What tool for a lady to remove tight lug nuts?

[kh21]

I'm a petite middle-aged woman and I had a flat tire on my car yesterday afternoon. I know how to change a tire, but I was unable to loosen 3 out of 4 lug nuts. I used a lug wrench (the crossbar type) but I just couldn't get them to budge. I had to find a man to ask, thankfully I was in a parking lot. But had I been on the side of the road, this could've been potentially dangerous.

I'm not sure if I'm just too weak, or if the lug nuts were possibly overtightened. Would a breaker bar be better or should I look at something like these roadside impact wrenches that run off the car's battery via the cigarette socket?

I guess I could get both. I guess the point is that a man removed the remaining lug nuts with the lug wrench, so clearly I was not strong enough. Is a breaker bar gonna help me in this situation? I was trying to use my weight with the lug wrench, and I tried pulling and pushing. I exhausted myself. I asked the man to help and he loosened them like it was nothin'.

I would appreciate advice. This is the second time I've had a flat and was not able to loosen the lug nuts. I don't want to be in this situation again.

 

[u2slow]

24" breaker bar with a proper sized socket makes it easy.

Average tire-iron is maybe 16" at best, and are often made so poorly they want to roll off the nut instead of turning it.

 

[larry_g]

Personally I would recommend that you get a breaker bar and maybe a pipe to use as a cheater and carry it in the car. It would give you the most mechanical advantage and not have to worry about some electrical tool failing when you need it most.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[loganb]

There are 2 main options depending on budget and desired upkeep

Cheap and low maintenance-buy a long handled ratchet and socket...say 24" so you have more leverage.

More expensive and more upkeep: cordless impact wrench for example a Milwaukee M12 with the correct socket. Less work when actually removing the luggage nuts...but probably 5x the budget and will require charging the battery a couple times a year to keep it fresh

 

[NUTTSGT]

Find the cheapest and longest breaker you can find, probably at least 24" long and 1/2" drive .

1/2 in. Drive 25 in. Breaker Bar

Amazing deals on this 1/2In Dr 25In Breaker Bar at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Menard's has a 30" version but I doubt there are any in your area.

Then something similar to these, just make sure to get a set with the appropriate sized socket for your car.

www.harborfreight.com/12-in-drive-impact-flip-socket-set-3-piece-62491.html

 

[Billy Jack]

Obviously the best bet is a cordless impact wrench, but a considerably lower cost option is a 24" breaker bar with the proper size socket. I carry one in every car and have yet to be stranded, especially when going from the typical 18 inch length to a 24 incher.

 

[Nobody-named-Olli]

Generally, yes a longer breaker bar will help immensely.

Lug nuts could have been overtightened, or just a little seized - the latter happens/ is common.

If you want to go for an impact wrench, get a ‘house brand’ one from one of the big box stores or HF. Throw it in the trunk, set a reminder on your phone, to charge the battery every other 10 months or so.

That said, a breaker bar will never run out of power. Doesn’t mind the cold, water, …

Kind regards,
Olli

 

[tarmy]

Boyfriend/husband

The other items you already know. Cars/trucks are different foot pounds of torque. Wifey’s Honda get 94…all out trucks get 140 per spec. The degree of difficultly can vary. Also, if they have never seen a drop of oil or are not removed often…rust is a thing. Glad you got it taken care of.

Also, carry a length of pipe (cheater) to fit over the breaker bar handle. Works well to deter any jerk up to no good at night if your stuck someplace.

 

[cgrutt]

As others have said a breaker bar should give you more leverage. Make sure you buy the correct size socket to go with it.

I'd also suggest joining AAA or some other roadside assistance. It's pretty inexpensive and they'll change tire, provide gas, jumpstart the vehicle as well as provide towing if needed. Stay safe.

 

[mrvm]

Got to join in with the breaker bar solution for any members of the family who may have to struggle with a rusted-in lug nut or over tightened lug nut on the road. I bought several HF 1/2” breaker bars on sale for @ $15 plus the socket to remove the lug nut.

