Old ford lug nuts left loosen?

[str8axle63]

Having trouble getting old lug nuts off, don't want to bust a stud so I figured to be safe, do these go left to loosen? Never had a lug with a square end on it, whats the reason for it opposed to just threads?
Thank you

[alanwoodieman]

clean the end of the square and see if there is a letter there, if there is not a L or R then it will be right handed--lefty loosy--righty tighty!! what are they on?

[ford38v8]

Haven't run across that, but have heard that some drums are separate. From your pics, it looks like the studs are the outer square head, and the inner hex heads are the nuts. Hold the inner and loosen the outer.

[Bob C]

Looks like you have both inner and outer lug nuts for duals on there.
Right side should be right hand thread and left side left hand.
You need to get the proper lug wrench.


Bob

[flatford8]

Budd wheels. At least that’s what they look like in the pic. The right wrench will save your knuckles, arms, shins and the use of a lot of bad language. You have to hold the square one and turn the nut for the outside wheel. The square one turns off the stud for the inside wheel. I don’t remember the thread direction. Look closely at the threads and you will see which way to turn. ...... Mark
P.S. it might be left hand left side, right hand right side.

[Dave Castle]

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You do not have to hold the butty nut ( inner ) to loosen the outer.

[J Franklin]

A pipe wrench is for pipes, unless someone used a pipe wrench previously!

[RalphG]

Yes, they look like the wheel nuts on the big old Ford trucks with 20 inch dual wheels. I've got one here converted to a two wheel trailer. Still got the special wrench here for them. One end is big for the nut. The other smaller for the square one. And yes, left (driver's) side has left hand threads. Clockwise to loosen.

[rich b]

You really need to get something better than a pipe wrench. Hopefully the nuts all come off; it was always a joy fighting a wheel off when the inner nut came loose first.

It was sure nice when they started using hub piloted wheels and the Budds and Daytons pretty much disappeared.

[RalphM]

If inner does come loose first, you can try tightening just the inner nut, then try the outer again. A 1 inch impact gun comes in very handy for these, but I realize everybody doesn’t have one of those. When I was in the army we did them all by hand use a jackstand to support part of the wrench.
You can also try heating the outers with a torch before you try to take them off. If all else fails you can cut them off, or use a pork chop to get the locked inner/outer combination off the wheel.

[str8axle63]

After much research and the help on here, turns out the lugs on one side of truck has L on the square part. The other side of the trucks lugs have an R on them. So one side they loosen to the "normal" left the other side of truck the lugs loosen to the right!
Im learning as I go
Thanks guys for the help

[Tinker]

Didnt early buick hubs lugs turn right? Learned something about the big truck lugs.

Guessing on what your working on as I don't follow you in anticipation. Just kiddin ... but I didn't really.

[24ruxstel1339]

Lots of old stuff had left hand threaded lugs on the left.
I-H, Dodge, Studebaker...especially trucks.

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by 24ruxstel1339

Lots of old stuff had left hand threaded lugs on the left.
I-H, Dodge, Studebaker...especially trucks.

ha ha nooo sh!t. Interesting to see what this is....

[Tinker]

Or as already posted its a dual lug.




.

[Bob C]

Originally Posted by Tinker

ha ha nooo sh!t. Interesting to see what this is....

Marmon Herrington

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by Bob C

Marmon Herrington

Interesting. Is this what he has?

[Fordestes]

looks like what was posted above , the (square center in modern times is referred to as a thimble ) and is actually an inner nut as in a dual wheel arrangement , looks like the nut in the second pic may be right hand thread , I often had to thump the nuts with a hammer to bust the rusted nuts loose, the socket method is my preference as the pipe wrench tends to exert pressure in two areas and can cause tight spots or a clamping effect , the socket method will work from the flats on the outer perimeter in equal amounts. If all else fails get a torch and cut the outer nuts off the thimbles then get a Budd wheel socket as mentioned for the square (thimble) inner nuts.

[truckdog62563]

Looks like it’s time for me to join the conversation. The “thimble”, in Budd literature, is termed a “Dual Cap Nut” or just “DCN”. Left hand threads on the left, right hand threads on the right.

That front hub is a Marmon-Herrington, and I’m guessing the truck is either a SnoGo or a 1953 M254. M-H would have mounted wheel spacers on the front axles of each of these which would have needed the DCNs to hold them in place. You’ll find the normal 3/4”-16 tpi wheel stud inside the DCN. I have a spacer set I pulled from a ‘53 parts truck. A normal M-H wouldn’t have needed these on the front, only on the rear.

The yellow paint makes it more likely we’re seeing a SnoGo, maybe pre 1948 judging by the (am I seeing 18”?) locking side ring style wheel. The 1953 M254s (F-250s) used the spacers because M-H used up old spec parts when new models were introduced by Ford. Early ‘53s have the 1952 and earlier 5 x 8” pattern hubs while late ‘53s have the 6 x 7.25” hubs.

If you are parting this truck out, and if I’m right that I’m seeing 18” wheels, I will have interest in them. Stu

[ABento]

As you said there is a R or L on the thimble, that is the direction to tighten the nut,so oposite of the mark is the direction to loosen,the outer nuts are 1 1/2" the thimbles are 1", there is a straight wrench made as as was said in another post that has the outers on one end and the inners on another,with a hole near each end for a bar, there is also a special stubby wrench made that holds the outer nut and allows you to remove the thimble,after the wheel is off,sometimes both parts come off with the wheel.