Lug wrench question

Which type of lug nut wrench is supposed to be the best? The X-type or the L-shaped one that comes with most cars? I need to get a new one. My dealer rotated my tires and put the lug nuts on so type, I've had trouble getting them all off on these non-rusted relatively new wheels. Instead of torqued at 100 ft. lb., they were at least 150 or more. I tried my X-type wrench and it started to bend; it may just be a cheap one, however. If that's the best type to get, I'll try to find a stronger name-brand one. I did finally manage to loosen them with the OEM wrench (I had to kinda bounce it a little bit; no, I didn't stand on it..hehe) and then torqued them to 100 ft. lb. Any recommendations on type/brand of wrench to carry? Thanks.

GS

Reply to
GarySport
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A torque wrench is the best.

It also takes them off easy because it is long.

Take the thing back to the dealer and have them reset them proper. They 'Will' do it for free!

I use an X wrench, but have done a lot so have a good 'feel' for torque, proper is still the wrench.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

GarySport wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

It takes up so much room in the limited tool comparment of my SUV that I don't usually carry the torque wrench when traveling. I mainly need a good emergency wrench.

Ha, too late :(. I already retorqued them all, after spending a lot of time/effort loosening all 4 wheels.

Yeah, I'd like to know a good strong brand to get though so this won't happen again. Maybe Craftsman?? The one I have is probably some cheap import and it spiraled instead of turning. Of course, retorquing my nuts like I did should make things easier next time. Thanks.

GS

Reply to
GarySport

Reply to
Anthony Diodati

GarySport

- Nehmo - Your dealer's shop probably used a regular air impact wrench and over-touqued the nuts. The shop was suppose to have used a torque wrench to finish the tightening job.

There plenty of wenches designed to be for lug nuts and to be portable. Some have lights on them, some are 12V impact wrenches. Some telescope for leverage and storage. A general purpose flex-head ratchet loosens lug nuts and can also be used for other jobs. For a car, a long flex-head ½" ratchet (Craftsman has a 16 ½" handle one, but there are other brands) with the accompanying deep socket. For a truck, which uses larger nuts than a car, get a longer breaker bar or ratchet.

Reply to
Nehmo Sergheyev

In my opinion, the X shaped one, hands down. Actually, one hand down and the other hand up, applying about twice as much leverage, and what's more, applying it in a "coupled" fashion that lets you minimize shearing stress on the lug.

The L-shaped kind is better than nothing, but as far as I can tell it's a legacy of the days when you had to carry tire tools in order to actually work on your own tire, perpetuated because it was cheap and doubled as a handle for the bumper jack, an argument that in most cases is now down to "cheap."

I didn't catch what you drive. One-fifty strikes me as considerably excessive for most passenger cars, though pickup trucks and similar vehicles (especially the bigger ones) can have lug-nut torque specs in that range or higher. Of course, the manner of applying the torque is also important in saving your brake rotors and so forth.

For sure, some mechanics are fond of the increment of productivity and/or fun provided by their impact wrench, and use it everywhere they should and many places they shouldn't, usually with the knob turned all the way up to 11.

As an aside, I would be wary of determining application torque by means of the initial torque required to break loose a fastener that has been in service. I think that several factors fome into play, aside from guessing at the main measurement (unless of course you remove as well as install things with a torque wrench).

But what's done is done, and the problem now is to get them off at the side of the road...

I just pick one that looks and feels really strong, with thick bars and generous (preferably gusseted) welds, in the biggest size that can go in whatever hidey-hole I've identified in the trunk or cargo area. And here's a silly mistake that I made lo these many years ago: the things come in SAE and metric sizes, and if you have the wrong one, you can expend a lot of effort with little success at anything except maybe rounding off the corners of the lug nuts.

Cheers,

--Joe

Reply to
Ad absurdum per aspera

The L-type will work, but most of them have the stupid arm at something just a bit greater than a 90 degree angle, so when you try to twist, you also get torque at an odd angle. Plus you only get the one arm's length of leverage.

Get a big old fashioned X bar type. With it you can put both down and up force to deal with stuck nuts. Careful as pretty much any average male can generate enough force to break a lug. If you have to use the thing on a wheel, check the torque with a modestly priced torque wrench as soon as you get home. Some modern vehicles can warp the brake rotors if the lugnuts are overtorqued.

Reply to
L0nD0t.$t0we11

Only for installing the lug nuts. For removal, use a breaker bar. Otherwise you risk damaging your torque wrench.

I agree. I would also check to see if they warped the rotors.

-------------- alex

Reply to
Alex Rodriguez

|Which type of lug nut wrench is supposed to be the best? The X-type or the |L-shaped one that comes with most cars? I need to get a new one. My dealer |rotated my tires and put the lug nuts on so type, I've had trouble getting them |all off on these non-rusted relatively new wheels. Instead of torqued at 100 |ft. lb., they were at least 150 or more. I tried my X-type wrench and it |started to bend; it may just be a cheap one, however. If that's the best type |to get, I'll try to find a stronger name-brand one. I did finally manage to |loosen them with the OEM wrench (I had to kinda bounce it a little bit; no, I |didn't stand on it..hehe) and then torqued them to 100 ft. lb. Any |recommendations on type/brand of wrench to carry? Thanks.

The name brand in the X-type is Ken-Tool You should be able to get a 20" forged steel Ken-Tool for around $10. You won't be able to break it without a cheater bar.

For acrrying around in the trunck, just get a length of pipe to slip over the factory L-wrench when you need more torque. That's what my Dad did when he found he no longer had the strength to break the nuts loose in an emergency.

Another possiblity is a new style torgue-multiplying wrench that is available. I haven't seen one, but I undertand it uses gears to multiply torque. I also understand they are of cheap construction, but work.

Good luck Rex in Fort Worth

Reply to
Rex B

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