66 Valiant Seized Lugs?

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Slugger8985

Slugger8985

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I've been under the assumption that the lugs on my 66 Val were seized when I couldn't get them off with an air ratchet. But gandering at ebay cars I found this little tidbit.....

All 4 wheels have brake drums brakes in place, Still has original left hand threads on left side of car, FYI NOTE: you know to remove the wheels left side only, you turn lugs to the right to remove the lug nuts, most cars to the right puts the lug nut on not on these cars, so many people didn't know this and often broke the studs off or simply couldn't get the wheel off on left or driver side only,

Is this true? Could it just be I've been tightening instead of loosening them or is this a load of malarchy?
 
a lot of older vehicles and some larger trucks used left hand threads on the Left side. I have a 69 Ford step-van that does, all my Mopars did, and my Willys wagon did originally as well.
 
It's true. Gosh I feel old, back when I was growing up everyone knew Chrysler products used the left-hand threads on the left side of the car. But I guess that was a long time ago lol.
 
i think up to 1970,the thinking was that as the wheel turns it tightens the lugs,nice idea,how many GMs and fords ya see with a left wheel that came off?
 
It's true encountered the same thing on my 66 barracuda when i was 16. Word of advice, don't break the left hand thread studs off they are impossible to find when you need them. The nuts can be found but not the studs...
 
Slugger8985 said:
I've been under the assumption that the lugs on my 66 Val were seized when I couldn't get them off with an air ratchet. But gandering at ebay cars I found this little tidbit.....

All 4 wheels have brake drums brakes in place, Still has original left hand threads on left side of car, FYI NOTE: you know to remove the wheels left side only, you turn lugs to the right to remove the lug nuts, most cars to the right puts the lug nut on not on these cars, so many people didn't know this and often broke the studs off or simply couldn't get the wheel off on left or driver side only,

Is this true? Could it just be I've been tightening instead of loosening them or is this a load of malarchy?
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True unless someone has changed the studs to right handed threads.
 
Well I'll be a blue-nosed gopher. I had no idea haha. Looks like I'm gonna have to change my plan of attack
 
goldfish65 said:
It's true. Gosh I feel old, back when I was growing up everyone knew Chrysler products used the left-hand threads on the left side of the car. But I guess that was a long time ago lol.
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You and I remember "positive ground" vehicles also....lol
 
48limo said:
i think up to 1970,the thinking was that as the wheel turns it tightens the lugs,nice idea,how many GMs and fords ya see with a left wheel that came off?
Click to expand...

This is why. Chrysler was always an engineering heavy company. However, since they had more problems with people who could not read the manual they gave up and did what everybody else did.
 
Nobody caught on with my 64 Dart Gt, I had to replace the left side lug studs the first month I purchased the car because they were either stripped or broken by an overzealous air wrench operator whom did not know the difference between left and right. I decided to convert my left side to regular threads to prevent future problems. The rear axle does make it more difficult to replace the rear lugs, the front are a piece of cake.
 
I didn't tear into em too bad. The car had been sitting in a field for awhile so I knew the lugs would be hard to get off without some rust-break spray, but I figured they were just seized up real bad. Good thing I really didn't hack into em it sounds like. Finally got a day I can go work on it so I'll see how it works haha
 
My first car was a 1963 Plymouth ( 43 years ago). I worked a long time trying to get the lugs off before I saw the "L".
 
That`s a fact, Jack. Chrysler believed the lugs would loosen with the counter clockwise rotation of the wheels. (??) I can`t tell you how many Mopars I`ve owned that had the studs wrung off because some gorilla with an impact wrench didn`t realize the threads of the studs were left-handed.
 
Sure as shootin I went out yesterday in the pouring rain and they came right off. Not RIGHT off cause there was some rust in there but they popped off easy enough. Thanks for the help guys. I would've been another one of those gorillas if I hadn't asked. Definitely a piece of useful information to have haha
 
cchrishefish said:
Nobody caught on with my 64 Dart Gt, I had to replace the left side lug studs the first month I purchased the car because they were either stripped or broken by an overzealous air wrench operator whom did not know the difference between left and right. I decided to convert my left side to regular threads to prevent future problems. The rear axle does make it more difficult to replace the rear lugs, the front are a piece of cake.
Click to expand...

Actually the rears are easy to change, the fronts are the problem since they mushroom the top of the splines over you can't just press them out without destroying the hub.
 
I was surprised both the front and rear came off fairly easy on mine. With a little rust-break spray. There was also some kind of spray my Dad picked up from a convention somewhere that really helped out too. Pentro something I think? Anyways I would highly recommend it because it made getting the lugs off a hell of a lot easier.
 
The easy way to replace rear studs is to is to use an old alternator bearing . knock out the old ones,push in the new ones as far as you can,center the bearing,use an impact or socket and pull them through. a littlle wd40 or oil will help. works every time.
 
The easy way to replace rear studs is to is to use an old alternator bearing . knock out the old ones,push in the new ones as far as you can,center the bearing,use an impact or socket and pull them through. a littlle wd40 or oil will help. works every time.
 
1971 was the year that they changed. I was working in a gas station then and was used to working on Chrysler products. I found out about the change the hard way, but at least it only took 1 busted lug to educate me about the change.
 
Yeah I'm glad I didn't have to learn the hard way. The few times I had tried it (the wrong way) were in the winter and I was just using a socket wrench. Luckily I didn't have the necessary strength to break the lug. But definitely a handy piece of information to have
 
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