Q: Swollen lug nuts

Swollen lug nuts is in fact a common problem. It’s not only common with Toyota’s, but also with Ford, Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge. It comes from the way that they make the lug nuts. Instead of making me whole lug nut one piece of metal they make the lug nut and then put a metal beauty cover over the top of the thick metal lug nut so that they look more desirable and cleaner on the car.

The issue of the swelling comes from corrosion and moisture getting trapped underneath this cover in between the cover and the metal lug nut itself. Over time it grows with rust and more corrosion and actually spread out the lug nut’s casting. In this case, the normal impact socket used by the technicians to remove the wheels don’t fit anymore.

This is a very common issue with any manufacturer that produces these style of lug nuts. The only remedy for this is to replace the lug nuts. I hope that this information had been helpful. If you’d like help with getting your lug nuts fixed, have them diagnosed by a certified mechanic who can replace or adjust your lug nuts accordingly.