 

[PCustoms]

24" breaker bar and an extension or pipe if needed. Also worth checking lug nuts each time tires are changed or rotated, much easier to deal with an overtightened nut on a nice day in your driveway then in the rain on the shoulder of the highway.

That said, I'd even consider calling for service depending on where I got a flat. AAA might be a good option

 

[Old tool guy]

Did you try standing on the end of the lug wrench? Or were you just using your arms? Might not have made a difference, i probably weigh twice what you do, and even standing onbthe end of the wrench takes a couple of bounces sometimes.

 

[dave*99]

Anyone tried a torque multiplier? I have not, but it could be a solution.

XtremepowerUS Lug Nut Torque Wrench Multiplier Labor Saving Tool Set with 3-Sockets 350NM (6-Piece) 18856-H1 - The Home Depot

Do all your toughest jobs by selecting this Xtremepower US Heavy-Duty Lug Nut Wrench Torque Multiplier with NM Socket. Easy to handle.

www.homedepot.com

 

[Nobody-named-Olli]

Really nothing you would want to be fumbling around with on the side of the road when a simple breaker bar & socket will do the job just fine.

Torque multipliers certainly work & have a place - but not for a simple roadside tire change.

Kind regards,
Olli

 

[LopezBart]

I guess I could get both. I guess the point is that a man removed the remaining lug nuts with the lug wrench, so clearly I was not strong enough. Is a breaker bar gonna help me in this situation? I was trying to use my weight with the lug wrench, and I tried pulling and pushing. I exhausted myself. I asked the man to help and he loosened them like it was nothin'.

The problem with the cross-bar type wrench is that because you have to pull up on one side and push down with the other, you lose the advantage of using your weight. If you just push down on one side, it's like having a 8" breaker bar - the 24" ones being suggested will apply 3X the torque. I've had to stand on a breaker bar to loosen lug nuts when some hero with a air impact let it rattle away far too long. If you can lift more than you weigh, pulling UP on the (reversed!) breaker bar will actually exert more torque.

The suggestion to practice in the driveway is a good one.

 

[PoorUB]

A good breaker bar and six point socket.

If you like, a battery impact will do it too, but buy a good one. It seems to me the battery impact is a pretty expensive tool to store in your trunk and maybe never use it.

I had a flat tire a couple years ago. First one in maybe twenty years and probably 700,000 miles of driving. A battery impact would never get used!

 

[Torque&Recoil]

I am voting with the "long breaker bar" category. No batteries to go dead and it should always work. You might consider a telescoping version. I haven't used one of these, but the idea is appealing.

 

[finn]

A breaker bar is a better investment than a cordless impact wrench.

The impact requires maintenance, while the breaker bar will hopefully sit in the car forever, never to be used.

Best bet is to stop by Harbor Freighr and pick up the longest breaker the have, probably around 36”, along with a set of double ended wheel lug sockets. Make sure the socket fits on the wheels of your particular car, as some aluminum wheels have very little clearance around the lug.

I suspect you can get everything you need for $30 - $50 or less.

 

[BillK]

I have about a 30" long breaker bar in the back of my Tahoe along with a 4 way lug wrench. The torque is 140 lb ft and even I have a hard time with just the 4 way.

 

[fishwatcher]

Did you use the weight of your body with your arms or with your foot?

I had to put on a spare a few weeks ago. I carefully stepped/stomped on the lug nut wrench. I probably weigh quite a bit more than you, so that probably helped.

 

[DrinkMan]

I like the breaker bar idea but don't rule out the torque multiplier. I got one for Christmas and have had some fun using it on lug nuts that usually need a big breaker bar. Works great. Small case fits well in trunk and you don't have to be a big strong guy to loosen tight lug nuts.

 

[DAustin]

A tight dress and a push-up bra.

 

[bb29510]

tire store

 

[Shiftless]

A tight dress and a push-up bra.

The woman, a new member and first time poster on GJ, might not appreciate that comment.

 

[bwringer]

Yup, breaker bar. Easy-peasy.

