Date:         Wed, 28 Sep 94 09:50:08 CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "J. Walker" <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject:      Re: stranded

On Wed, 28 Sep 94 09:11:48 CDT Mike Busby said:
>You won't chuckle when your out in the desert in the summer in west Texas,
>100 miles from the nearest person and can't get the lug nuts off because
>the VW dealer that rotated your tires used 500 ft/lb of torque to
>put them back on.  Ask me how I know...

yup. to begin with, there ain't an awful lot to chuckle about in the west
texas desert in the first place. but this brings up a very good point about
tires and such:

before you go on a trip, get a GOOD lug wrench and TRY IT OUT! that is, take
at least one wheel OFF the car with it. test it out. and make SURE that you
can loosen and tighten ALL the lugs on ALL the wheels. and, if you can do it,
NEVER EVER let those idiots at tire stores or anywhere use an impact wrench
on your lug nuts.   otherwise, you will be sadder but wiser, like Mike and
me. :(

i have a lug wrench that i have found to be exceptionally easy to use and
well made. it's by Votex and i got it at my vw dealer in atlanta for about
$15 (probably up to $20 by now). it has an extendible handle so you don't
have to grunt and groan with little short handles, and it is L-shaped, so
you don't have those X-arms trying to bruise your family jewels. if anybody
wants more info, let me know and i'll post the model number and the phone
number of the dealer. i don't know if anybody else sells these things (never
seen them in Beverly Hills or other catalogs).

>"Armadillos....  Texas speed bumps."

Armadillos ... Possum on the half-shell. :)

joel
70 bus trip from El Paso down to Big Bend and back to alabama.