Rear wheel lug issue

[AmericanPatriot100]

When I had my tires installed a few months ago everything went with out a hitch. I watched the guys at discount remove and mount the wheels and tires. I went back for my tire rotation and one of the lugs was severely damaged. Like mushroomed and looked as if someone tried to steal a single lug nut. It was ao damaged they couldn’t get a 22mm onto it and had to hammer on a 7/8. Then they replaced the damaged lug nuts with one they had in stock. I had to wait a few days to get a full set cause I went with all black single piece acorns. Not like the OEM ones that have a cover. When I went back I had the same issue with another lug nut. This time it was the rear drivers wheel. The witness marks from the first one were as if the vehicle was going in reverse and smashed into something and mushroomed the head of the lug nut. This time the witness marks were going forward. My wheels aren’t damaged in anyway and the damage I do have is on the opposite side of the jeep on the underside of my bumper. Just a corner of the plastic is pushed in. We were all very curious as to how this happened. I live in a very secluded area. Only 2 houses on my road and I’m tucked about 1/4 mile from the road. I know no one has tried to come to the house and steal a single lug nut from my jeep cause my dogs would flip. And my light would light you up like the ft Knox gold depository.

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[The Last Cowboy]

A limited slip or positrac is supposed to help transfer torque to the wheel that has traction, i.e. is not spinning. However I've seen a lot of them that I didn't think could do that. With limited slip you should be able to raise the car so both rear tires are off the ground, put the transmission in park or in gear, and shouldn't be able to turn a rear tire by hand. I've seen a lot of cars where you could turn the rear tires and there didn't seem to be much resistance. I never knew why, maybe the clutches wear out or the springs holding them together lose their tension.

The clutch type can wear out fairly quickly, depending on how one drives.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

When I had my tires installed a few months ago everything went with out a hitch. I watched the guys at discount remove and mount the wheels and tires. I went back for my tire rotation and one of the lugs was severely damaged. Like mushroomed and looked as if someone tried to steal a single lug nut. It was ao damaged they couldn’t get a 22mm onto it and had to hammer on a 7/8. Then they replaced the damaged lug nuts with one they had in stock. I had to wait a few days to get a full set cause I went with all black single piece acorns. Not like the OEM ones that have a cover. When I went back I had the same issue with another lug nut. This time it was the rear drivers wheel. The witness marks from the first one were as if the vehicle was going in reverse and smashed into something and mushroomed the head of the lug nut. This time the witness marks were going forward. My wheels aren’t damaged in anyway and the damage I do have is on the opposite side of the jeep on the underside of my bumper. Just a corner of the plastic is pushed in. We were all very curious as to how this happened. I live in a very secluded area. Only 2 houses on my road and I’m tucked about 1/4 mile from the road. I know no one has tried to come to the house and steal a single lug nut from my jeep cause my dogs would flip. And my light would light you up like the ft Knox gold depository.

The OEM lug nuts have a thin skin of stainless steel over them. It only takes a few on/off cycles with an impact, or wrong size socket, to destroy/deform that decorative cover. The OEM lug wrench will damge them too. Best thing to do is order a full set of Gorilla, McGard, or similar one piece lug nuts.

 

[txj2go]

When I had my tires installed a few months ago everything went with out a hitch. I watched the guys at discount remove and mount the wheels and tires.

The last time I had tires mounted I took my torque wrench along. Two different people put the wheels back on, using a cordless impact driver.. I noticed that one guy hammered just a tiny fraction of a second longer than the other guy. His nuts were almost exactly to the right torque. The other guy was probably 10 ft-lb less.

 

[AmericanPatriot100]

The OEM lug nuts have a thin skin of stainless steel over them. It only takes a few on/off cycles with an impact, or wrong size socket, to destroy/deform that decorative cover. The OEM lug wrench will damge them too. Best thing to do is order a full set of Gorilla, McGard, or similar one piece lug nuts.

That’s how we found the second damaged lug nut was installing black gorilla one piece acorns.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

That’s how we found the second damaged lug nut was installing black gorilla one piece acorns.

Almost everyone who has factory lug nuts will have some that are damaged. Most of those nuts are damaged by impacts at tire shops. Using a 7/8 socket will almost surely damage the stainless skin on the OEM lug nuts. Also, if you live in a rust prone area, salty slush will get under that stainless layer and start to rust the steel lug nut underneath, causing them to swell.

The worst time to find out is when you are in the middle of nowhere, or on the side of a busy highway, with a flat. Also, the OEM lug wrench is junk, and will often times damage the lug nuts, unless used very carefully. And the OEM lug wrench will not fit damaged lug nuts hardly at all. Everyone here should get a 1/2 drive breaker bar with a 22mm SIX POINT deep socket on it, and keep it in your Jeep as the new lug wrench. a 12 point socket will round the corners off the thin stainless, and make fitting the correct size socket on tough. So then most people go up a socket size, then completely round off the stainless part. If you get replacement lugs, then get the correct socket for the new lug nuts. Can't tell you how often people get new lug nuts, or aftermarket wheels with different lug nuts, then can't change a flat with the OEM one, because it doesn't fit.

 

[txj2go]

Everyone here should get a 1/2 drive breaker bar with a 22mm SIX POINT deep socket on it, and keep it in your Jeep

I did that right after buying the Jeep.
I've had 2 sets of tires put on it by a tire shop and each time I checked torque with my torque wrench and socket. I've also taken tires off once or twice myself for other work. So far my lug nuts have been lucky enough to survive but I will put a new set of lug nuts on my shopping list for future purchases.
Oh and BTW my daughter has a Grand Cherokee Trailhawk. Right after she bought it I bought her a breaker bar and 6-point socket to keep in her Jeep.

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