Anyone use a breaker bar for lug nuts?

[FTG-05]

Helped a friend do brakes yesterday on his F30 BMW. Lug nuts were nearly impossible to get off. Used a breaker bar and cracked a new SK 6 point socket. My Craftsman impact was no match. Ended up taking it to my local mechanic and paid for a tire rotation. His industrial-sized impact took the nuts off easily. Kind of humbling actually.

Watched a video yesterday on the Diesel Creek YT channel. He was taking a bolt off on his "Beater with a Heater" jeep. He completely split a fairly brand new Snap On socket. I had never seen that before. It's never happened to me; I must live a charmed life.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

I broke a Wright 13/16" on a lug nut. But Wright weren't Proto or J.H.Williams. . They were more Snap-On or Craftsman.

 

[landrover bodger]

i keep a 1/2 inch drive breaker bar and socket in each of the cars it just makes life easy if i need to change a wheel . its one of those things you have but hope you never need to use .

 

[Sumboodie]

No thanks. M18 ugga dugga gun. Take off semi lug nuts easily with the 3/4 or 1" one.

 

[Sumboodie]

I've got a few impacts, but I feel the breaker bar is easier on the crappy capped lug nuts on my vehicles. I usually break them free with the breaker bar and finish removal with an impact. Installation is the opposite. I snug them with the impact and torque them on with the breaker bar (no I don't use a torque wrench to torque to factory spec... sorry).

You should. Helps with rotor life.

 

[Leaky88]

I have one of these in all 5 of my vehicles. Extendable to 22”, 4 different sizes. This is a cheaper version at Walmart for $19.

 

[Rinspeed]

You should. Helps with rotor life.

I'm not so sure about that.

 

[Sumboodie]

I'm not so sure about that.

It does.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Watched a video yesterday on the Diesel Creek YT channel. He was taking a bolt off on his "Beater with a Heater" jeep. He completely split a fairly brand new Snap On socket. I had never seen that before. It's never happened to me; I must live a charmed life.

Imo snap on sockets crack fairly easily, relative to other brands, because of the thin wall thickness. Comparing snap on to proto, the proto has to have twice the wall thickness. No big deal for some fasteners, but a 1/2 drive 14mm proto 12 point wont remove Subaru head bolts.

 

[dnschmidt]

Now that's a crisis my Pittsburgh homie considering how often you need to change head gaskets on a Subaru. Oh, the humanity.

 

[Mr. Tool]

Breaker bar to loosen, impact to remove and snug, torque wrench to tighten.

^^^^........this is exactly how I do it, never a problem.

 

[Badgerstate]

I ended up picking up a Craftsman 1/2" breaker bar. I tried breaking one of the lug nuts free and it was pretty easy. Im kind of surprised at how many people use an impact wrench.
When I bought that Craftsman corded impact wrench, I honestly felt like I was being lazy. LOL

 

[Badgerstate]

^^^^........this is exactly how I do it, never a problem.

I go breaker bar to loosen, 4-way to remove and snug up and torque wrench to tighten. If you know how to do it, a 4-way can be faster than a speed wrench.

 

[Sgtboz]

So, long story short, I recently picked up a Craftsman corded electric impact wrench for removing lug nuts. It works great but its heavy and the cord can be kind of annoying. So, the other day, I asked myself, "why dont I just use a breaker bar?" I recently picked up a Husky 1/2" extendable breaker bar that I plan to use for lug nuts.
Does anyone else use a breaker bar for removing lug nuts?

My 36" 1/2" drive snappy breaker bar is a breaker bar and piece of pipe in one.

 

[Kaline74]

In high school, I used a 4-way wrench (which I still own). In 1992 I bought a Sears Craftsman 1/2 breaker and have used it ever since to remove lug nuts.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Now that's a crisis my Pittsburgh homie considering how often you need to change head gaskets on a Subaru. Oh, the humanity.

It's what makes subaru, a subaru..... or is that oil consumption?

 

[Mr. Tool]

I go breaker bar to loosen, 4-way to remove and snug up and torque wrench to tighten. If you know how to do it, a 4-way can be faster than a speed wrench.

Yeah I can understand the usage of a 4 way.......but I gave using that up many, many years ago.

As a matter of fact I guess you could say I replaced the 4-way with one of these. It's the.....

Ko-ken Spinner Cross Wrench 1/2" Square Drive 2 Piece Set​

....works fantastic!