Yeah, it happened to me...

2011 RAM 1500 SLT

The tires have only been off 3 times for rotation with 30k miles on them. Took it in for an oil change about a month ago and the service tech said they were having trouble getting the lug nuts off and back on. Initially I thought he was nuts so I googled the problem.

There are several causes, and it's been a problem that has been around since the 70's but the main problem is mechanics using an impact wrench instead of a torque wrench to reinstall the lug nuts. Rust, Corrosion, Salt, and Hot Cold cycles have been noted as causes too.

So the tech quotes me $171 to replace all 20.... I was about to ask him if he was just stupid or completely nuts...

I needed new tires on the truck so googled around a bit and found some Gorilla Automotive Lug Nuts from Amazon for $38.65, $52 and change for 2 day shipping. Will have them installed when the new tires go on today.


DPAccessories makes some that look more like stock but I couldn't wait around for em this time, but they are made from much better steel apparently and won't deform when put on with an impact wrench.


I think from now on I will second guess any dealership suggestions on what is needed for my truck, cause this is just stupid...

 

$171???? yikes.

good call on the gorilla lugs.

 

It's not as common on other vehicles as it used to be. But it's most common on Dodge trucks or any Chrysler that uses that style of lug nut.

 

With my 2010 Dakota (traded it in for my 2013 Ram, which was totaled a few months later, but thats another story), put new tires on it at around 30k-40k. The lug nuts were swollen, they had to go up 1mm in their wrench sizes from what they were supposed to need to get the lug nuts off.

I bought the Gorilla units as well. Worked well until I traded her in, look and feel much nicer quality than the OEM units.

 

1300 miles with new tires and lugnuts, all is well.

First pics below were taken a few hundred miles into trip from Omaha to Phoenix.





Playing in the mud in Kansas





These new Cooper A/T3's didn't do so well in the Kansas mud.





Was fun gettin the truck dirty tho