187 Pan Removal

It's perfectly normal for the stud to turn in the joint. As they wear in, they get easier to turn. I've never had to split the nut to get one off though. That was a little drastic. Bumping them with an air gun has worked every time for me. Sometimes, you need to pry the joint back together with a pry bar while bumping it with the air gun to let the angle fit of the stud help hi]old it from turning.