I screwed up ! Any ideas?

[86Ryan]

So today I was trying to try on some new wheels.
When trying to take the wheel off I made the mistake of thinking we had lifted the car on the jack prior and I tried to remove the lug nuts while the car was on the floor still ( I feel so stupid for this)

When we finally noticed and lifted it up and switched the wheels 2 of the 5 lug nuts would not go in AT ALL. We swapped some from the opposite side and it still would not fit. Has anyone made this dumb mistake before? I needed extended studs but they're being shipped still. Could I have ruined the threads when trying to remove it on the ground or did I bend the actual stud? I don't want to drive my car on only 3 lug nuts so any ideas would help. THANK YOU

[RJasonKlein]

Wow - there's a whole lot of 'trying' going on in your story...

Seriously, I had a hell of of time even understanding what you said, but it sounds like you thought the car was raised and you tried to remove the wheels while the car was still on the ground, and now the lug nuts won't thread onto the studs, right? It shouldn't be too difficult to tell if the threads are damaged or whether the studs are bent by a visual inspection - do the threads look chewed up or are the studs obviously bent in a way that makes putting the wheels on difficult? If the former, you may be able to run a die over the stud to restore the threads, but I'd probably just replace the stud anyway. If the latter, you have no choice but to replace the stud. I'd also check the wheels, because they're not supposed to bear the weight of the vehicle without lug nuts fastened and you may have elongated some of the mounting holes - if so, that may end up being you biggest problem.

Either way, you screwed up, but it's fixable - live and learn.

[C4RBON]

Did you get all of the lug nuts off while the wheel was still supporting the weight of the vehicle?

What wheels were you taking off? Were they the OEM wheels? Or non-hubcentric aftermarket wheels?

Worst case scenario is you damaged a wheel and need to replace all five wheel studs. Replacing studs is easy once you get the brake rotor off.

I've done an autox on 4 lug nuts. I know people that have done it on 3. I'm not suggesting it... but it's been done before without issue.

[guybo]

You just turned over the threads on your lug studs. Not the end of the world. Just get a thread chaser and fix them. No biggie

[Icecreamtruk]

Do or do not, there is no try.

[asdf]

Waiting for more information from OP.

Lugs do not fit meaning they won't hand thread onto the stud?

Don't see how you could have bent the stud(s) by loosening the lug nuts.

[VIP BRZ]

You could drive on 3 lug nuts to a local shop, replace the damaged studs.

[Tcoat]

I have removed (or at least backed off enough they are no longer touching the wheel) literally thousands of lug nuts before lifting the car and never once damaged a lug. As mentioned, if stock or aftermarket wheels that are hubcentric then unless you moved the car around there should be no weight placed on the lugs even with the nuts removed. The lugs should remain centered in the holes as long as the wheel remained on the hub center. Maybe the wheel got dragged across the threads when taking it off or putting it on but even that should not cause enough thread damage to not be able to get the nuts back on.
Something is wonky with the whole situation.

[finch1750]

Since you tried other lug nuts on the studs I would assume the studs are damaged. Do the lug nuts from those studs go on easily to other studs?


If yes to all the above just go buy some new studs from the dealer till you extended ones get here. I would daily on 4 for a couple days but 3 seems kinda sketchy. OEM studs are like $4 at the local dealer (at least when I got mine)

[DandoX]

Originally Posted by 86Ryan

So today I was trying to try on some new wheels.
When trying to take the wheel off I made the mistake of thinking we had lifted the car on the jack prior and I tried to remove the lug nuts while the car was on the floor still ( I feel so stupid for this)

When we finally noticed and lifted it up and switched the wheels 2 of the 5 lug nuts would not go in AT ALL. We swapped some from the opposite side and it still would not fit. Has anyone made this dumb mistake before? I needed extended studs but they're being shipped still. Could I have ruined the threads when trying to remove it on the ground or did I bend the actual stud? I don't want to drive my car on only 3 lug nuts so any ideas would help. THANK YOU

Hey man don't feel bad I've done some stupid shit also. Everyone has at one point. That's how you learn, it's okay to beat yourself up a little because then you know that mistake won't ever happen again. Don't dwell on it however.

As for the studs can't say for sure without checking them but recently (this week actually) a tire shop cross threaded one of my studs and I was not happy. They made it right and had a brake shop replace the stud entirely, it wasn't a big deal except for my time it wasted. You likely need the studs replaced, not end of the world but may cost you $100/$200 depending how many studs need to be replaced. I would advise you to let a pro replace the studs for you. Also you can drive with 3 lugs if you absolutely have to (try and avoid driving it until it's fixed) but go as slow as possible and brake and take corners super easy until you get all 5 lugs on there. If you really don't feel comfortable driving it with only 3 then get a tow.

[finch1750]

Originally Posted by DandoX

Hey man don't feel bad I've done some stupid shit also. Everyone has at one point. That's how you learn, it's okay to beat yourself up a little because then you know that mistake won't ever happen again. Don't dwell on it however.

As for the studs can't say for sure without checking them but recently (this week actually) a tire shop cross threaded one of my studs and I was not happy. They made it right and had a brake shop replace the stud entirely, it wasn't a big deal except for my time it wasted. You likely need the studs replaced, not end of the world but may cost you $100/$200 depending how many studs need to be replaced. I would advise you to let a pro replace the studs for you. Also you can drive with 3 lugs if you absolutely have to (try and avoid driving it until it's fixed) but go as slow as possible and brake and take corners super easy until you get all 5 lugs on there. If you really don't feel comfortable driving it with only 3 then get a tow.

The studs take under an hour to replace if on a single wheel. And it really isn't hard. Just follow the DIY here on the forum. Stock studs don't even need the hub removed.

[DandoX]

Originally Posted by finch1750

The studs take under an hour to replace if on a single wheel. And it really isn't hard. Just follow the DIY here on the forum. Stock studs don't even need the hub removed.

Good to know, I'm not the most handy but I'd like to learn and try. I always figured it was fairly difficult but I'll check out that DIY next time I pull a bonehead move and mess up a stud.

[MurderousPandas]

You're supposed to loosen the lugs while the car is on the ground, then jack and remove. Kinda strange that it damaged something the way you did it, but a visual inspection should be enough. I had to drive on 2 lugs once to get to a garage to replace the other studs, so you're still operable, just be safe.

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

[LudwigMiles]

I don't even get what he's saying.
You're supposed to break the lugs free with the wheels on the ground.