my brother recently brought in the car for the winter tune-up and tire change and he told me that the garage had to change the nuts for all the wheels because they were swollen....they were swollen because they use cheaper materials to make them now...i've never heard of swollen nuts!....is this just the garages way of gouging the customer for extra bucks or is this for real?
This happens because a lot of times the lugs are bi-metal, and coated with chrome or SS and cored with regular steel. When the steel is comprimised you will have the outer head swell up to the point where getting most regular sockets you either have to hammer on, or break off the existing ones.
It is more becaues of the 'style' of nut than cheaper materials. Single metal lugs do not usually suffer from this nearly as bad.
What kind of Car? Chrysler by chance?
EDIT - Please keep responses clean folks, its a legit question.
-ST