no damage from my battery operated 1/2" impact wrench when I do my own rotation of tires and dhave yet to show any rust. Torque to specs. I think we've all had tire shops over-torque the nuts and it's a PITA to break them free. Good luck.

ps. I have no flippin' idea why the second half of this post is underlined. Sorry.

 

I forget what size the lugnuts are since it has been awhile since I took off a wheel, but you could pick up a 19.5 or 21.5 size socket. They are designed with the purpose of capped lugnuts, like OEM Jag and other manufacturers where a 21 may be too small and 22 will possibly strip the lugnut cap from the internal lugnut itself.

 

My thanks to all who responded. Good suggestions each and every one. However, in the end I decided to take my grandmothers sage advice,: "They break, they fix."

So, back to the tire shop where this time I was assigned their oldest and best mechanic who had actually done this before. After an hour of careful chiseling, tapping , multiple sockets and a lot of sweat, the destroyed nut came off. A tribute to patience and perseverance.

 

Grandmother was spot on. I had a shop doing 'something' regarding tires and they broke a stud on the hub of a rear wheel. "Gee not our problem. Last technician must have put the nut on too tightly" or some nonsense.

The wheel had the OEM capped nuts which are worthless to begin with and the outer cover was just spinnin'. Dremel tool anyone? Glad you got a pro technician to take care of this gooched nut. Bravo!

 

There should be three sets of Jaguar lug nuts laying around in my garage somewhere.
One of the first things done to mine, was to get a set of after market Toyota lug nuts.
Cheapest way i know to avoid this whole situation.

 

I feel your pain!! Went to simply check air pressure on my 2008 XJ front tire and valve stem just sheared off. I was totally gentle but its time had come. Glad it did not fail going 80

So bad news started with a $200 estimate since it actually requires new TPMS not just simple stem

So I jack car up and all but one lug nut comes off with POS lug wrench. But the last is "welded" on! The damn chrome nut cover proceeds to spin. Arghhhhhh!

After two hours of drilling and chiseling I split the chrome cover off. But then the blasted internal nut started to strip as I slowly started to turn. At last minute as I was sadly contemplating a tow to the tire shop, the now mangled lug nut freed up. Elation but total disgust


Randy

 

Given the number of really smart people who own Jaguars I am amazed by the number who have difficulty with these wheel nuts. I have owned 3 Jaguars over the past 9 years and never had a problem with wheel nuts. It is easy. Four simple rules:
1 Never ever use any power tool on the nuts---no air gun, no electric gun etc. This also means do not let anybody else use such tools on them.
2 Always use a 6point 19mm socket.
3 Always use a torque wrench, never exceed 90ft-lbs torque.
4 Rotate your wheels once a year, or twice a year if you use your car year round

I still have a set of Toyota wheel nuts I bought years ago sitting on the shelf in my garage. What a waste!

 

Agreed.. but some of us really smart people don't have the time/space to always do personal work "the right way". So the thugs at tire stores get involved and the decline begins. Also, I am third owner of my XJ (smart people also not always rich peopl to buy new ) and the sins of the POs are inherited. But I agree 100% with your info. My only additional gripe with Jaguar is the lug nut wrench. Even new, the quality must be quite bad. It is NOT a decent tight fit as it should be and if used only a few times I bet it starts the decay of the chrome surrounds.

 

All three of my cars were bought used and yes the wheel nuts were a little beat up. I never use the lug nut wrench, I carry a 1/2 in sq drive 24" flex breaker bar, a 6" extension and 1 19mm 6pt socket. I also carry 2x1l oil and 2x1l coolant and it all fits nicely in the spare wheel compartment.