Broken wheel lock

I've got a couple broken spline lugs that snapped off below the end of the wheel stud which doesn't leave enough usable surface area to bite with an extractor... The wheel locks are ~19mm in diameter and I've already burned one down to ~15mm so I feel like I'm just chasing my tail by trying to use extractors.

I started drilling out one of the wheel studs but am burning through bits even after buying a bit sharpener. I'm not sure what the best course of action is once I do make it all the way through the stud either. I'm hung up on trying to figure out the best plan of attack and it's getting in the way of rotating tires, shock rebuild, other projects, etc. Anybody got some sage advice or better insight to offer?

 

Those damn things are garbage. Had one that failed on me, had to drive to the dealership where I bought them to get that one stud removed. Never used them again. They'll leave me stranded somewhere, sometime.

 

Tighten all the other bolts, this should “push” the rim in and relieve some of the pressure on that stud. Then try again.

 

The stud isnt free spinning is it?

 

@Tcomaboy Fucking brilliant, I’ll give that a shot!

 

No, it’s still seated in the back side of the hub and what’s left of the lug is seized onto the stud.

 

@b_r_o Tried Harbor Freight extractors first, then Blue Point and Cornwell. Probably shot myself in the foot by going the cheap route before seeking out higher quality tools but it’s all I had available. Not enough of the lug remaining on the other stud for an extractor to catch on since the wheel lock snapped nearly flush with the mounting hole on the wheel.

 

Maybe a hole saw slightly larger than the stud. No pilot on the arbor. If the stud is above the nut, it'll hold it in place. Use something to cool the saw, find the right speed and pressure, and it should go through.

 

yeah, this is the hack if you ever lose your key lock too.... wheel locks aren’t as secure as you’d think they are

 

If you can find a Diablo hole saw in the correct size they fair ok vs steel. Just use a ton of cutting oil.

 

Milwaukee also makes one that can handle steel ok.

 

Thin sharpened chisel and try to get it to crack. That’s what I did to get a wheel lock off once but it did have a bit more meat on it and I didn’t really care too much about scuffing that part of the wheel.

 

@dkid It’s getting to the point that solving the problem is more important than beating up the wheel some so it won't be long before that option lines up.

 

When I care less and less about appearances and I just need something to come off... I've got a really long chisel (about 18 in) for my air hammer that I use a lot.

Even though you would have to go basically straight on to the top of ( what's left of) the nut, at just a slight angle it would probably back it off. The chisel would definitely gouge the wheel though

 

@b_r_o Limited access to air tools otherwise I definitely wouldn't be opposed. Need to spend the ~$30 on a cold chisel/BFH and give that a shot first before I go in on a compressor and tools lol

 

Can you cut off the backside of the stud and beat the stud out from the backside? I haven't had my truck long enough to take off the wheels.

 

So you know I didn't need air tools. Just a standard hammer did the trick.

 

I've always used a 12 point socket and a sledge hammer to drive the socket onto the locking lug nut. I've never come across a locking lug nut that didn't come off in that manner. I used to have to do that quite a bit for my work. On some occasions I had to use a dremmel to make the locking lug nut fit the socket - but you want it to be extremely tight and have to use a big freaking hammer. A couple of sockets cracked...

 

Those locking nuts were a good idea, just a bad design. Tried to get a refund at the dealership where I bought mine, but they wouldn't give it to me, even though the interior machining/locking face had broken within a year.