On Tuesday, September 23, 2014 10:21:24 PM UTC-7, J Burns wrote:
I bought tires a couple of months ago. Yesterday I tried to remove a
wheel to check the bearing. The nuts wouldn't budge.
They're supposed to be torqued to about 65 foot-pounds. After letting
penetrating oil work overnight, I got 15 of the 16 nuts with a cruciform
wrench with 10" arms. I used a pipe to extend one arm and stood on the
other.

I believe I'm applying well over 200 foot-pounds. The wrench twists so
far that I think more force would be dangerous. I'll see what tools
neighbors have, or maybe go to a mechanic.

Can I have the dealer and his crew sent to prison?

BTDT. I had a flat with an old F150, Miracle of miracles the toy jack that came with the truck worked. I had a cruciform lug wrench. No way could I break any of the lugs loose. Called for road service. Unfortunately it was harvest season and every service truck in the town was backed up on calls. Mechanic finally came out in private car. He at least had a cheater and managed to get all but one loose after an hours work. Finally had wait until a tow truck showed up. He couldn't get the last one either. Finally lifted truck and dropped breaking that lug. That lug had been cross threaded but driven tight with the rattle gun.

The usual problem is the tire shops don't reset the torque wrenches after working on big equipment. Watch them sometime and at a good shop (mine is a very good one) you will see them apply the rattle gun then pick up a real torque wrench, apply 'click', yep it is tight. Unfortunately, yes it _is_ tight. But that 'click' only says that the nut has been tightened to AT LEAST the torque setting when in fact it has been way overtightened. The last time the setting on the rattle gun was changed was to use it on some big semi.

I wrote the shop and long letter explaining what had happened.


My tire shop removed and reinstalled all 4 wheels, replaced the broken stud and the next time I had a flat all lugs came off with normal pressure.

Harry K