ford escape swollen lug nuts.

i found some inexpensive one piece steel ones on line,(forget where...) and replaced the factory 2 piecers on my Cmax before there was a problem.
literally i bought it used in early '18, replaced the OE tires within a month, and replaced them within 2 months of that.

they do have some light rust on the edges (probably the tire shop being too happy with the uggaduggas)but it's just surface rust and i'm really not worried about that little bit of cosmetics.
 
I replaced the lugnuts on my 14 Mustang and my mom's 14 Fusion with the McGard ones and haven't had an issue since. I kept getting Dorman ones for the Mustang but it took a substantial amount to get 20 that fit in a SnapOn 13/16 socket.
 
Same on my '13 Focus...what a PITA to get them off to replace them. What a @##@$ design.
 
The first thing I did when we got our then new 2018 Toyota Camry home, was to go on Amazon and replace the cheap sheet metal covered lug nuts, with solid chrome plated steel.

Never knew swollen lug nuts were a concern in Aridzona. I've had tire shops mark them up a little but not to the extent they're unuseable. That's inexpensive headache prevention.
 
Wasnt this FUD according to Ford Boss Me?
He can't think it is and say it is, but he's wrong. Where is he located ? If he's in the south, this is something he may not encounter, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
 
I live in the rust belt and have had numerous Fords. I’ve always flooded them with Fluid Film, and then let the excess drain off. Never had a problem with swelling once I started that. I also avoid blasting them with impact guns.
 
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Never knew swollen lug nuts were a concern in Aridzona. I've had tire shops mark them up a little but not to the extent they're unuseable. That's inexpensive headache prevention.
I don't think climate has as much to do with it as air impact wrenches do. It's not so much that they, "swell". As it is they get mangled by them. I've seen poorly fitted sockets chew them up after just one removal and installation.
 
I did get the remaining 4 off this morning. Not a fun job and took a bit of brute force.

Had to remove the outer layer of the cap with a chisel, then hammer on a 17mm socket and turn it loose with a breaker bar and pipe.

IMG_0641.jpg
 
Usually the swollen ones are found in the salt belt. Those have the privilege of meeting the impact wrench too many times. I had the same problem on a 1991 Ford Ranger. I used a hammer and chisel to cut off the caps. I then used a smaller socket to remove the lug nuts.
Zero salt here and VERY little rust (a skim coat of surface rust here is "heavy rust") and the problem of swollen lugs is as rampant as any place.

I just went through this on a '12 Ram 1500. The Dormans sold at O'Reilly wound up being pricey and were only available in 21mm, but OEM is 22mm. As it's not my vehicle I wanted to stick with OEM sizing for flat repair etc. I just ordered the appropriate McGards on Amazon. Cheaper and the correct size.

Have also done this on TJ's, 4+ second gen Rams, JK's, '09 Focus and more.

Everyone should definitely scrap 2-piece lugs before they become a problem.
 
Zero salt here and VERY little rust (a skim coat of surface rust here is "heavy rust") and the problem of swollen lugs is as rampant as any place.

I just went through this on a '12 Ram 1500. The Dormans sold at O'Reilly wound up being pricey and were only available in 21mm, but OEM is 22mm. As it's not my vehicle I wanted to stick with OEM sizing for flat repair etc. I just ordered the appropriate McGards on Amazon. Cheaper and the correct size.

Have also done this on TJ's, 4+ second gen Rams, JK's, '09 Focus and more.

Everyone should definitely scrap 2-piece lugs before they become a problem.
There’s a difference between swollen and beat up by an impact wrench.
 
You can order 18.5/19.5 flip sockets and everyone should have one in their box just in case. The 18.5 works for ones missing the cap and the 19.5 works for swollen.
Would a SAE socket work as well? If I'm going to potentially damage a socket I'd rather ruin one I might not be using again anyway...
 
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