Tony D Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I tried posting this yesterday but my fat fingers deleted it.... Got to taking a car apart this past weekend, and found the lugnuts 'mushy' to come off... Figure it was a past cross thread, dirt in the threads, whatever. But it never gets any better. All the way off thing kinda is hard to remove. Get it off, lug stud is O.K., lug nut? What? That.... That.... That looks like a Helicoil!:shock::shock: Sure enough, I peel it out and it's a thread insert. Someone helicoiled a STOCK lug nut. Meh, says I, and over the fence it goes to the neighbors never-mowed back 40. I don't want that anywhere around. Now, not to be outdone in a Cheap of Cheap, it went quickly to not simply cheap, but ignorant, then to fullblown stupidity. Long story short 13 of 16 lug nuts were helicoiled. 2 of the remaining three were thread-pulled and ONE COUNT'EM ONE was a perfectly good stock conical seat lugnut. I got three words to describe that experience, acronymed as follows: "W.T.F."? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zjoel Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 ROFL. I once sold a 260z and I was in the process of swapping struts since the 260z had lowering springs with stock one and I couldn't figure out why the bolt was not coming off of the spindle until i took a closer look, the PO had stripped the thread on the spindle. so what did he do? He ground down the thread and hammered a nut that had the threads ground out also acting as a collar and then put a cotter pin to hold it from slipping out:shock: I was so happy I found that out before I sold the guy the car. Talk about Ghetto status Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 Cotter-Pinned Hammered-On lug nuts beats me, hands down. I stand dumbfounded! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAG58 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 I'm quite sure the majority of people who work on cars, should not be allowed to. The number of idiots is skyrocketing. I may be able to beat that, but definitely not on the wheels. Anyone seen a mini engine literally held together with RTV? I have... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie05 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 I'm quite sure the majority of people who work on cars, should not be allowed to. The number of idiots is skyrocketing. I may be able to beat that, but definitely not on the wheels. Anyone seen a mini engine literally held together with RTV? I have... did it run? I would be quite impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAG58 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Not only did it run, it put a .010 grove in the crankshaft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darrel Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Cotter-Pinned Hammered-On lug nuts beats me, hands down. I stand dumbfounded! LOL Tony, it sounds like the front hub nut was hammered and and a cotter pin put on. I wonder how long that would have lasted as a daily/hourly driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Not sure what helicoils cost in the states, but the kits are expensive up here... wouldn't it be cheaper to buy new (or used) lug nuts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 I do recall seeing a 1977 Dodge Diplomat with the lug nuts welded onto the wheel studs at the Pomona Swap meet in 2008. The owner wasn't around and the car was for sale for $100. There was a small crowd around the car discussing the merits of welded on lug nuts while waiting for the owner to return. I left and went looking for old Datsun parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 Not sure what helicoils cost in the states, but the kits are expensive up here... wouldn't it be cheaper to buy new (or used) lug nuts? BINGO! NEW Lug Nuts new are under a $ at AZ, for the time taken to do this, and the cost of the inserts...you would be well ahead to just buy new. Not to mention the insanity of using a helicoil on a NUT. I mean, deep open-ended hex titanium or aluminum racing lugnuts, sure you want a strong thread of stainless steel and not AL or TI for the repetitions you will put on them changing tires. But on stock lug nuts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Not to mention the insanity of using a helicoil on a NUT. One might say it was crazy, or bonkers, or, whats that other one..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayolives Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Tony...........This was a true test for helicoil. We already knew how stupid humans can be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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