A tire shop had rotated my tires and installed them back on my SUV with an impact wrench. The impact wrench torqued on the lug nuts overly tight. When I used my tire iron to remove the lug nut, it completely stripped the lug. The chrome finish on the lug nut was also removed, causing the lug nut to rust.

What can a car owner do to remove the stripped lug nut? I will so you 3 methods to remove the lug nut. The 3 methods are listed below:

Method #1: Use a cold chisel
- First punch downward with the chisel to create a groove to "catch" the lug nut
- Then turn the chisel sideways about 45 degrees and punch counter-clockwise.

Cons - Chisel can slip and damage rims


Method #2: Use a common 12-point socket wrench
- Use a slightly smaller socket then your lug nut
- Hammer the 12-point socket onto the lug nut until it's firmly seated
- Use a socket wrench to turn the 12-point socket

Cons - The 12-point socket wrench will likely be destroyed after hammering onto the stripped lug nut.


Method #3: Use a bolt extractor
- Hammer the bolt extractor socket onto the lug nut until it's firmly seated
- Use a socket wrench to turn the bolt extractor socket

Cons - one time cost to purchase socket


I highly recommend method #3 using the bolt extractor. It's a lot less likely to damage your rims and you can use the extractor many times over if you have other stripped lug nuts. It's not a very expensive investment.