Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 12/31/2013 10:25 AM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Stormin Mormon wrote:
"once the lugs are slightly loose". Is that like
"add water and heat"?

Uh, no. Not even close.

Leaves out the critical
details. How does one loosen the lugs, please?

I'm slightly confused by your question.

I loosen the lug nuts with a lug nut wrench and (sometimes) a piece of pipe
for leverage. Why does that matter? The procedure would be the same
regardless of what kind of tool I use.

L shaped lug wrench
X shaped lug wrench
socket and ratchet
Air wrench
Socket and breaker bar

Each of these have different operating techniques.
One can press up, press down, rotate.

One of my techniques is to use the X shaped lug
wrench. I pull up on the right, with my hands.
Push down on the left with one foot, lean on the
side of the vehicle.

Using a socket and breaker bar, I can either
put the wrench on the right and pull up, or
wrench on the left and push down.

Same deal with L shaped lug wrench. Pull up, to
the right? Push down on the left? Push left with
handle at 12 o'clock?

Starting to become clear why I ask which technique
one uses?

As I said, regardless of which tool I use, the procedure is the same as far
as jacking the car up just enough to take the weight off of the tires
before loosening and then jacking to down to add a little weight before
tightening.

I don't consider the tool used to be a "critical detail" (your words)
related to the procedure. Now, if you were simply curious as to which tool
I prefer, that's something different.

My #1 preference? Any of the above tools, used by someone else, at no cost
to me. ;-)

My reality preference? Me using an L-shaped lug wrench with a breaker pipe
to initially loosen/finally tighten the lug nuts and a cordless drill with
a big socket to spin them off and on.

I've never like the X-shaped lug wrenches. I never can get enough leverage
and I've bent them trying to get lug nuts off. I don't like standing on
them for fear of snapping a stud. I've tried ratchet handles and sockets
with a breaker pipe. I've broke sockets, I've broke ratchet handles.

My pipe fits over all of the various L-shape lug wrenches that I and my
kids' assorted vehicles have, both the short wrenches and the long ones.
Trailer, van, pick up, wagon, sedans. It works for all of them, every time.

BTW...the short lug wrenches, like my daughter's Mitsubishi came with,
leads me to believe that the lug nuts do not need to be extremely tight.
The manual gives a torque setting and it is my assumption that the
recommended torque can be achieved with the tool provided with the car,
although I've never actually checked it. Obviously, I can get it tighter
with a longer wrench, and even tighter with a pipe extension, but wouldn't
one think that the tool provided with the car should be able to properly
get the lug nuts on (and off) without any other tools?

When I had the rental this weekend, I was able to loosen the lugs with the
short wrench that came with the car, even though I never actually changed
the tire. Assuming it was mounted with the correct torque, the short wrench
is all that should be needed.