Make fun of my stupidity and/or ignorance regarding left hand lugs

First off, I know next to nothing about old cars. My avatar has been sitting in my tiny 1 car garage for 2 years now. 3 days before it was delivered, I had a pretty big life changing event take place, so it has just been sitting. During that time, I have read through hundreds and hundreds of threads here. Over the past summer, I decided the least I could do would be to take the rusty wheels off, get them blasted, painted and on some used tires since the tires from 1962 (last time tagged) are still on it and 3 are flat. Started with the left front, which was the most rusted. No luck getting the bolts off. Tried several remedies which were posted here on the board. Still, nothing, so I gave up and decided to wait until we move into a bigger place.

Then, yesterday while home for lunch, I was reading here and clicked on a new thread that had something to do with a 64 Dodge. There, in maybe the 2nd post, was something about pre '70 MOPARs having reverse lugs on the left side and to check for an L on the lug.

So, I grabbed my flashlight, and headed out to the garage to check. Sure enough, there was an L. I grabbed my breaker bar and socket and put it on the nut I had tried in vain to remove. With a little force, it kind of popped and broke free and started to turn. Same with the others.

I feel so damn stupid because it never occurred to me 1 time to maybe think about loosening the lug nuts in the opposite direction. However, I'm pretty happy at this point that I finally found out and didn't end up breaking something off.

 

Now that is some funny shit right there!

I had a 68 Dodge truck with lug nuts like that when I was 15. I must have spent half a day trying to get those things off the wrong way. My dad walked in and burst out laughing.

 

Hahaha... got to remember the 5% rule... you've got to be 5% smarter than the object you're working on!

p.s. Jeep CJ2 did that to me as well!

 

At least you aren't the guy that broke them all off....

 

Hey, I've got 2 cars like that (61 Dodge, 55 Olds) and occasionally, I still forget the left hand threads on the wheels!

 

Yeah, I remember way back in high school auto shop, the instructor had a Studie and told me to put the wheels back on. He failed to say that they had left and right handed lug nuts. Well, with an impact gun, right handed ones will fit a left handed stud. He wasn't pleased about it but really couldn't bitch as it was something never brought up in class. It was after that thought.

 

Don't feel bad. I once helped a friend of mine bleed brakes and couldn't figure out why we weren't getting any pressure until his girlfriend pointed out to me that I had my foot on the clutch.

You learned something, so your time here was useful. Keep reading, skip past the drama shit and learn some tech. That's how we all learned.

Also, solid Far Side reference.

 

Some days I think I'm President of the 4.5% club.

 

Are you motivated now? Pick another task and finish it. Do it a few times and you will have a really nice ride. Glad you got it figured out.


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I once came across a guy changing a flat on the LR of his Mopar. He had 3 studs sheared off and laying in the dirt before I could get him stopped. Good sized, strong fella.

 

Been there, knock those studs out and get some righty tighty studs.

 

Well you have officially broken the ice so I guess it is time to start learning how to rebuild and finish that ride of yours!
Jay

 

Ahh, yer a good man Charlie Brown.
That was fun to read. Your HAMB star is on-the-rise!

 

I did the same thing on my 59 olds when I was 18.... bout crapped myself trying to get the off!!

 

You're not stupid because you admitted it, you are a member of the HAMB, and like old station wagons. Plus you may be helping someone else who's either doing the same thing or is about to.
My first car was a 1949 Dodge and I had others with "backward" lug nuts!
Have fun and learn something else new today. Just don't strain yourself if it doesn't come loose.

Nice to read something funny instead of a bunch of old guys bitching.

 

Great story- and the only stupid question is the one you're afraid to ask. Lots of folks on here, and no matter how rare or weird the part, somebody here has seen it, fixed it or boogered it up before

 

I've been working on cars with the left hand thread driver side lugs for years, and it still hasn't sunk in. Willys jeeps, IH scouts, and now my desoto. What is really going to F with my is that I swapped the rear in my car, so no the only left hand lugs are on the front driver hubs. I just know its gonna happen next time I go to pull a tire, even though there is a very clear, very large "L" cast into the wheel bolt.

 

Well if it makes you feel ainy better I bought an plymouth one time, it was my first ever MOPAR. I knew that some old cars had left hand lugs but it didn't occure to me that the Plymouth would. I managed to twist 2 off before a friend pointed out ot me that I was turning them the wrong way.

It happens, life in general is a learning process.

 

Glad you guys find this humorous because I did, too, a little. I was pretty pumped, called my wife, came back to work and told my dad.

In that 64 Dodge thread I saw, the guy mentioned knowing guys who had broken their lugs off. Glad that didn't happen in this case.

 

Me and a buddy broke 3 off of his deuce and a half before we figured it out. Funny, he had been a motor pool guy in the US Army.

 

At least you didn't brake anything. A friend and I decided to get lunch for a few of us working on a car project, and left this newbie to take the heads off a small block chevy. He could not comprehend lefty loosie, and righty tighty, so with a breaker bar and a large pipe he broke almost all the head bolts off before we got back.

Learning process yeah right.

 

Having a sense of humor helps a lot too, maybe not at first, but you will always laugh about it later.

Glad you figured it out, remember like someone else already said the only stupid question is the one you DON'T ask.

Loved the far side cartoon though, it was perfect

 

Some youngster asked me recently how I learned all the stuff I know about cars...I simply told him it's all about experience...you can read books and read books, but until you actually put tools in your hand, that experience will never grow and you'll never gain.

You've just had your first car experience...and you learned something - not all cars are built the same...now take that experience and build on it...that's the only way to learn.

R-

 

My coffee cup at work for about 10 years Any chance you stretched (and weakened) the studs trying to "over tighten" them? Like some others have said, if you try too hard, they can just snap off.

 

Really getting a late start at this. Was 40 when I bought it....42 now.

But, this stupid little happening has really got my excitement level back up. Thanks for all the kind words. I love this place.

 

Seriously, you ain't stupid... any of us who have owned a pre-'71 Mopar have had "issues" with the left-handed threads at one time or another!

 

Once the wheels get pulled off, I'll check that out. One one of them, I really, really tried hard to get it off so it wouldn't be surprising if it's bent.

 

I did the same thing with my old Sunbeam Alpine, except it had knock off hubs. I was wailing on that thing for what seemed like an hour. Then out of no where a Kaiser Darin pulled up. The guy slid his door open and got out, and just laughed. While I was gauking at how his door opened he came over and explained Left hand threads to me.

 

Whether anyone wants to admit it or not we all have done stupid shit like that!! I consider that part of learning!!! Atleast you can laugh about it!!!! I do agree with everyone else tho pick another task. Finish it then before you know it you'll have a bad ass ride that you can be proud of!!! Growing up my dad had a small one car garage and he ended doing some very amazing cars and dune buggys! Hope that helps!!!

 

I forgot to mention that the lug nuts should be mark with a dash on the side of it indicating that it is a left hand thread! Just like a fuel fitting on oxygen and acetylene! FYI