Although in my wife's case, the even more unpossible part would be using the stupid crappy screw jack that comes with her car. I've strongly considered digging up a better solution for elevating the car, maybe an electric jack, but it's pretty difficult to find something that works reasonably well and doesn't weigh a ton.

All the above said... I have placed a basic tool kit, a good set of tire plugs and an electric tire pump into the car, and these will honestly handle around 80-90% of roadside tire issues. If you're careful and you can find the object, it's normally not too hard to roll the car forward or back a bit where you can pull it out with pliers, plug the tire, and pump it up without needing to remove the wheel.

The angled breaker bars don't work all that well in my experience. This HF extendable breaker bar is nice and compact, if you need to save space:

1/2 in. Drive Extendable Breaker Bar

Amazing deals on this 1/2In Dr Extendable Breaker Bar at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[Boogerman]

As others have said, a long handle breaker bar and appropriate socket, with an extension if needed. Another thing that can be problematic, depending on the vehicle is getting the wheel off. Toyota's seem to have this problem particularly. Sometimes have to kick the tire pretty forcefully and repetitively to get it to break loose when the aluminum sizes to the steel hub. I find a lady slipper pry bar works very well in this situation, to break the wheel loose.

As an older guy, I've come to appreciate the long handled breaker bar I carry in my truck; I also have one in the shop and use it every time I rotate or change snow tires to break loose the lugnuts and to tighten them prior to checking with torque wrench. I use an electric impact to speed up the removal and installation, but go through the entire vehicle and break loose the lug nuts before I start the job.

 

[DAustin]

Trying to take my foot out of my mouth, I would say the safest thing is a AAA membership. Changing a tire by the side of the road is a dangerous thing to do. And a 6", 210lbs I've run into some lug nuts that were almost too hard to get off. Also, with AAA you get to stay out of the rain cold and snow.

 

[mm08822]

As others have said, a long handle breaker bar and appropriate socket. You can buy a single socket and keep it connected to the breaker bar so they don't get seperated.

Confirm that you can fit the socket into the lug nut hole in your driveway/store parking lot once you get it.

Then as a complete test (before you really need it), see if you can break the lug nuts free and tighten while in your driveway. If you need the cheater bar b/c you can't break them free, get one/make one (go to big box store and buy a short length of pipe or find a scrap) and test out again in the driveway.

 

[dchawk81]

I'm a petite middle-aged woman and I had a flat tire on my car yesterday afternoon. I know how to change a tire, but I was unable to loosen 3 out of 4 lug nuts. I used a lug wrench (the crossbar type) but I just couldn't get them to budge. I had to find a man to ask, thankfully I was in a parking lot. But had I been on the side of the road, this could've been potentially dangerous.

I'm not sure if I'm just too weak, or if the lug nuts were possibly overtightened. Would a breaker bar be better or should I look at something like these roadside impact wrenches that run off the car's battery via the cigarette socket?

I guess I could get both. I guess the point is that a man removed the remaining lug nuts with the lug wrench, so clearly I was not strong enough. Is a breaker bar gonna help me in this situation? I was trying to use my weight with the lug wrench, and I tried pulling and pushing. I exhausted myself. I asked the man to help and he loosened them like it was nothin'.

I would appreciate advice. This is the second time I've had a flat and was not able to loosen the lug nuts. I don't want to be in this situation again.

I'm a weak middle aged male and use power tools. Impact wrenches in particular.

A torque multiplier is a cheaper, safer, more compact option especially when most tire shops just tighten the **** out of the wheels and don't torque them to the specification most people can remove.

Example:

RANSOTO Torque Multiplier Set Torque Multiplier Wrench Lug Nut Remover Labor Saving Nut Disassembly Tool with 11/16" 3/4”13/16" 17mm 19mm 21mm Sockets for Loosening Car Tire Lug Nuts https://a.co/d/84An7jt

 

[LeeG]

A single socket and this breaker bar. It is what I have in my wife's car. You could also get a standard breaker bar and a piece of pipe to fit over it.

Also, do a test tire change in your driveway with help on hand. Do a test run under safe, easy conditions.

