On Thursday, December 25, 2014 8:09:59 AM UTC-5, wrote:
I got a flat the other day and I carry a 4way wrench in my vehicle.
Although I greased all my lugnuts during the summer, for some reason it
seems that as soon as it gets cold outdoors, the damn lugnuts dont want
to come off.

Not only dont those 4way wrenches always seem too sloppy on the nut, but
they bend. And it seems that because they flex and bend, they lack the
power needed to bust loose a stubborn nut.

I tried everything to loosen them. I even carry a piece of pipe, and
slipped that over the end of the wrench, and could not loosen even one
of them.

I finally called a friend who has a lot of tools, and asked him to bring
a breaker bar and socket. With his breaker bar/socket, I was able to
get some torque. I still had to use my pipe on a few of them, but they
came loose. With that 4way, I could not budge them at all, and I was
probably applying more pressure.

I guess the solution is to just buy another breaker bar, and socket to
fit, and leave those in the vehicle all the time, along with my pipe.
But before I do, I just wanted to ask if there is some lugnut wrench
made, that actually does the job, without flexing and bending? It dont
need to be a 4way!

Thanks

I think you nailed it.

I picked up a GearWrench 24" breaker bar from Advance a while back because they had a deal where if you bought the 24" you got a shorter one free - and my main 1/2" drive breaker bar was an old 18" long Williams one, figured the 24" would come in handy for those extra special jobs. Get you a good quality 3" or so extension and a 6 point deep socket to fit et voila.

Alternately, the heavy duty Ken-Tool 4-ways seem to be good, but I've migrated away from them as the socket ends seem to be bigger in OD than a 6 point socket and modern cars seem to have the lugs sunk into holes in the wheels.

Finally, what is the vehicle? Does it use those infernal stainless capped lug nuts? I got a whole nother rant on those pieces of excrement. Long story short, if you have them, I would replace with chromed steel ones toot sweet, and if any of the caps "spin" report back and I'll walk you through "peeling" them with a sacrificial screwdriver so you don't have to torch 'em off.

nate