Lug Nut Mystery

D

Dig-Dog

New member
So, a few months ago I rotated my tires, and at that time all of my lug nuts were 21mm in size. I recently took my 4Runner into the dealership for state inspection/emissions testing. Tonight, I was rotating my tires. All went well until I got to the passenger front wheel where two of my lug nuts are now mysteriously 22mm in size. Could the tech at the dealership have grabbed two lug nuts from another vehicle (such as a Tundra which I know are 22mm)? This is blowing my mind!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Register to hide this ad
That's what I'm thinking, but how can that even possibly happen. I've lost my faith in everyone and now can't even trust a dealer to do a simple inspection correctly!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Guy at the dealership spins off your lugs with an impact. Lug flies off the stud and hits the floor. Guy can't find it and either finds another on the floor or goes and gets one from elsewhere that is a different size.
 
Dig-Dog said:
I've lost my faith in everyone and now can't even trust a dealer to do a simple inspection correctly!
Click to expand...

Dealers mechanics are mostly just parts installers. They only know what the diagnostic computer tells them to do. Very few know how to actually troubleshoot and fix something.
 
Geez, another dealership service gone wrong. Toyota builds one of the best vehicles but the dealership service monkeys (sorry, I know there's still some good ones out there) are bound and determined to F- that up.
 
Take heart in that it's not just Toyota dealer shop techs that are this way. Go try out a Dodge/Ram dealer service center and it'll make you appreciate your Toyota experience.

And yes, it's a shame that it's the way things are these days.
 
I sent a complaint email to the dealer service department. A got a call back and the dealer service manager rclaims that it is a swollen lug nut issue, which he says is common with Toyota lugs. My lugs are only one year old with just less than 10k miles, so it seems odd to me that these lugs would be swollen. Unless perhaps they were heated up from over torquing with an impact wrench.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Dig-Dog said:
I sent a complaint email to the dealer service department. A got a call back and the dealer service manager claims that it is a swollen lug nut issue, which he says is common with Toyota lugs. My lugs are only one year old with just less than 10k miles, so it seems odd to me that these lugs would be swollen. Unless perhaps they were heated up from over torquing with an impact wrench.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Lug nuts can swell if a tech uses incorrect size or poorly made impact socket tool. This is the reason why I rotate tires at home and don't use cheap tools. Discount Tire seems to do this correctly.
 
Dig-Dog said:
I sent a complaint email to the dealer service department. A got a call back and the dealer service manager rclaims that it is a swollen lug nut issue, which he says is common with Toyota lugs. My lugs are only one year old with just less than 10k miles, so it seems odd to me that these lugs would be swollen. Unless perhaps they were heated up from over torquing with an impact wrench.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Just so you know, the service manager is correct. Toyotas 22mm lugs wouldn't even work on your 4Runner because they are a different thread pitch for newer 5 lug Sequioa/Tundras.

Swollen lug nuts on Toyotas is VERY common. That part that is swollen is actually a softer metal "cover". The lug has 3 pieces. The washer, the cover and the base of the lug nut itself. There are more durable aftermarket lugnuts that do away would the soft metal cover and give a simpler two piece design (just the washer and base)

Rather you want to fight the dealership about rounding them off is up to you. In my opion is it bound to happen eventually. Probably the only way to avoid it would be to NEVER use an impact on the lugs. I doubt it is happening from over torquing. It is probably just the process of removing the lug with an impact that the soft metal cover can't handle. Good luck convincing your shop of choice to use hand tools at every tire rotation. Why Toyota doesn't change the design is a mystery to me.
 
Last edited:
I was curious about the thread difference between the 21mm and 22mm bolts and also had never encountered the swollen lug issue on any of my previous vehicles, so this was all an education for me. For what's it's worth, in my complaint to the dealership, I was never impolite or overly accusatory (just merely presented my hypothesis). They ended up paying for new lugs and said that the swollen lug nut is not something that the customer should have to deal with, regardless of why it happened. So, in the end, I am happy with the dealership effort, but somewhat concerned that something like this could happen after one shop visit/impact wrench experience. The state inspection service was literally the only time the wheels had ever been removed that way. Otherwise, I have done my rotations with hand tools and a torque wrench only.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
That's great dealer service. I didn't know the lug nuts were three piece; I will need to look into solid lug nuts.

My Ranger had a chrome type of outer covering on the lug nuts that chose to separate after a blow out on a miserable stretch of an AZ highway where the tow trucks get paid by the minute. It didn't help to see six white crosses across the road from me. I had to finally beat a socket on the lug to remove it. Magilla Gorilla at the tire place must have put them on, because it was a nightmare to get some of the lugs off. Got a new set of tires after jumping up and down showing my displeasure at the tire dealer.
 
4OYOTER said:
Just so you know, the service manager is correct. Toyotas 22mm lugs wouldn't even work on your 4Runner because they are a different thread pitch for newer 5 lug Sequioa/Tundras.

Swollen lug nuts on Toyotas is VERY common. That part that is swollen is actually a softer metal "cover". The lug has 3 pieces. The washer, the cover and the base of the lug nut itself. There are more durable aftermarket lugnuts that do away would the soft metal cover and give a simpler two piece design (just the washer and base)

Rather you want to fight the dealership about rounding them off is up to you. In my opion is it bound to happen eventually. Probably the only way to avoid it would be to NEVER use an impact on the lugs. I doubt it is happening from over torquing. It is probably just the process of removing the lug with an impact that the soft metal cover can't handle. Good luck convincing your shop of choice to use hand tools at every tire rotation. Why Toyota doesn't change the design is a mystery to me.
Click to expand...

It's not just a Toyota issue as Infiniti has the same problem with Lug nuts. I have come across numerous Infiniti's with the Lug nuts damaged and not able to accept the appropriate size socket. I believe that most of the time this issue was caused by a previous technician using an SAE size socket rather than the appropriate metric socket. They are close but not the same… this equates to a lazy technician or one that is too cheap to purchase the appropriate tool.
 
I use an impact when I do my rotations and I have noticed that I do have a few lugs that don't quite fit into the socket as easy as others. The 21mm still works but it takes some persuading. I have not yet had to jump up to 22mm. I was unaware of the make up of the lugs but it's seems to fit suit with others complaints.
 
4OYOTER said:
There are more durable aftermarket lugnuts that do away would the soft metal cover and give a simpler two piece design (just the washer and base)
Click to expand...

Got a link?

I'd like to preempt this ... easy enough to just hand them to the DT tech at my next rotation.
 
A 13/16" 6 pt deep spark plug socket has worked well for me. It's actually slightly smaller than 21mm (.8125 vs. 0.8268). I've got one that has both measurements inscribed on it.
IIRC I've heard most lug nuts are purposly sized in SAE equivalents: 17, 19, 21, & 23 MM or 11/16, 3/4, 13/16, 7/8.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5933.jpg
    IMG_5933.jpg
    133.5 KB · Views: 31,431
Last edited:
philsey said:
[MENTION=141101]Dig-Dog[/MENTION] Great thread. Who'd have known?







Thanks philsey. I hope the information helps others. I routinely carry a bunch of tools in my vehicle, so a swollen lug nut would not be a major issue for me in the event of a flat. However, if one only had the stock lug wrench that is in the jack kit, a flat with swollen lugs could be a major PITA.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 404 (members: 3, guests: 401)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,309
Messages
3,554,075
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top