Lee

 

[dave*99]

Trying to take my foot out of my mouth, I would say the safest thing is a AAA membership. Changing a tire by the side of the road is a dangerous thing to do. And a 6", 210lbs I've run into some lug nuts that were almost too hard to get off. Also, with AAA you get to stay out of the rain cold and snow.

My auto insurance company has “free” roadside assistance. Can’t help with the foot.

 

[GrayFlattop]

Menards will ship if you don’t have one locally. A 30” long 1/2”drive breaker bar and a deep 6-point socket is the simplest. Never needs charging. Or buy a shorter 24”one from harbor freight and get a 2’ piece of pipe to slip over the handle to act as a “cheater” - AKA leverage multiplier.

Of course a cell phone and AAA membership is an excellent back up plan, the effectiveness of that would depend largely upon where you live with respect to response time and cell coverage.

Both of these options have been mentioned above, I’m just trying to clarify/ expand.
Many tire shops and repair shops disregard lug nut torque specifications, but that’s a different rabbit hole.

 

[ericm]

Besides the recommendation for breaker bars, a lot of tire stores will over-tighten the lug bolts. You can tell them to use a torque wrench, and what to torque them to, but they may or may not do it. I have taken to loosening and then torquing down the wheels after I come back from the tire store. Sometimes I have to use my own air impact wrench to get them loose.

The extendable breaker bar is really nice- easier to find a place for it in the vehicle.

Also make sure that you have wheel chocks to keep the car from moving when its on the jack. They make inexpensive folding ones.

 

[Jeepster04]

This is garage journal...

Buy a breaker bar, a good torque wrench, remove all lug nuts, properly torque them.

That way they wont be too tight...

 

[Shiftless]

Nobody yet mentioned anti seize…

 

[dchawk81]

This is garage journal...

Buy a breaker bar, a good torque wrench, remove all lug nuts, properly torque them.

That way they wont be too tight...

Also sell your husband, buy a real one.

 

[nadogail]

Personally I would recommend that you get a breaker bar and maybe a pipe to use as a cheater and carry it in the car. It would give you the most mechanical advantage and not have to worry about some electrical tool failing when you need it most.

lg
no neat sig line

The Longer The Stick, The Better The Fight.
A Schedule 80 PVC Pipe makes an inexpensive and light weight "Cheater"

I carry a AAA Card and a Cell Phone.

 

[dchawk81]

The Longer The Stick, The Better The Fight.
A Schedule 80 PVC Pipe makes an inexpensive and light weight "Cheater"

Not sure I'd use PVC.

I suggested a torque multiplier for storage concerns, and it makes cake of overtightened lugs.

 

[rancherbill]

I'd also suggest joining AAA or some other roadside assistance.

My experience is there ready to take your yearly membership money. They are hard to find when you actually need them - 'We'll be there in about 4-5 hours, it's an unusually busy today'

 

[roc_on_the_rocks]

I'm a petite middle-aged woman and I had a flat tire on my car yesterday afternoon. I know how to change a tire, but I was unable to loosen 3 out of 4 lug nuts. I used a lug wrench (the crossbar type) but I just couldn't get them to budge. I had to find a man to ask, thankfully I was in a parking lot. But had I been on the side of the road, this could've been potentially dangerous.

I'm not sure if I'm just too weak, or if the lug nuts were possibly overtightened. Would a breaker bar be better or should I look at something like these roadside impact wrenches that run off the car's battery via the cigarette socket?

I guess I could get both. I guess the point is that a man removed the remaining lug nuts with the lug wrench, so clearly I was not strong enough. Is a breaker bar gonna help me in this situation? I was trying to use my weight with the lug wrench, and I tried pulling and pushing. I exhausted myself. I asked the man to help and he loosened them like it was nothin'.

I would appreciate advice. This is the second time I've had a flat and was not able to loosen the lug nuts. I don't want to be in this situation again.

With a woman watching us, we will try until we die

Good on you for being independent and versatile, not many like you around.

I'd get a long torque wrench, our beloved Harbor Freight has them cheap.