Updated question - I ordered some new lug nuts, they arrived yesterday. Yesterday evening, I take my tire iron out to the car, thinking maybe I will change them, but knowing I'll probably do one and then take it to my local shop and have them do it. I slip the tire iron on the lug nut, perfect fit. Then I think, "Hmmm, I wonder which ones are swollen?" So I proceed to put my tire iron on all 24 lug nuts. It seems to be a perfect fit on every single one. I even take a new one out of the box and put it in the tire iron, it seems to fit just like the ones installed on my car, I can tell no difference. So know I am thinking, "Did the guy at Costco have any idea what he was talking about?" All they do are tires, so they see lug nuts all day long. And he wasn't trying to sell them to me. So that all lends itself to credibility. But if I cannot tell they are swollen, do I really need to replace them?

I drive a 2015 Suburban. I had my tires replaced at Costco yesterday. When I checked out, the technician told me that I had swollen lug nuts and I should replace them at the next available opportunity.

I thought to myself, "Swollen lug nuts, what the hell is that?"

And then later, "I suppose I should check into this, cause he wasn't trying to sell me anything."

A quick Google search turns up that this is real thing. Who knew?

I suppose I need to buy new ones. Can I just order whatever $20-$40 set off Amazon? I really would prefer not to spend over $100 on a set of lug nuts.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: holdem,

There's a time to buy cheap and a time to buy oem. Keeping your tires on your vehicle when you're doin' 80 seems like an easy answer.

Don’t use lug nuts with any kind of “skin” on them. Get chrome plated ones if you have to have them shiny.

Yes.
Once. long ago while snorkeling, a Man O War wrapped up my left leg and the twigs 'n berries right through my swim suit.

quote:

Originally posted by Shaql:
There's a time to buy cheap and a time to buy oem. Keeping your tires on your vehicle when you're doin' 80 seems like an easy answer.

And this is exactly NOT the time to use OEM.
Chevy, Ford, and Toyota have opted to use a 2 piece design on their trucks that is utter crap!!!
The result is swollen lug nuts and heaven forbid your flat is on the side of the highway and you find that your factory lug wrench does not fit your factory lug nut anymore.
If one never uses an impact the likelihood of the swelling is greatly minimized.

McGard or Gorilla is what you want to replace them with.

Ask me how I know? 2016 Ford Expedition, 2015 Chevy Suburban, 2014 Tundra all have been replaced in my stable.

Swollen? Do they hang lower these days too?

A great reason to keep a breaker bar with socket in the vehicle. Also for snugging up lugs after driving home from service work.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:

Such a wealth of knowledge here. I had never heard of this since I don't own a particularly new car with fancy wheels.
Big problem with Ford and some other brands. Terrible design. They are actually a thin chromed cap on top of the steel nuts instead of real chromed nuts. They predictably distort when any real torque is applied, especially with an impact.
Terrible design.
If it were me, I'd get some one piece stainless replacements (read country of origin too). They won't be quite as shiny, but this won't happen. Either way, no power tools should be used but anti-seize on the threads and a torque wrench is a must.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
Swollen? Do they hang lower these days too?

Only on the receiver of Ford F-150 pickups.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:

Fling them into this bush



and bring about peas in our thyme.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
Either way, no power tools should be used ...

There's no problem using power tools if they're used correctly.

You can use power tools to remove the nuts and you can use them to initially snug them back down. In the latter case, for final tightening,

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
... a torque wrench is a must.

The above assumes one knows how to use both tools correctly.

I knew about the two-piece lug nuts. I'd never heard of the swelling problem, but it makes sense.

The JGC is getting new wheels and tires next year. If the stock lug nuts are two-piece, new lug nuts, as well.

Hysterical Sigmonkey.

Yes, this is a thing.

This led to my daughter and I being stranded in her 2015 Ford Escape about a year and a half ago. We had to have the car towed after having a flat tire because the lug wrench would not fit anymore to change the tire.

We replaced the lug nuts with a one piece design shortly thereafter.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

quote:

Originally posted by Shaql:
There's a time to buy cheap and a time to buy oem. Keeping your tires on your vehicle when you're doin' 80 seems like an easy answer.

And this is exactly NOT the time to use OEM.
Chevy, Ford, and Toyota have opted to use a 2 piece design on their trucks that is utter crap!!!
The result is swollen lug nuts and heaven forbid your flat is on the side of the highway and you find that your factory lug wrench does not fit your factory lug nut anymore.
If one never uses an impact the likelihood of the swelling is greatly minimized.

McGard or Gorilla is what you want to replace them with.

Ask me how I know? 2016 Ford Expedition, 2015 Chevy Suburban, 2014 Tundra all have been replaced in my stable.

Listen to this advice. I replaced the lug nuts on my F-150 with Gorilla.

Huh, there we have it.

I was changing a tire on my travel trailer last week and there was one lug nut that wouldn’t fit the socket I was using. I thought it was very strange. I ended up having to hammer the socket onto it to get grip .. which ultimately did the job.

I bought some new ones on Amazon to replace it with.

I never knew swollen lug nuts was a thing but that’s good to know.

Yep, one piece design only.

I like the Gorilla brand.

Sadly, DT quit carrying them.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by lbj:
Yes, this is a thing.

This led to my daughter and I being stranded in her 2015 Ford Escape about a year and a half ago. We had to have the car towed after having a flat tire because the lug wrench would not fit anymore to change the tire.

2016 Escape here. I got lucky though and a tire tech noticed and suggested I replace them before I get fucked.[

I've had them get so bad that I had to hammer a socket on to be able to turn them. Buy quality one piece nuts and make sure you have the right size of socket. Many times people use a size thats slightly larger than the correct one and it makes it worse much faster.

I just checked my lug nuts on my 2018 f-150 yesterday and found that my 4-star lug wrench would not fit any of the nuts. I ended up finding a 21mm socket in my tool box that would fit and torqued them down to 110lbs--the recommended amount. I'll need to look for the Gorilla style nuts also!