Which direction to loosen wheel nuts / lug nuts?

A set of lug nuts or wheel nuts is used to secure a wheel to the threaded wheel studs and thereby to the automobile’s axles.

Most automobile users will fastem and loosen the wheel nuts several times every year. The problem is that sometimes the operation is not as simple as it looks.

Why you didn’t figure out the direction by yourself?

You had to search on the internet about the direction in which you have to loosen the wheel nuts because, probably, you already tried to move it to the left and to the right, but it didn’t move at all. Your wheel studs are stuck…

It may seem strange, but often seemingly trivial things give us a hard time.

Wheel nuts or lug nuts tend to have the bad habit of getting stuck for various reasons. Sometimes they get stuck by themselves, but most of the time we are the ones who force them.

Why did the wheel nuts get stuck?

The whole wheel stud – lug nuts ensemble tends to get stuck when the person who fastened it did not use the torque wrench. Either they fastened it with the power of their own hand, which was too much, or, even worse, by using the pneumatic gun. Basically, it got stuck because it wasn’t fastened with a wheel wrench at a proper tightening torque.

For instance, a stud designed for a tightening torque of 100Nm (73 ft-lbs) will get stuck when tightened at 150Nm (110 ft-lbs). I’m not even going into the problem of lug nut deformation. I’m just discussing the issue of the loosening direction.

So, finally, which is the direction to REMOVE lug nuts?

The direction to loosen wheel nuts is counterclockwise.

This means you twist it towards your left. It is the opposite of the clock direction.

Or, just take your wheel wrench, place it on the lug nut and move your hand in the upper direction, as if you would lift it.

Pro-TIP:

Use a socket wrench and never lift the wheel wrench with your back during the tightening or loosening maneuvers. You must press the wheel wrench with your arm or with the weight of your torso, but never with the back because you might get hurt.