Date:         Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:37:04 -0400
Reply-To:     Chris S <szpejankowski@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chris S <szpejankowski@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: lug nuts torque-
Comments: To: mcneely4@cox.net
In-Reply-To:  <20100625104534.DY3Q1.619951.imail@eastrmwml38>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Stock lug nut wrench works nicely especially when coupled with a short
section of cheater pipe. I use the top section of a two-piece
hydraulic jack handle as said cheater pipe.

2010/6/25, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net>:
> Several of you indicated that using a 4-way lug wrench one would likely be
> unable to take off the lug nuts on my camper ('91 VW Vanagon GL Campmobile).
>  One problem mentioned was that tire shop techs might be prone to set their
> impact wrenches at too high a torque.  So, I decided I needed to run a drill
> to make sure I could loosen the nuts if need be.  I also wanted to run a
> drill with the OEM jack again, to see how I went with that (it'd been a
> while since I tried it).
>
> 1.  I think the jack is ok, maybe better than I formerly thought.  It raised
> the van perfectly well, and seemed as stable as one might expect of any
> except a floor jack.  I chocked the wheels with 4"x4" wooden blocks before
> jacking.
>
> 2.  I was able to loosen the lug nuts perfectly well with the 4x4, which has
> torque arms about 8" each way, giving me 16" of torque (8" for each of my
> arms).  No problem.  I then tightened them as tightly as I could with the
> 4-way.
>
> 3.  Does this mean, in your minds, that the nuts might not be adequately
> tightened (the owner's manual states 130 ft lb or 180 Nm, and that any
> person of average strength should be able to obtain that with the OEM lug
> wrench).  I do have the OEM wrench, but it looks completely inadequate, and
> I did not try it.
>
> 4.  I'm taking the van in to the tire shop today to have the five wheel
> rotation and balance.  I'll make it a point to tell the tech to torque to
> 130 ft lb, then I will check the nuts again myself when I get home.  Should
> I still get a breaker bar, or is torquing as tightly as I can with the 4-way
> wrench ok?  I have never had a heavy vehicle like this before, and have
> always been satisfied with the torque that I could get with a lug wrench.
>
> Thanks, David McNeely
>


--
Chris S.
"No solution is too complex to be executed incorrectly"