A couple quick stupid questions for you guys. I have something wrong with my rear brake caliper so I'm trying to just get the wheel off. I want to make sure I'm trying to turn the lugs the right way. Do they always turn the same way on both sides of the car (like right to tighten, etc?). So should I be turning counter-clockwise to be getting the lugs off? Also, this is the rear left tire (facing the car from behind). I was thinking of taking the car to a garage where they can use an air tool, but it has 3 REAL lug nuts on it and the other 2 are some kind of nuts with not as much to grab onto...like a different socket works on them - would this be a problem for a garage? I just want to do this myself but it's proving very hard for a simple thing. I have the rear on jackstands right now. Anyhow, any help would be greatly appreciated even though it should be a simple thing...-Joe

 

CClock to take them off. Do not try untill you have the correct sizes of 6 point sockets . Six point sockets will not slip as easy. People work on these cars and complain how much trouble they are, and can not remove a wheel. sorry You do not know how to remove a wheel and you want to work in your brakes, what sounds wrong here .Just think about it.

 

this is what the girls do to remember...

righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.

shop will do it, for a price depending on thier struggles. try it, then come back and try again. they'll come off. (use the old wd-40 can on them aswell)

raj

 

ok thanks guys...wd-40's been soaking in since I started. It's not that the lugs are slipping, it's that they're not great quality and they're not moving at all - I just want to get it right the first time. I'm an intelligent guy and getting the wheel off is harder than working on the vaccuum lines or brake caliper in my case (as strange as that may be to you)

 

Uhh, get a good socket on there, throw a breaker bar over the wrench and stand on that ******. Just make sure the socket stays on and doesnt strip it.

 

Two words: air tools.

If you need to use a cheater bar you've got serious problems that need to be addressed for safety.
You may need to have new studs installed - theres a good chance they have been or will be damaged using such extreme force. (Hey, it's dirt cheap and any machine shop can do it in a heartbeat)

Some Chrysler products actually had nuts that loosened clockwise. I guess they thought it would help prevent them from coming off inadvertently. It pissed off a lot of people. It made Chysler a lot of money selling replacement studs and nuts.

Your lug nuts should always identical and final torque is critically important.

Torque values can differ depending on type and brand of wheels. Consult the manufacturer, not your local mechanic. Do not use lubricant when you re-install the nuts, DO make sure the threads are clean by stripping off the WD-40 with strong soap and water or degreaser and then wire brushing them.

When torquing, use a regular wrench to snug them down tight, then criss cross with a HAND torque wrench.
Double check the torque settings after driving it for a day when the wheels are cold.

 

Geez, I just use a star-bar wrench to spin them on/off.

 

If your rear wheel studs are damaged once you get the wheel off, here's what you have to look forward too:

rear wheel stud replace

 

 

Hey guys thanks a lot for your help. Very informative. I think the lugs are definitely over-torqued since I can't budge them with a pipe. I'm going to have to take it somewhere nearby because the whole thing was that the rear caliper is siezed or something is wrong with it. But thanks again for the great information.