my firebird needed shocks on it. so james (rx7speed) helped me put them on. but we couldn't get to the back ones because we couldn't get the wheels off. we couldn't get the wheels off because it has security lugs. for those of you who don't know what security lugs are, they are a lug nut, but they don't have 6 sides luke must nuts. instead they have a weird pattern and require an adapter to remove.

well, i lost the adapter. after a couple days of having new shocks on the front and worn ones on the back, i decided to do something about it. so i spent all day trying to find an adapter from various parts stores and GM dealers.

after looking all day and using allmost a whole tank of gas, i decided to try to force them off. tryed vice grips, all i got was skinned knuckles.

after i tryed for allmost two hours, i finally took a spare security lug, put a bolt in it, put a socket close to that size into the vice, heated up the socket with a torche and pounded the nut into the socket to make an adapter.

it worked, i got the lug off, so i went to the next side to remove the other one, pulled the center cap off to get the the lugs........ and there was the adapter, on the security lug on the other side.

all i had to do was take 10 seconds and go take the cap off the other side. but NO i had to spend a whole day and a tank of gas to get one lugnet loose.

 

DOH!!

I HATE it when that happens!! Of course, there's NO WAY you could have counted on the stupidity of the previous person who left it there...

Glad everything turned out ok though!

 

Sorry it had to be at your expense, but that really made me laugh! I think everyone has had days like that.

 

I lost my key for mine, so we just welded nuts to the lugs ang took em off with a ratchet
still felt dumn though

 

hrmmm, i still have all the documents from the dealers, and it has a 800# to call if you lost your adapter, i wonder if that # still works, and if i could get a spare adaptor.

 

Don't feel too bad dude, we have all had days like that.

Mark

 

and to top it all off, that was the ONLY socket that was that size.

but i still laugh about it. i even laughed then, i laugh more now.

the whole day went like that.

ah well.

 

hehehe mutchwhitesmoke (matt) was the stupid person who left it in there


but yeah we have had lots of fun working on that car trying to get stuff on and off of there


took 3 hours to get a spring shakle off just one side and this is talking ONE NUT

soon we are doing the heater core



WISH US LUCK PLEASE!!!

 

dude with you around there is always something to laugh about


but then again with me around there is even more to laugh about.... jeez I feel sorry for your family

 

Sorry about the hard day fellas, but it sure was good for a laugh.

I've done heater cores SO many times I could do it in my sleep, it is a VERY easy swap, so don't be intimdated.

 

yeah but you have no idea what kind of mechanics we are


I broke the bolt that was holding his strut in there.... he took out the clip and ended up using a nut on the other side (PITA to do) and it has worked since

took a long time for me to change my water pump... broke an oil line as well... one of the lines that puts oil into either the intake manifold or the combustion chamber itself... JB weld fixed that so far


but yeah we could prolly do it just might take a little while


and yeah we get a good laugh everytime we mess up

part of life and learning

 

well, i have learned a lot and we sure do seem to laugh a lot