I'm at a loss here and am worried on getting stranded on a flat.

I've stripped the inside of *two* 7 sided Kyokugen keys and am wondering how in the hell i can get these damn lugs off. And yes, i initially torqued them to spec. At this point i've managed to get a few lugs off but finally stripped the keys. I'm actually running with 3 different types of lugs as we speak (kyokugen spline drives on one wheel, the stuborn kyokugen 7sided and McGard Locking)

I'm trying to get these pieces of **** off so i can replace them with Ray's Dura Lugs in blue (http://www.istoreparts.com/product_info.php?cPath=255_256_257_259&products_id=2242) to complement my gold gramlights with blue valve stems, blue gramlight decal's and WRB car. I've heard good things about them so hopefully these won't strip when torqued properly. They better not at $130 for a set!

Any advice on how in the hell i can get these lugs off? The 7 sided keys are almost impossible to find without having to buy a whole new set of lugs. I even tried 4 different tire shops and they didn't have any 7 sided keys. They also said there's a good chance of damaging the paint on my wheels OR rotors if they torque them off which I already knew.

Do any of you guys have any helpful steps to take these bastards off? Does the "Bolt off" kit at Sears work? Anyone have any tools i can borrow to get the job done?

On a side note, i recommend newbies NOT purchase these lugs as they seem to be a problem for a lot of people (search). The walls of the keys are too thin so they either flex too much and strip or they actually snap (unless you cyro them which defeats the entire purpose of better lugs). Same thing for those gorilla pieces of crap too. The lugs themselves are pathetic... i swear they're made from some type of lead alloy :rolleyes: They seem to be good for 1-3 tire rotations and then they're done. Just not worth it to buy them because problems are bound to happen.

I need help fellas...

-Eric

BTW. What size "Bolt off" socket would i need from Sears if I went that route?

did you use an air gun to loosen or tighten the lugs or locks cause it can damage them pretty easily. I've almost screwed my spline drive locknuts using a airgun. I've learned my lesson not to use a airgun.

Take a slightly smaller socket, pound it on the lugnuts with a big hammer, and then use a normal ratchet (not an impact gun) to remove them. Once you find the right size socket, it's a fairly quick process. A 12-sided 15mm socket worked for mine.

If you tear them up with the socket and still don't get them off, try some heavy duty vice-grips. Clamp the vice grips on as tight as you can, then take a mallet to the vice grip handle to break the lug loose. It would be best to support the vice grip jaws underneath with a block of wood so you're only torquing the lug and not trying to bend it.

...only do this as an absolute last resort because you risk bending your wheel stud if you're not careful. I've done it before on my beater car a couple times with good results. :D

Good luck. :)

air hammer will work as well, but don't miss and hit your rim.

did you have any problems with the mc gaurd locking nuts?

Cut your key down. Trim about a 1/4 of an inch off the key and it works better, unless you cracked it. Never use a impact on your lugs unless they are standard lugs and 6pt socket on crappy wheels.