Jeep TJ front wheel stuck on, ideas?

My buddy was swapping to his winter tires recently, and of course had trouble with one stuck lug nut. It's on a front wheel, but the way it broke the flange of the lug nut and some threads are still seized to the stud, and the stud is still intact (and of course it's still tight) but the 6 sided part of the lug nut has stripped and then sheared off. I will get pics later today when I go look. 

Its a recessed lug nut in the wheel so no good way to just cut it off from the front. Also, I don't know yet if we will be able to access the axle nut through the wheel or not, but if so we will probably try to remove the 'unit bearing' (jeeps name for a bolt on wheel bearing) with the wheel still attached. The longshot the brake caliper in that situation though. I'm going to try and look to see if there is anyway to access the back of the stud somehow, but wheel/brake/dust shield/etc seems like probably not. 

How would you go about this? Should we go straight to trying to just break the wheel off? Is there an easy way to intentionally snap a lug stud (haha)?

Drill?

I have strapped a 2x6x12 to the tire and used that leverage to snap a stripped stud before. 

You may also try driving a smaller socket on what is left of the lug nut. 

They also make these. I haven't used them before but they look like they should work.

You should be able to access the axle nut through the wheel if it's a factory Jeep wheel.  Unbolt the caliper from the knuckle and it'll just come off with the rotor (you won't get it off the rotor with the wheel on there).  Might have to disconnect the brake line.

If for some reason you can't get to the axle nut, you'll just end up pulling the axle shaft with the unit bearing.  Not the end of the world, there's no c-clips or anything on the front shafts.  I've pulled a unit bearing, brake rotor, wheel spacer, axle shaft combo in one shot on my Jeep a couple of times (no reason to take it all apart when I just need those parts out of the way but don't need to replace or touch any of them). 

Toyman! said:

I have strapped a 2x6x12 to the tire and used that leverage to snap a stripped stud before. 

You may also try driving a smaller socket on what is left of the lug nut. 

They also make these. I haven't used them before but they look like they should work.

Those things are how he sheared off most of the rest of the lug nut in the first place. But I do like the 2x6 idea. 

In reply to rslifkin :

that is all really good info, thanks!

Drill.  Start fairly small in the center of the stud, being careful to stay as close to center as possible.  Move up to as a large as required to lose the nut.

You could always drive it very slowly in the driveway and it will probably snap off.

Probably not the best idea....

Streetwiseguy said:

Drill.  Start fairly small in the center of the stud, being careful to stay as close to center as possible.  Move up to as a large as required to lose the nut.

that does make sense, would make it easier to snap the stud too if it gets to that. I hope we can drill straight enough. 

wvumtnbkr said:

You could always drive it very slowly in the driveway and it will probably snap off.

 

Probably not the best idea....

You're not far off. Put the other lugs back on, but a few turns loose. Drive slowly in a figure 8 and something should break free. 

Gearheadotaku (Forum Supporter) said:

wvumtnbkr said:

You could always drive it very slowly in the driveway and it will probably snap off.

 

Probably not the best idea....

You're not far off. Put the other lugs back on, but a few turns loose. Drive slowly in a figure 8 and something should break free. 

 

Yeah if there isn't much left of the lug nut it'll be the weakest link in this scenario and should break.

I don't know that some of the ideas above aren't better, but I was thinking about using a sleeve to keep a bit and the stud aligned.

You'd have to pause to empty swarf frequently, but I would think you could slowly "erase" the stud with relatively low risk of collateral damage.

A couple of small holes drilled into the remains of the lug nut should weaken it enough to be broken off with a small punch/chisel.

Sounds like the lug nut was threaded on too far and broke or the stud is stretched.

I like the drive around (slowly) with slightly loose lugnuts idea to break the remains off.

How have we made it this far without a shotgun being mentioned? 

I'm also in agreement that put the rest on loosely and drive in a couple figure 8s.

In reply to johndej :

I too was scanning down the page to see if  SHOTGUN has yet been played.  Origin

If you don't have expensive wheels,  with all the other lugs off, and vehicle jacked up, you can use a torch to heat the lug nut and stud red hot. Then just grab the tire/wheel, use it as a lever and snap the stud off. Works great and, surprisingly even aluminum wheels handle it reasonably well, assuming you're good with a torch. 

John Welsh said:

In reply to johndej :

I too was scanning down the page to see if  SHOTGUN has yet been played.  Origin

If this was a Miata I'd suggest "hit it with your purse".

But on a Jeep I'd also used the "drive in figure eights" technique.

Nope, the use of fire is ordained because Jeep.