Changing Duallys

[bbeenn88]

Hi,
This may be a stupid question but I couldnt find the answer myself.

Im trying to get one of the outside dually tires off of my bus becuase the tube is busted and I gotta get a new tube put in it. But when I cracked the lugs thinking it would be just like any other lug nut and come off of the stud. It did not, its as if there is something else that it is tapped into. Does anyone have any tips on taking duallys off? for now all i need to get off is the outside one, the other 3 are fine.
Thanks in advance.
This was difficult to explain thru words, so I hope someone understands what I mean.

[Elliot Naess]

Hey, welcome to the forum.

For starters, there are two kinds of wheels available on buses, so we need to find out which kind you have. Since you don't mention anything "weird", I'm guessing you have a small circle of normal studs and nuts, like a passenger car or pickup-truck, just larger. (The other kind has nuts out near the rim.)

Do the studs have a square tip? Then you have double nuts. That means that the square tip is actually on an inner nut, which has threads both inside and outside. The inner nut holds the inner wheel, and then the outer wheel is held onto the inner nut by the outer nut.

The normal procedure is to unscrew the outer nut off the inner nut, the latter remaining tight. But once in a long while the nuts are not correctly tight, and the inner nut rotates when you turn the outer. So put your wrench on the nut and watch if the square tip also rotates. If it does, you need to hold the square tip.

Let's see if that gets you any further.

Oh... and there are no stupid questions.

[bbeenn88]

Thanks a ton guys. I will be able to accomplish this I think. Hopefully in a few days I get some nice weather to attempt this again.
And Elliot you hit it right on the head, it is the type of wheel that you are talking about.

Thank you again guys, very helpful.

[Elliot Naess]

If the inner nut is indeed spinning, you will need the square socket for that, and some sort of wrench that can grip the outer nut while the square socket is in the way. A commercial tire shop should be able to show you. Perhaps you can rent the tools at a NAPA Auto Parts store -- they are big on commercial stuff.

[bbeenn88]

Ok so I have another question about this. I have a torque multiplier for taking the lugs off. I have a square socket as well. So I tried to take the square socket out first like you said to do, but im not sure if this is reverse threaded. There is an R stamped on the square head, but other than that Im not sure what to look for. I was told that the torque multiplier can snap lugs because there is so much torque with it. So having said that, I realy dont want to be tightening it when I think im loosening it, andd then end up snapping a lug off and being realy screwed haha.

[Elliot Naess]

The R ought to settle it. On Millicent, there are Ls on the left side.
You may also be able to verify this by looking closely: On Millicent, there are two or three threads of the inner nut visible past the outer nut. If you cannot see it, perhaps you can trace those threads with a pointy tool like a small nail.

You cannot unscrew the inner nut while the outer wheel is in place. If the inner nut is rotating, you must hold it (the square) still while unscrewing the outer nut.

[SCARECROW]

Dear bbeenn88,
Greetings, sorry for the late reply, I
do not see this site as much as I would
like.
So here goes, You Sir have what is
referred to as "True Budd" wheels. The
tools You will need are as follows:
A 13/16" square socket for the "inner
stud "nuts.
A 2.5" socket for the large outer nuts
And a tool that is referred to as a
"Pork Chop" tool, in order to hold the
"inner stud" nut while the outer large
2.5" nut is removed if they have
"frozen" them selves together through
"Corrosion" .
Once You Sir, remove one it will be quite
simple, except for the labor.
Sincerely, SCARECROW.