Going (Lug) Nuts (Lug Nut Replacement)
March 19, 2023
Here's a part of your vehicle you probably don't think about much: lug nuts. They're what fasten your wheels onto your axles. Pretty important, right? In order to take the wheels off your vehicle to service the brakes, rotate the tires, etc., the lug nuts have to be in good shape so a wrench will grip them tightly.
Because lug nuts are on your wheels, they are exposed to all the elements of the road (salt, water, grime) and really take a beating. Unfortunately, some manufacturers have made them out of two different metals. Underneath is the working part of the lug nut, made of steel. On top is the decorative (the "good looking") part, made out of chrome, stainless steel or aluminum. After a while, the steel part begins to corrode and expands. That changes the shape of the outer cap, sometimes rounding off the hexagonal edges and making it hard (if not impossible) to either loosen or tighten the lug nuts since the wrench won't fit any more.
The reason that's so important is those lug nuts must be functional, especially if you find you have a flat tire somewhere on the road. If the wheel can't come off to be swapped with a spare, it leaves few options, one of which is your vehicle may have to be towed. All that for corroded lug nuts!
When you take your vehicle in for service, the technician who works on it keeps an eye on many things, especially if he or she is removing wheels. It's not unusual for your service advisor to recommend you replace several lug nuts at once since some corrode at a different rate than others. Your repair facility is trying to help you avoid driving a vehicle that has wheels that can't easily be taken off when they need to be.
The good news is there are one-piece lug nuts that don't have the problem the two-piece lug nuts have, so replacing them could eliminate that from happening again any time soon. And that's not "nuts" at all.
TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires
1735 N Main St
Royal Oak, Michigan 48067
248-541-8300
http://www.tlcautocareroyaloak.com
Need Service?
More articles from TLC Auto Care
Full Stop (Brake Master Cylinder Replacement)
June 2, 2025
When you step on your brake pedal, you want to feel confident that your vehicles going to stop. If your brakes arent working right, its a risk to your safety and the safety of others on the road. After all, youre driving a machine that weighs thousands of pounds, and you have to be able to stop... More
Light's Out! Trouble Ahead (Exterior Light Bulb Service)
May 25, 2025
Whether or not your exterior light bulbs are all working probably is not at the top of your list when you think about your vehicle. But those exterior lights are more important than you think, and they're vital to your safety and that of other drivers near you. Headlights are important. Not onl... More
Muffler: Victim of Winter (Muffler Repair)
May 18, 2025
So you almost got through the winter until, one day, your muffler started sounding like a dragster, loud and obnoxious. It's not surprising. All that road salt and brine can cause rust to punch holes in a muffler, and that should raise a big, red warning flag about the safety of your vehicle. O... More