Ford Focus Zetec 2011 - basic lug nuts question

[lightpanther]

Okay, so this may be a dumb question as I don't have much mechanic in my DNA, but I would really prefer m wheel not to fall of while driving, so..

Previous vehicles I have had, the lug nuts were obviously either tight or not tight.

With this car, recently acquired (used) come to tightening the nuts for the first time and it seems that they are "loose" (or have a give either way of rotation of about 1cm). They then stop. My question is, is this normal for this vehicle and this type of nut? When I try to use the wrench on it, the nuts don't seem to tighten further. Is this some kind of swelling-prevention normal feature?

 

[Phemo]

I know on my 2009 Fiesta the wheel bolts had metal caps over them. They did move about a bit but over time most of them got bent up and torn off. This thread from another forum I found while googling has pictures showing what I mean:

https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/how-to-remove-lug-nut-caps.45759/

Sounds like it could just be those caps.

 

[lightpanther]

Hi there. This is what I'm seeing. Oddly, Halfords told me these were the actual nuts and not covers, but if they aren't covers or caps, then why is there so much jiggle on them.
If they are caps, is there a (painless) way to get them off?

https://imgur.com/a/V4pHTRt

 

[pastymuncher]

Wheel nuts are supposed to be tightened using a torque wrench but sadly most places these days tighten them up as far as they go with a air gun. The torque setting for your Focus should be around 110nm. If they are anything like my old Focus wheelnuts they are a two part nut which could explain the wiggle although I can't ever remember mine wiggling.

 

[Phemo]

They certainly look like the caps to me. Here's a picture of a very dirty wheel on mine where one wheel has a normal lug nut in and the other 3 still have their caps (the only wheel to have any of its caps left, and no locking wheel nuts on there either):

They're a bit of a pain to remove, most of mine broke off but I'm pretty sure I just hammered a screwdriver into the ones I did want to remove. I imagine there are better ways though

 

[pastymuncher]

They are not covers. They are standard 2 piece alloy wheel nuts. These are what your wheel nuts look like when removed. The rusty one is probably there because somebody misplaced the proper one.

 

[Phemo]

I've still got most of the caps that came off all the other 13 bolts. I've taken some of them off myself without much difficulty and the bolts are all like that underneath.

 

[Mucky_Pup]

I changed mine when I got my car as they're *****, the caps are prone to come off when you're trying to remove the nuts then the 19mm socket no long works on them, bought solid nuts until I put my aftermarket wheels on and used the nuts that came with those.

 

[Scania]

Hi there. This is what I'm seeing. Oddly, Halfords told me these were the actual nuts and not covers, but if they aren't covers or caps, then why is there so much jiggle on them.
If they are caps, is there a (painless) way to get them off?

Looks identical to my Focus, on mine they aren’t covers they are the nuts, and not loose at all.

 

[Mucky_Pup]

They are covers in a fashion, and will come off, I don't think they're designed to come off though, but they can do.

 

[Armageus]

Could be possible that they are wheel nuts intended for Steel wheels vs Alloys (e.g. if someone "upgraded" the wheels on basic "LX" or low end model).

I know when tracking down a spare for our Fiesta that you have to have the correct wheel nuts for a steel spare otherwise they will not do up properly.

 

[lightpanther]

Okay, so now I am completely confused. Are they nuts or are they covers? Two completely different answers!

I still have the problem that they jiggle under my fingers (though not ALL of them), yet I can't tighten them further. There's no tightening going on...if I try harder I will be standing full weight on the brace and into snapping territory?

The rusty one is a locking nut, entirely different from the others.

 

[Armageus]

Look like covers to me on yours as have a small ridge for the puller to remove them

The tool you need is something like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1Set-Whe...actor-Removal-Tool-For-Volks-HOT/264274248396

 

[bremen1874]

Nut covers (fixed or not) wouldn't allow for any rotation as described in the opening post.

If the OP is in any doubt he should take it somewhere to have it checked. Any decent tyre place would have a look for free.

FWIW Every Ford I've had since the mid 80s has had nuts with integral covers. They did occasionally come slightly loose. If they come off completely the wheel brace doesn't fit properly.

 

[lightpanther]

Okay guys, so I unscrewed one of the nuts completely using the wrench. The nut was in tight, and the "jiggle" (which is still there after removal) seems to be an integral part of the nut. Two parts of the nut move slightly with respect to each other, but I screwed the nut back in tight just to be sure. There is still that give, so seems to me just part of the design.

Weird design...to make your wheel nuts look like they might be loose when apparently they are not.

 

[bremen1874]

If they're original Ford nuts there shouldn't be any 'jiggle'. Maybe an overly enthusiastic tyre fitter messed them up with an airgun? As long as they're tight it shouldn't hurt anything.

 

[tl45]

They are definitely the Ford wheel nuts. As mentioned somewhere above it's a steel nut with cosmetic cover pressed/crimped on top. These can work loose over time and actually come off completely in some cases.

 

[Invertigo]

I always wondered why it was a pig to remove the nuts on the other halfs Fiesta, half of them have the covers missing and are a bit loose in the 19mm socket, others have the cover bulging and get stuck in it.

Ended up binning them all and replacing them with an aftermarket set I had for my Focus years back.