2018 MKZ lug nuts

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Mar 12, 2014
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Bay Village, Ohio
So, not too sure what the best course of action is here...

Apparently, the MKZ lug nuts have a torque spec of something ridiculous like 150ftlb.

Went to take the vehicle to get tires rotated to 2 different places and neither place could break the lug nuts. So the last place that did it over torqued the you know what out of them on top of that crazy spec.

This car only has 36k miles on it...it's not driven much, and it belongs to someone I'm seeing so I don't know the history. But it's likely been a little over a year since the tires were last rotated.

She is going to try to see if she can figure out where it was done last and talk to them, but after a year plus, I'm not confident that place, wherever it was, will take much responsibility.

The one place I went to said if we can't make any headway with the last place the tires were rotated that they would try to break them by hand tools with the vehicle down. But of course, there is a fair likelihood of breaking the studs. Their impact tools only were able to remove 2 lug nuts on 2 wheels. They didn't even try the rears.

Assuming there is no help from the last place, is this the best course of action, to let them try by hand tools? I would think yes, but thought I'd see what people here would say.

Thanks in advance.
 
Been there. With a good breaker bar and socket, I would stand on the breaker bar or put a pipe over it and force it. Something has to give. If you need to replace the studs, so be it. Better to do this on your driveway than to deal with it when you get a flat on the road.

Since you won't be doing it yourself, give the shop permission to go ahead and try to remove them, knowing that you may need to replace some studs. What's important is that your friend is mentally prepared for what may likely happen.
 
Thanks. I honestly would like to take a whack at them myself, but it's winter and I don't have a garage, and getting into the labor of a broken stud replacement doesn't look too appetizing right now lol.
 
You could try it yourself. It's okay if you break one stud on a wheel, you could stop there and still drive it in for service. Or you may get lucky.
 
I had an MKZ. A long breaker bar helps. I would not remove swollen nuts forcefully. Pay someone to deal with it.

As for why anybody would "top off" the proper torque, I do not understand.
 
A picture of the easy solution and IMO, the most mechanically humane. A high powered impact could/should get them loose, but how long will it take each nut to free? 12 seconds worth of impacts, rattling away the whole time?

Scott

IMG_1936.webp
 
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Are these two-piece/capped? I think F150s of the era were? Not sure on Lincoln

If so, get real lugnuts to replace when this is resolved.

Also, if it'll fit Astro makes a weighted socket. On Amazon. So does IR, of course, but much more $$

Use a QUALITY impact socket of the correct size with the THICKEST walls you can fit. You do NOT want to round that hex, and it happens.

That said, there is always a solution:
Post in thread 'What are you working on today?' https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/what-are-you-working-on-today.331303/post-6400095
 
Are these two-piece/capped? I think F150s of the era were? Not sure on Lincoln

If so, get real lugnuts to replace when this is resolved.

Also, if it'll fit Astro makes a weighted socket. On Amazon. So does IR, of course, but much more $$

Use a QUALITY impact socket of the correct size with the THICKEST walls you can fit. You do NOT want to round that hex, and it happens.

That said, there is always a solution:
Post in thread 'What are you working on today?' https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/what-are-you-working-on-today.331303/post-6400095
I'm certain they were... my uncle ran into this on his Nautilus ( first MY they changed it from MKX to Nautilus) while it was in for a new ( $8k)Transmission* at 80k mi, they found a few swollen lugs. he didn't believe them, but told them to go ahead and change the "bad" ones, but he wanted those "swollen" lugnuts. ( his quotes, not mine)
he stops by and is complaining about it, and i assure him, it's a real thing, ford has had issues with this for YEARS. one of the first things i did when I bought the Cmax was replace the 2 pc lugs with Solid steel ones to avoid this kind of thing.
yeah well, grumble grumble grumble.
when he picks up the car, he finds that they replaced all 20 nuts ( of course), and did not give him any of the old ones ( of course) Rant! Rant! Rant!

*Lincoln corporate did work with him and the dealer to cover half the price of the new trans, so it "only" cost him $4k....since he was a Loyal Customer( his last 6 cars have been Lincolns, all but one custom ordered) and he was just outside the warranty window. ( 75k mi iirc, he was right around 80k,) they said if he'd gotten to 85 there wouldn't be anything they could do for him.
 
Just curious. Does anybody know why such a high torque spec is required in this case? I don’t really understand the difference between various vehicle’s torque spec.
No idea but if M14 I tend to torque all M14 to 140#, so 150 ain't crazy

Now, if they're M12 that's crazy high
 
I rarely torque wheels over 100 ft/lbs for this reason... diesels and heavy duty being the exception. Never had a wheel come off.
 
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