[scrubber]

So I have another set of wheels to fit on the XK, not sure I will keep these on or not, I have gone down to 19” for a bit more give in the tyre wall, but I’ll see what they look like once they are on, if I don’t like them I’ll have the originals refurbished and made round again as one has a flat spot, however I can’t do any of that until I can get the driver side rear wheel off, all nuts are stuck apart from the one I fitted to replace the locking one, two have snapped off and I believe a hole saw is the answer to this, I suspect the other two will snap as well, oddly the car was fitted with tyres not so long ago and the rest are ok, all we’re done to the correct torque, so how did the idiots manage to over tighten just one wheel?
Any way it is the right time to replace all the wheel nuts, does anyone have the link to the solid one piece alternatives or should I stick with the original type and only tighten correctly?

 

[JimboV8]

There’s a link in this thread to the ones I bought for mine. Are your nuts swelling.

 

[scrubber]

New nuts ordered and I have successfully used a 20mm holesaw to cut the flanges off the two that broke, I’ll have a go tomorrow at the other two that feel like they will break, looks like I’ll be running with 4 nuts on each wheel until the new ones turn up!

 

[scrubber]

Yep! The other two nuts broke as well! At least the hole saw method worked to remove them!

 

[chrisjp]

Must be quite tricky using a hole saw without damaging the wheels - I commend your skill.! I guess you were fortunate that it was the nuts themselves that snapped in two and not the studs.
Were the nuts that snapped rusty inside? The trouble with the standard Jaguar wheel nuts is that they are mild steel with a stainless steel envelope over them to look nice. This is the perfect environment to trap salty water between the nut and its envelope leading to rust, swelling of the nut and reduction in its strength. I don't know why Jaguar persist with them.

 

[scrubber]

Must be quite tricky using a hole saw without damaging the wheels - I commend your skill.! I guess you were fortunate that it was the nuts themselves that snapped in two and not the studs.
Were the nuts that snapped rusty inside? The trouble with the standard Jaguar wheel nuts is that they are mild steel with a stainless steel envelope over them to look nice. This is the perfect environment to trap salty water between the nut and its envelope leading to rust, swelling of the nut and reduction in its strength. I don't know why Jaguar persist with them.

So when the nut breaks it leaves a slightly raise part which is useful to keep the holesaw in one place, but I did break the holesaw and also a second holesaw on the last nut, so vehicle is still off road with one wheel held on by one nut and part of a broken one. There was no corrosion, these had purely been over tightened to such a degree the snapped whilst exerting considerable force to undo them, the locking wheel nut came undone fine a few weeks ago when I fitted a standard nut, all the other wheels came undone no issues at all. Purely the fault of the last knob to do them up (before I bought it) needless to say if they had been standard solid nuts they may not have broken and they are perfectly ok if not abused. Same goes for the locking ones, if these go you have to break the hardened cap of wit a cold chisel and bash a socket onto what’s left underneath, again would happen if treated properly.

 

[scrubber]

Or wouldn’t happen I meant!

 

[chrisjp]

It was probably a tyre fitter who overtightened your wheel nuts. A lot of them use pneumatic wrenches set at the highest torque they are ever likely to need, so they don't have to bother with resetting for each vehicle. I've had similar problems in the past and I now don't let tyre fitters anywhere near my wheel nuts. I either hover near the fitter with my own torque wrench to do up my wheel nuts or, if that is not allowed, I take my wheels & tyres "loose" in another car to the tyre fitting place and then fit them to my car myself.

 

[scrubber]

It was probably a tyre fitter who overtightened your wheel nuts. A lot of them use pneumatic wrenches set at the highest torque they are ever likely to need, so they don't have to bother with resetting for each vehicle. I've had similar problems in the past and I now don't let tyre fitters anywhere near my wheel nuts. I either hover near the fitter with my own torque wrench to do up my wheel nuts or, if that is not allowed, I take my wheels & tyres "loose" in another car to the tyre fitting place and then fit them to my car myself.

Me too, in fact I normally fit the tyres myself and balance them, it’s just our kit at work is a bit rough and ready to do the 19 or 20 inch wheels ok upto 18 with a 50 profile, so did as you did took loose wheels to have tyres fitted ready to swap over as I bought a refurbished set of 19” wheels, not sure if I’ll keep these on or not depends what they look like and ride like, if I don’t like I’ll get my 20” refurbished and put those back on.
I have been a vehicle technician for 40yrs, cars were a sideline to my normal work, been off the tools for a while but still do a bit and have just done my level 4 for electric vehicles and I have my head in one today. I only take my cars in for work to be done if I really haven’t the time or space to diy.