RT lug nuts

[jml]

Had to take the RT 188 in for tires, and a few of the lug nuts had to be extracted off. Never would of gotten them off on the side of the road. Also put 19mm. lug nuts on so there will be more room for wrench. Just an FYI, although discussed here before. Was not enough room even to use a 4 way lug wrench.

[Mechanic Bob]

Living in the Saltwater area, I put Anti-seize on the wheels and lugs. Ranger has replaced my lug nuts, but I ended up buying some Stainless Steel lug nuts. 10-4 on carrying socket and ratchet for those lug nuts.

[fishon396]

Thin wall socket comes in handy for those rims

[tcesni]

Over tightened lugs were a consistent complaint with the RT188 during the first several years of production. I don't know if it has gotten better but like the OP I would have had no chance to get my lugs off as they came from the factory. Finally after a couple of years I was able to get a wrench long enough to get them off. And definitely carry a thin wall socket!!

[BigDozer66]

I didn't have any trouble breaking mine loose when I swapped them for the SenDel wheels shod with Goodyear Endurance tires.

I replaced them with better lug nuts to match the wheels.

[Pagregss]

I keep seeing these threads and wonder what's different about my trailer. I can fit a normal impact socket onto my lug nuts without issue and I've never had an issue getting them off. I do have the fancy aluminum rims. I assume they are the ones that people are having issues with.

[tcesni]

I keep seeing these threads and wonder what's different about my trailer. I can fit a normal impact socket onto my lug nuts without issue and I've never had an issue getting them off. I do have the fancy aluminum rims. I assume they are the ones that people are having issues with.

Maybe the gorilla that worked at the Ranger plant left after the 2015 model year. I also have the fancy aluminum rims, in fact I don't think I've ever seen a RT188 trailer with the standard wheels.

[jml]

Carry 2 different 4 way lug wrenches, none fit. No room around the lug nut.

[Panama]

Thin wall socket, 1/2 inch pull bar with a cheater pipe to give a little more leverage. That's what I carry. There was no reason for them to be as tight as they were when it came from factory. Thank goodness I was in my driveway when I first removed them and not at night on some two lane country road or the interstate.

If you have one of these RT trailers and have not removed them yet.....you really need to. Your typical stuff you normally carry might not work. They didn't use a torque wrench. I am really not sure what would have tightened them so hard. I thought I might break the thinwall or the pullbar swivel joint.

[Bill Reynolds]

This is what I always carry in my truck. The attached socket is a 13/16 six point thin wall and there is a 3/4 stored in the end of the cheater bar. I have had to to use this a couple times at tournaments for other guy’s trailers and it took all the strength I had on the cheater bar to break the lugs loose.

BTW: I lost a wheel on my BassCat trailer on the interstate because all 5 studs sheared clean with the axle. The Trailer repair shop said the studs Sheared off because they were over torqued and sheared when they heated up. Since then, I insist that all my lugs are checked with a torque wrench. I don’t trust the air impact wrenches, who knows when they were last calibrated.
I also own a torque wrench and check my lugs at least annually.

[jml]

Thin wall socket, 1/2 inch pull bar with a cheater pipe to give a little more leverage. That's what I carry. There was no reason for them to be as tight as they were when it came from factory. Thank goodness I was in my driveway when I first removed them and not at night on some two lane country road or the interstate.

If you have one of these RT trailers and have not removed them yet.....you really need to. Your typical stuff you normally carry might not work. They didn't use a torque wrench. I am really not sure what would have tightened them so hard. I thought I might break the thinwall or the pullbar swivel joint.

Befor I went to tire store, I broke a thin wall socket, and broke an extra long wrench.

[BigDozer66]

This is that I use and keep one in each truck in case I drive a different one.

Beats a 4 way lug wrench and will fit multiple sized lug nuts without having to carry extra sockets and no need for a Cheater Pipe.

https://smile.amazon.com/Gorilla-Aut...9958346&sr=8-1

[TritonTRXV8]

If something is so tight that a breaker bar wont break it loose then an impact wrench is in order. The vibrations from the impact work wonders breaking stuff loose with less risk of shearing the studs off. Other than if i were on the side of the road i never remove mine by hand always use an impact with a thin wall impact socket. Torquing lugs is important 95-100 lbs/ft for 1/2” studs is perfect and you can easily remove them with standard tire removal equipment. When i painted the calipers on the triton I wasnt sure what to expect on the tightness but they were just right came off easily. Also 6 pt sockets only never 12 pt.

[KP1923]

Living in the Saltwater area, I put Anti-seize on the wheels and lugs. Ranger has replaced my lug nuts, but I ended up buying some Stainless Steel lug nuts. 10-4 on carrying socket and ratchet for those lug nuts.

I do not, nor would not, under any circumstances, put anti seize on vehicle or trailer wheels. If one of them comes off your truck/trailer, thus causing an accident, or is found after the fact to be one of the causal factors after the attorney sifts through the evidence, you will be held liable for damage to persons and property. I only put a drop or two of oil on my boat trailer lugs, and I torque them myself.

My .02 FWIW.

https://www.fleetowner.com/equipment...bunking-a-myth
https://www.permatex.com/faqwd/perma...bolt%20stretch.