Self tightening lug bolts!
 

Had this issue before and I hope someone can shed some light on it for me. The lug bolts on the wife's XC-70 seem to self tighten (no kidding)

Each time I rotate the tires, I use a torque wrench to torque the lbolts to 90 Ft-lbs (dealer and tire shops told me this was the correct torque) Anyway, each time I go to rotate the tires 5000 miles later, you need a breaker bar and a TON of force to get them loose.

I rotated the tires about 1500 miles ago and this weekend decided to get new tires for the car as the old ones were shot. Long story short, the tire dealer almost couldn't get the bolts broke loose. When they finally did it took two guys, plus a 16" wrench with another 24" cheater bar on it to break them loose. They estimated it took around 200-250 Ft-lbs to break them loose. This is not on just one but all 4 wheels!

I grease the threads and shoulders of the bolts each time I rotate tires, but this is getting ridiculous. I know the Mrs. could never break them loose if she had too. HELP!

Very weird. I wonder if they are rusting to the hub?

I don't see how though. I grease the threads of the bolts each time I rotate the tires. I also put a light smear of grease on the hub to wheel mating surface and also the shoulder of the lug bolt where it contacts the wheel. I've never seen any rust on any of the surfaces.

Never seen anything like it before

Maybe the Grease is baking in there and causing issues. What type of grease are you using?

I've tried both high temperature axle/bearing grease, and anti seize paste/ Same results. Guess it is just some weird anomaly

Maybe try a silicon based grease.

I had the same problem for a while with my lugs. I tried my 24" breaker bar and didn't get anywhere. I brought it to a shop and the guy turned his impact wrench all the way up (about 400 ft-lb) and only got one lug loose. A different person got the others loose by jumping up and down on the breaker bar repeatedly. I thought he was going to break something. He told me that the cone taper of the lug helps bite into the wheel and that its quite common in my area to have stubborn lugs.

But anyway, I keep a 4 ft pipe around specifically for getting the lugs loose. It fits right over my breaker bar.

Damn!! 400 Ft-Lbs.....Whew that is a lot of bite

I have found that using a sacrificial socket that hitting the bolts head on with a big hammer helps, helps considerably BTW. I use a product called rusfre on the conical section of the solid bolt and this helps considerably over time come removal. ALSO the newer 2 piece bolts don't seem to have this issue. Does anyone have any real info on why Volvo changed design of the lug bolts? Was it because of this sticking? Also a reminder that the newer design requires a higher torque, up to 120 NM as an example and the manuals clearly state not to use any thread lube at all. I guess switching to the newer bolts might be a good idea, but I can't find any help from Volvo at all. I mean if you have ever gone thru this then the cost of about 7 bucks per bolt might be worth it, I'm thinking if you ever had a flat, there's NO WAY anyone other than someone travelling with a 1/2 bar could ever loosen those stuck one piece bolts on the side of a road.

thanks if anyone can dig up an answer from Volvo if we all should or could benefit from changing out the older one piece bolts to the newer style?????

Same problem. towed it to a mechanic who cut them off. buy replacement non OEM lugs.

How is it possible to cut the lug bolts off? And if you replace the lug bolts with the one piece ones aftermarket , you will just create the same issue all over again. The 2 piece bolts solve the issue, which is why I imagine Volvo changed the design.

The later wheel bolts have a cone shaped piece that is separate from the bolt itself. This change allows you to loosen the bolt with minimal effort. The original design forced you to overcome a lot of surface area to remove the bolts. If you put a little anti-seize paste on the bolt cone when you reinstall, they will come out easier.

Consider buying a new set with the improved design. They are fairly inexpensive and available online for little money.