Wheel nut challenge!

David.

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
J11 M40
Had this last year with a Volvo C30, front hub, same as the Focus.
First problem was alloy wheel matching original was like rocking horse's, and going to be £250 for a near enough match. Drilled stud out with quality drill bit and then found only way to replace stud is to replace hub/bearing unit, no access to heads of studs from behind. If you can get a replacement rim cheaply, butcher this one off, save a load of grief.

You might be lucky with a rear, *if* the stud heads are not similarly fouled by bearing housing, to the extent you cant press a new stud in. Not done rear, and not got vehicle here to check.
Front one was easier because we could remove bottom assembly off strut and get it in the press, guess yours is fixed to the trailing arm and not easily removable.

If you have to fit a new Generation 2 hub and bearing cartridge, you will HAVE to obtain a hub puller/installer kit of the correct size for Ford. You may persuade the old one out, but you will destroy the new bearing if you push the new unit in by pushing against the hub itself. You HAVE to install the new bearing with the special tool that acts on the outer race itself.
Kit was £80 off the Bay because I could not scrounge one. Example below though link says LR.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gen2-Whe...er-2-From-2006-Front-Volvo-Ford-/252484329510
 
Last edited:

JCfarmer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
warks
Buy one of these for less than a tenner. Find the one that fits on the hole nicely but bigger than the nut. Drill through the wheel without using the pilot bit.
Then grind off the damaged bit that is now easy to get at.
Buy replacement wheel off ebay for £50 that has good tyre on it.
Quick and simple and sorts the slow puncture too.

View attachment 851181
I was just thinking the same but what about buying one of these slightly bigger than the thread to attack whats left of the nut?
 
Last edited:

roscoe erf

Member
Livestock Farmer
Swan_vesta_matches_2008.jpg
 

bobk

Member
Location
stafford
Best solution , sledgehammer and smash the wheel off , had the same issue with my ranger .. total pita .

No lockers now and no one has stolen it
 

Boohoo

Member
Location
Newtownabbey
The holesaw without the pilot bit is probably the best idea so far, if you can get one the right size to cut the nut away without damaging the threads. The collar that's on the base of the nut should stop you going too far and cutting into the wheel. You may have to wrap tape around the outside of the holesaw to keep it centred.
Not sure if the nut in question being a locking nut has much to do with it breaking, the Ford design of locking nut won't be any weaker at that point than the other wheel nuts. A tyre fitter's over enthusiastic use of an air gun will have weakened the nut.
 

Paddington

Member
Location
Soggy Shropshire
Had a 2dr Rangie fitted with the later 3 spoke alloy wheels when I had a flat tyre. Put the spare on with a struggle and took the flat one into the tyre shop where I think it was just the valve needed replacing. I decided to put the spare back in the car and found it wouldn't come off. Spent a day lying underneath with a club hammer and a block of wood (being careful) trying to tap the thing loose, followed by loosening the wheelnuts and using a hi lift jack strapped between the wheel and a telegraph post...only managed in dragging the car sideways. Next day back at the tyre shop they had an idea, loosened all the wheel nuts then drove the car in a tight circle with the stuck wheel on the inside. People used to complain about the early Rangies that because of the soft suspension they could be rolled on tight bends, but we got the outer wheels well tucked up inside the wheel arches without that wheel coming loose.
Down to the local 4x4 garage the next day to be told you can't fit alloys on the early hubs which had Rostyles as standard as the alloy centres are too small, so the ones fitted had been modified to fit but they had not done the spare. I think I paid £50 to have 3 chaps get that wheel off, one inside turning the steeering wheel and 2 underneath with sledge hammers giving it some stick, followed by a grinding session when the wheel came off.
 

farmerm

Member
Location
Shropshire
No one suggested leaving it at the side of the road for the travellers to find yet?
I was about to but seems you beat me to it :ROFLMAO: add a means to remotely detonate it too and you can kill 2 birds with one stone... :whistle: but if you do decide you are keeping it.... its time to remove the ford lock nuts.... if someone is really keen enough to nick your old wheels they will bring a tool for the job!
 

agrimax

Member
Location
Co Down
What about one of these?


What would one attach one of these removers to? The nut is sheared off flush with the hole in the rim!
It's either remove it with an air chisel(which I've had good success with),drill it out or cut the wheel off.
 

Y Fan Wen

Member
Location
N W Snowdonia
Slightly different as these were bolts, made had a puncture Xmas eve on his Passat, changed wheel at side of road miles from home visiting in-laws, got home Boxing Day when he remembered he had left locking wheel but jack and brace at side of a1 somewhere! ? twenty minutes with welder, and disable the other 3 as well. No more locking nuts, who the fudge nicks wheels anyway???
Joyriders stole a Disco and ended up driving it into the channel between Anglesey and Holy Island. The fishermen and sailors who parked their boats further up the channel needed to get it out of the way so organised a day with plenty of hands and winch tractor etc.. Pulled it out and left it above the tide line ready to load on a hiab truck the next day for the scrapper. Came back next day and, 'no wheels'. This is quarter mile or more down a dirt track.
 

Mur Huwcun

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North West Wales
Had this last year with a Volvo C30, front hub, same as the Focus.
First problem was alloy wheel matching original was like rocking horse's, and going to be £250 for a near enough match. Drilled stud out with quality drill bit and then found only way to replace stud is to replace hub/bearing unit, no access to heads of studs from behind. If you can get a replacement rim cheaply, butcher this one off, save a load of grief.

You might be lucky with a rear, *if* the stud heads are not similarly fouled by bearing housing, to the extent you cant press a new stud in. Not done rear, and not got vehicle here to check.
Front one was easier because we could remove bottom assembly off strut and get it in the press, guess yours is fixed to the trailing arm and not easily removable.

If you have to fit a new Generation 2 hub and bearing cartridge, you will HAVE to obtain a hub puller/installer kit of the correct size for Ford. You may persuade the old one out, but you will destroy the new bearing if you push the new unit in by pushing against the hub itself. You HAVE to install the new bearing with the special tool that acts on the outer race itself.
Kit was £80 off the Bay because I could not scrounge one. Example below though link says LR.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gen2-Whe...er-2-From-2006-Front-Volvo-Ford-/252484329510

If it’s like the Mk2 focus we have the studs will pop off as I had to pop them off in order to get a drill bit through the hub hole to drill the torx bolts that hold the stub axle on as the heads were on the inside but rusted solid therefore you can change just the stud
 

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