Tire, wheel & lug nuts

[MrS]

Tire changing rambling.

This isn’t a how-to posting, more of sharing what I do and hoping to hear what other people do and trying to learn.

I have found a short star-type lug wrench works best for me. It’s easy to store and I can’t over tighten or break lug nuts with it. With my wrench I really have to lay-into-it to get over 85lbs of torque.

Since I carry a long breaker bar for trail repairs anyway, I can use it to remove stubborn bolts or nuts. Like tire shops want my lug nuts to be.

I also paint the torque spec on my rim. I also paint a rim number to help keep track of the tires since they look alot alike. I also use a grease pencil to write the mileage of my last tire rotation on the rim. (see pic#1)

I don’t carry a torque wrench for trail repairs, but use it at home on most bolts. I have a good feel what my lug nuts should be with my short arm star lug wrench. The ‘red’ arm (see pic#2) is the correct size socket for my lug nuts.

I like the star wrench for speed and control over the stock L-lug wrench.

[MrS]

Wow over a year and not one comment??? Lucky for me I had cross-posted this on another site and did get some feed back.

When I was doing this write up and getting pics I thought someone would have an interesting point, like why this is not needed or adding some things to do. I guess I was mistaken, :headscratch: of course that is better than being wrong :baja_rofl:

I wounder if me commenting to my own posting is like me taking to myself? Wait a minute, I already do that. :rofl:

I ran across this forgotten post while looking for my ‘heating pad’ posting. I know I can use search, but looking sometimes leads to learning new things.

[alanh]

Wow over a year and not one comment??? Lucky for me I had cross-posted this on another site and did get some feed back.

When I was doing this write up and getting pics I thought someone would have an interesting point, like why this is not needed or adding some things to do.


I find it really weird that you went back to see what you posted a year ago. Not only do you talk to yourself, but you resurrect old posts. Hmmm...:lol:

From what I can tell, the stock wrenches are always a miserable thing to deal with. The angled end with the socket on it seems to deliberately make it harder to get your torque in line with the bolt. (Hope that makes some sense.) They're always way to short to get a stubborn lug nut loose without risking back injury or a hernia.

I've used the standard star wrench since I don't remember seeing a small one. They're kind of clumsy and heavy though. I've never found a good way to store one. I do like being able to spin them to spin the nut on and off as long as you don't get in the way of those arms. As Steve did, I painted the end that fits after never being able to get the right one the first time. I did get a smaller folding type for cheap at a tool collector's club meeting but don't know if it is big enough to do the job - haven't even tried it.

I also got a great big used 3/4 socket wrench breaker bar or whatever they call them pretty cheap. I was thinking of getting a socket to fit the lug nuts but never got around to it.

[MrS]

Not only do you talk to yourself, but you resurrect old posts. Hmmm...:lol:.

I have to dig-up old threads, I have no new ides. :blush:

Not really, I have dozens of ideas for topics, but they are worse than this one. :rofl:


I find it really weird that you went back to see what you posted a year ago. .


I had to go back at least a year, I knew my elec blanket post was about that old. Then this jumped out at me when I saw something like 350 Views & 0 Replies. :chairfall:


...the stock wrenches are always a miserable thing to deal with. The angled end with the socket on it seems to deliberately make it harder to get your torque in line with the bolt. (Hope that makes some sense.)

I know what you mean and agree 100%.

[jim65wagon]

I looked at it a year ago and didn't have anything constructive to add....I looked at it this year and still I don't have anything constructive to add...:beertoast:

[BajaXplorer]

No comment.
BX