[vintaylor]

Hi Guys,

Looking at trying to remove some seized wheel nuts off an old gt junior.

Problem is 1 nut has rounded head and is pretty much seized.

Other nut it turning freely so must have a damaged thread.

I am hoping to remove the old nuts to free off the brakes and have the thing moving again.

 

[74 GTV]

Wonder if some heat on the nut(s) would help, while using a vise grip to try and remove it. If not, you may want to cut (dremel) the lug nut in question and split it in half, removing it from the stud. It's time consuming, but may be worth a try.

For the nut that spins, you may have an assistant pull outward on the wheel while you loosen that nut... It's probably best to have the other nuts already removed from that wheel. Good luck.


Doug

 

[willwiser]

for the one that does not spin, if you have a welder, you might be able to weld a nut to the end of the existing nut and use a pry bar to get it to catch the threads and then screw off

for the one that is rounded off, welding could work as well. you could also drill a small hole and put penetrating oil in the hole to try to get some oil into the threads

A long shot is to cut a slot on the end of the nut to allow a large screwdriver/impact wrench to try to get the nut to move. alternatively, cut a cross at the top of the nut and use a chisel to try to crack the nut

 

[dlbehrns]

some heat on the nut(s) would help

if you get it red hot it should let go.

 

[vintaylor]

Do you think a normal blow torch should do the job?

Don't have an acetylene torch

 

[dlbehrns]

butane

a butane torch, if that's all you have should do the job. just make sure you are patient and get it really hot before you try to twist it off(the stuck one).
The one that is spinning, do as the other guy said; grab it with a visegrip and pull while turning or have someone pull on the wheel while you turn the lug.

 

[Alfajay]

seized wheel nuts off an old gt junior

Not to insult your intelligence, but are these the nuts on the left hand side? Early 105's used left hand threaded studs on the left side. Might you (or a PO) have tried removing them by turning CCW?

Obviously even if this is the case, just turning CW isn't going to heal stripped threads or rounded nuts.

if you have a welder, you might be able to weld a nut to the end of the existing nut

Yea, unless they are bronze nuts, which were commonly used on early 105's.

 

[vintaylor]

Hi there,

Yep these tighten when turning left.. one still stuck on with rounded head and the other turning freely

 

[vintaylor]

Not a welder ... just a very novice home mechanic hoping to free off locked brakes to move an old alfa out of one garage and into another

Car is a 1971 Alfa GT Junior if that helps

 

[Alfajay]

Car is a 1971 Alfa GT Junior if that helps

It confirms that it would have LH studs on the left side. I believe 1971 was the last year Alfa used these (at least here in the US). The existence of LH studs explains why someone might have rounded off & stripped the nuts, probably using an impact wrench.

It doesn't help to get the &^%*^! things off, however!

 

[vintaylor]

Thanks Alfa Jay..

I'll try the many ideas posted here and see how I get on

 

[lotuseleven]

you probably aren't going to save the stud,and definitely not the nut, so just drill out the stud with a half-inch drill bit (or whatever size fits inside a lug nut), slow speed with plenty of lube. should go pretty quick if you have a sharp bit, and the nut will want to center the drill on the stud. Grind any of the stud showing before you start drilling.

 

[PSk]

you probably aren't going to save the stud,and definitely not the nut, so just drill out the stud with a half-inch drill bit (or whatever size fits inside a lug nut), slow speed with plenty of lube. should go pretty quick if you have a sharp bit, and the nut will want to center the drill on the stud. Grind any of the stud showing before you start drilling.

Yep ... 6" grinder to cut off as much as possible of any thread sticking out of the nut (if you want to save the nut) and drill it out enough to remove the nut.

Purchase new studs and nuts, replacing them all and job done
Pete

 

[vintaylor]

Pics attached..

Looks Like I'll be drilling them out.

Radon question - Does anyone know where a gt junior should be jacked up from in the front? Can't seem to find a suitable jacking poin under the car

 

[vintaylor]

Here's a couple of pics of the car in question

 

[Uaglio]

you could try to split the nut off by hitting it square with a steel chisel (looks like a nut splitting tool wont fit around it). But you're likely to hit that hubcap, so consider that first.

 

[willwiser]

as a last ditch effort before drilling you could try to use a dremel cut-off wheel to cut the nut just up to the stud thread...might then weaken the nut to get it off

 

[Uaglio]

as a last ditch effort before drilling you could try to use a dremel cut-off wheel to cut the nut just up to the stud thread...might then weaken the nut to get it off

good idea too. Or try that and then maybe tap with chisel to break it off. Wear your safety glasses

 

[lotuseleven]

not clear to me from your post, but if both seized nuts are on reverse-thread studs, I'd be betting that the last time the 18 year old at the tire shop put these back on he put a right-hand nut on the left-hand stud and gunned them on. pretty sure that with enough air pressure you can overcome the nuts reluctance to thread onto that stud, you're just cutting new threads. if that's the case, doubt they would ever come off. drill baby, drill!

 

[flivesay]

Google nut splitter and then go to harbour freight or sears. They work amazingly quick, you can save the stud if it isn't already damaged and are pretty cheap