Thanks for looking-

I bought a Fiero and every single lug nut looks like the safety/locking type. I received no tool with the car, and I can't get Yons to answer my emails or phone calls this week.

Anyway, they are star-shaped with 8 points - much like a Torx fitting. My Torx T-55 will fit in it, but it won't turn because Torx only uses 5 teeth (or maybe 6).

I need to pull the wheels to bleed the brakes and replace the CV boot, but I am stuck! A regular stripped bolt remover will not work because the nuts are recessed into the rims - so there is no way to grip the outside. I can't even break them off.

Anyone have the same lug nuts? I am going crazy while this car sits here in the garage. The V8 sounds nice, and I want to get it on the road!

can you get a pic?

If this is the factory locking lugnut than there is one way to get it off I know of, and that is to find a deepwell socket that almost fits over the threads for the plastic cap. Pound the socket over and down onto the threads on the lugnut. Now the socket is pounded onto the socket you can remove the lugnut. It might be a little tough to get the socket off the lugnut afterward and it tends to damage the lugnut a little. This is how I got mine off.

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Rick D

86GT
84COUP

http://www.fierodriver.zymdragon.com

"Got Butter!?"

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Archives/Archive-000001/HTML/20041015-2-050307.html

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Archives/Archive-000001/HTML/20031229-2-041358.html

Just go to a parts store and get a lug nut removal socket. They are a socket with a backward thread that as you screw it over the lug nut it gets tigher until the nut unscrews. They run $10-15 buck for a set of two different size but work great. If you have that many to get off it will be worth it. You won't mess up the wheels either. You can then put on some lug nuts of your choice.

Go to your local tire shot maybe (Discount Tire Co) and see if it is maybe one of there sets of lugs and get a new key from them.

Try a Hex Socket aka Allan Wrench in socket form.

Or get some replacement lugs and go to a tire store and have them remove them with their tool. They might do it for less than buying the remove socket.

Just a quick one that worked for a friend with similar 'nuts'... Since they're 8-sided, a hex tool (6 sides / 6 points) may not fit right without a *lot* of pounding, same goes for a torx.. His were also recessed in the wheels, so no room for the standard 'spiral' remover without destroying the wheels. In his case, it turned out that a 1/2" drive socket extension was just the right size when pouned into the nut. Socket extension = 4 sides, so it meshes with the 8 sides in the nut. Assuming it's the right diameter that is. If too big, take to grinder, reduce size, try again. Best to do it with a cheap extension. Anyway... worked for him!

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Bob Williams
Working on the next 3800 swap.. Missing the one that worked!

Thanks, everyone. The way the rims are, the lug nuts are recessed in there so I cannot get a removal tool on the nut. I can only touch the front and one side of it.

I think I'll bleed the breaks with the wheels on and take it to a tire shop (like so many of you said) to see if they can do it. Yes, I'll take replacement lug nuts with me. By the way, these are not Fiero lugs, so the factory stuff won't work.

I saw where someone used an air chisel, but that may not work either...

I'll let you know what I find!

I was all ready for him to drive up here and have me machine him a "key" if he wasn't able to get them out, then he just happened to try the extension and it worked. Must be the same nuts! Edit for a story.. lol I needed a set of wheels / tires for the beater Malibu.. Found the only good set left in the junkyard - 4 good alloy wheels and nice name-brand tires on a Bonneville... Hmm... Wonder why... Doh! 20 locking lug nuts and no key. The key shape was one of those "squiggly line" ones, so nothing was going to fit that. Came back the next day with the Snap-on nut removal tool (backwards-spiraled socket), just a bit of hand pressure on the 1/2" ratchet and all 20 came off with no problem.. Those work great when you have the room! Good to hear the extension worked, sounds like it saved some time and aggrivation!

[This message has been edited by Riceburner98 (edited 09-14-2006).]

quote Originally posted by Saxman: Well, you were right, RiceBurner98! I wish I could give you more than one + for suggesting the 1/2" extension.

i'll do it for you.

quote Originally posted by buddycraigg:i'll do it for you.

Thanks for trying!

Tomorrow is the day I will smell like break fluid...

My old fiero had these, I HIGHLY recommend getting different lugs that will recess into the rim and use a key that fits over instead of inside. I had one break as they are really weak, and i had to had the bolt drilled out and get a new hub...not fun at all....

What happened to the good old days where you could weld on a 4 way lug to the things, then twist them off...

It's probably there. Pull the spare out and look between the spare tire well and the firewall . I always find them there.

Are you sure they are locking style lugs? It sounds like they just might be the McGard spline-drive lug nuts. You can buy the socket and some auto parts stores that carry McGard lug nuts.

If they look like this:


They are the spline drive lugnuts.


There are a few companies who have their own versions as well. So you can check out other brands at the store as well.

[This message has been edited by Oreif (edited 09-15-2006).]

quote Originally posted by Riceburner98: ....Snap-on nut removal tool (backwards-spiraled socket), just a bit of hand pressure on the 1/2" ratchet and all 20 came off with no problem..

One of my last cars had afermarket rims on it when I bought it... also a slight drop w/o camber kit. Anyway, the inside of the rear tires wore MUCH qucker than the outside till I got the camber kit installed. Each wheel had one lock lug with that looked similar to the spline design, but different. The tire shop used the key to get the first three off, but the fourth was so tight that they destroyed the key in the process, w/o getting the nut off. They gave me the "sorry about your luck" story and sent me on my way. Go figure, the lug company was out of business (probably due to the poor design of their interface). I tried several attempts at a remade key to no avail. I happened into the Sears to see if they had a solution to my problem, and these tools jumped out at me. My lug had a round area at the top that resembled a rounded off nut. I took one of these spiral doohickeys and hammered it on the lug, put the 1/2" breaker on and stood on the bar.... didn't move. Got my wife out, both of us stood on the bar (over 300 lbs combined) and had to "bounce" once. With a fairly loud "crack", something moved.... and it was the lug breaking loose of the wheel. I couldn't believe how well that tool held to the lug. I also can't beleive some knucklehead tightened the lug down that much in the first place!!! Long story short- I love those tools!

quote Originally posted by Oreif:Are you sure they are locking style lugs? It sounds like they just might be the McGard spline-drive lug nuts. You can buy the socket and some auto parts stores that carry McGard lug nuts. If they look like this: They are the spline drive lugnuts. There are a few companies who have their own versions as well. So you can check out other brands at the store as well.

Mine are like this (above) - but inverted so that what you are showing might fit INSIDE my lug. The lugs have a hole in them to fit the 8-star tool, so there is nothing on the outside to grab on to. That's why the 1/2" ratchet extension fits right in.

I do appreciate all the help. +'s are coming when I get a few minutes. Tomorrow is brake bleeding time!

locking lug nuts all stink, fighting with one at 11:00pm on a raining night on the side of the highway will make you take every locking nut off and throw them as hard as you can into the night.

that was one lifes lesson that stuck with me. Locking lug nuts are worthless and cause only pain and misery.