why didn't anyone tell me about this???

Okay... after about shooting three feet of colon outta my ass, and injuring a few muscles my wife really likes... I figured out that the lug nuts/studs on the driver side of my '52 Olds 88 are LEFT-THREADED~~!!!!!!! WTF???? Is this true of a lot of 50's shit? Or just some cruel joke???

I have to go lie down...

 

my 55 pontiac was that way. new studs changed that.

 

GM and chrysler both did alot of it in the 50's era. Usually mrked with an "L" on the end of the stud.

I've seen a few broken off! Especially when some moron goes at it with a big impact driver!


jerry

 

I know this probably isn't funny but man that is some way of describing a situation!

 

I had a 68 Alfa Romeo Spider that was the same, took around 2 hours of pullin and swearing before I worked it out!!

 

When ANY bolt wont loosen, ALWAYS alternate tightening and loosening. If it is left hand thread, you will figure it out right away with no damage.

 

I didn't tell you because I didn't know...I thought Mopar had a monopoly on that idiotic design feature!

 

I remeber a few cars did this.
Careful with this VERY O/T link but I just had to do it....

http://poetry.rotten.com/weightlifter/

 

im sorry dood... but THAT is some FUNNY shit Greg. . . take two bottles of vicodin, and pass out for a week...

yea, i kin laugh, cause i have done that very thing, not to my ANUS, but, anyhow

learn something new every day, and i gotta say, "better you than me bro"



get better dood!

 

Early 1928 Ford AA trucks had left & right hand lugs, I had an early 1970's Ford F-250 with the same deal.

 

the 50 chrysler i had and the 54 stude i have now both have them.

 

50 pontiac was the same way. i had heard that some mopars were like that and decied to give "righty loosey" a try.

 

I think I'd find a different way to hold that lug wrench if I were you.........

Come to think of it, a 3 ft section of pipe makes a great cheater - I haven't strained anything in a long, long time.

And as I always told my kids, "It'll feel better when it quits hurting"

 

Some campers are the same way. I discovered that about a half hour before checkout time, when I let the thing down off the jacks only to discover I had a flat. Damn near popped one of my own trying to get the lug nuts off. As I sat there with a 3' length of pipe over the end of a breaker bar wondering WTF to do next, I noticed a little "L" on the end of each stud on the left side wheels. Bingo!

I think I remember my Dad's '61 Valiant having the same thing.

 

I run the air wrench counterclockwise, and if the nuts don't come off (or break the studs), I try it clockwise....

 

See what happens when you mess with old junk.

 

You could do like Red Green and just duct tape the spare wheel to the old one if you can't get the lugs off.

 

Dodge still used 'em as late as '63. My panel truck has left hand threads on the left front, all others are right hand thread. The rear axle is from a '71 Fury is why it doesn't match.

Like others have said, look for the L on the end of the stud.

 

Greg that's a great way to put it! lol!!!

My '62 Olds' have left hand threads on passenger side. When I redo the red one, I'm poundin' them suckers out and puttin' RH studs in there. I didn't strain myself when I took them off the first time...the big L on the end tipped me off. BUT, I have forgotten about them at inopportune times and not had the right lug nuts with me when I needed to swap wheels.

Olson

 

like said above 50's gm other then chevy and 50's-60's mopar.......when i was at the texaco station (where i did alot of "old" cars) i found a parts store that had some left and bought them out (10 boxes of studs and nuts).......i only have a few left now. that was about 1996-97 but i think they repo em now.

 

My 68 dodge had them right up until I broke a few off trying to change my tires, the replacements were right handed.

 

It seems Dodge Chrysler liked to do that.

 

some one ought to market them as wheel locks one or two per wheel

 

Thanks Curly! It'll only take me a few days to forget the image I just saw. HOLY SHIT!! I'd rather be shot!

 

Haahaahaa... I wasn't hurt that bad (just being dramatic), but I figured it out by doing the ol' right/left/right/left shit for awhile, soakin them with rust buster... havin a beer... goin at it again... after about four beers, I think I just accidentally turned it the wrong (right) way.

Them suckers is comin out!

Yeah, that was one nasty picture dude... bllllaaaaahhhh.

 

I learned that some years ago, towing an early Jaguar from the rear!.....OLDBEET

 

Do you mean the lug nuts or the man nuts?

 

Actually that is a shitty hole... sorry but it had to be said...

Grueandthensome!!! Bleeech!!

 

.....sad fact is, it proves that a lot of engineers working for them manufacturers didn't have a clue. Just guessed and sat in their ivory tower. I wonder how many other things they did were completely unnecessary? hmmmm. new thread?