Lug Wrench recommendations?

Danzigman · May 30, 2022

So after having a tire issue on the road for the first time since owning my Tahoe I have decided that i need to carry a better lug wrench with me in the truck. I was thinking just a craftsman breaker bar and extension. Does anyone have any recommendations on a lug wrench to carry with me? I like standard four way wrenches but they just aren’t good to have sliding around in the back.

Jimmyy · May 30, 2022

HF has a folding star lug wrench. I can't speak to the quality or ease of use. But I did throw one in my DD. I would say it's a little shorter than I would prefer.
Now that I see that last part typed out.... :laughing1:

tom3 · May 30, 2022

Depends on the year of your machine. I was going to take the wheels off our '19 and clean them up, couldn't budge those lug nuts. Torqued at 140 ftlbs. Glad we have AAA. Take a serious lug wrench to get those off along the highway. I'd try it out at home first.

Danzigman · May 30, 2022

tom3 said:
Depends on the year of your machine. I was going to take the wheels off our '19 and clean them up, couldn't budge those lug nuts. Torqued at 140 ftlbs. Glad we have AAA. Take a serious lug wrench to get those off along the highway. I'd try it out at home first.

I have a 2005. Newer full-size GM’s torque the lug nuts at 140? Wow…

Fless · May 30, 2022

Older ones, too, including yours @Danzigman. The torque for my '04 lug nuts is 140 lb-ft.

gooffeyguy · May 30, 2022

So is my 2001

swathdiver · May 30, 2022

I used to drag around a cross bar tire iron, stuck it in the garage and tossed this one in the back:

https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Automotive-1721-Telescoping-Wrench/dp/B000CMJ2KU/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2YJZ1548ATVHI&keywords=gorilla%2Blug%2Bwrench&qid=1653962332&sprefix=gorilla%2Blug%2Bwrench%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-7&th=1

Have still never used either one on this truck.

Impact gun or ratchet to remove them at home and they go back on by hand and tightened with a long Tekton torque wrench.

adventurenali92 · May 30, 2022

tom3 said:
Depends on the year of your machine. I was going to take the wheels off our '19 and clean them up, couldn't budge those lug nuts. Torqued at 140 ftlbs. Glad we have AAA. Take a serious lug wrench to get those off along the highway. I'd try it out at home first.

I agree that having a breaker bar or a lug wrench makes it easier….. but I torque my lug nuts to 140ft-lbs, per my owners manual for my 2006. I can break them loose with my factory tire iron and my foot…. And I’m not a big ridiculously muscular guy either… Not sure what you were doing with your lug nuts that they wouldn’t come loose. lol.

iamdub · May 31, 2022

Danzigman said:
So after having a tire issue on the road for the first time since owning my Tahoe I have decided that i need to carry a better lug wrench with me in the truck. I was thinking just a craftsman breaker bar and extension. Does anyone have any recommendations on a lug wrench to carry with me? I like standard four way wrenches but they just aren’t good to have sliding around in the back.

I'd recommend the extendable style like what swathdiver linked to. A 4-way is a nuisance to carry and the folding ones are a nuisance to use and a good way to strip a nut- both on the car and anatomical. They easily fit with the rest of the factory jack stuff. I bought a knock-off for $13.99 (This one) on November 18, 2020. About a month later, on Christmas Eve, I ran over some debris in the road that slashed my tire and poked a hole in the wheel. I had forgotten that I bought this wrench and was pleasantly surprised when I pulled it outta the jack compartment. It worked great! I torque my wheels with a torque stick that seems to be pretty close to the 140 lb./ft. spec.

Tonyrodz · May 31, 2022

swathdiver said:
I used to drag around a cross bar tire iron, stuck it in the garage and tossed this one in the back:

https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Automotive-1721-Telescoping-Wrench/dp/B000CMJ2KU/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2YJZ1548ATVHI&keywords=gorilla%2Blug%2Bwrench&qid=1653962332&sprefix=gorilla%2Blug%2Bwrench%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-7&th=1

View attachment 371618

Have still never used either one on this truck.

Impact gun or ratchet to remove them at home and they go back on by hand and tightened with a long Tekton torque wrench.

I have the same one in the Hoe. I haven't needed to use it yet tho.

Scottydoggs · May 31, 2022

i got tired of cross bars, bought this impact gun for cheap really. still carry the old chrome cross bar, but this gun has yet to let me down on lug nuts. battery holds a charge too. its in a tool bag in the bag full time.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08516T3NB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

also picked these two tools up as well. the ratchet is amazing. what a time saver. https://www.ebay.com/itm/133503681981 also scored pair of extra batterys for these two.

Joseph Garcia · May 31, 2022

Agree with many folks here. Off with an air impact gun, one with a torque wrench.

gooffeyguy · May 31, 2022

I install mine by hand to start just to make sure they're not cross threaded, then use my cordless impact on its lowest setting to snug them all up, then go around with the Torque wrench and tighten to spec.

MassHoe04 · May 31, 2022

I keep a pretty solid cross-style (+) lug wrench in the back of mine.
It is good for two-hand or kicking to break lugs loose.
If you have to do lugs by hand, the cross wrench is easy to spin to speed up the removal or installation process.

I recently got a set of 2013 Tahoe wheels for my 04.
FSM says 140 ft. lbs.
I set my digital torque wrench to 139.

Normally not an issue with zipping them off with my DeWalt impact.
On one of these new wheels, i had a hard time with the impact on 2 of the 6.
They just seemed to not want to budge for some reason!

Battery was on one bar on the charge indicator LED. Maybe it was tiring out... I thought it was all or nothing until it got fully drained. Maybe not...

Breaker bar did it no problem.

drdave81 · Jun 1, 2022

Ditch the 4 way, its not 1972 and you only have one size lug nut. Get a 22mm socket and a breaker bar, good to go. I torque my lug nuts as well, but in a roadside tire change, I'd just make sure they're tight with the breaker bar.

89Suburban · Jun 1, 2022

swathdiver said:
I used to drag around a cross bar tire iron, stuck it in the garage and tossed this one in the back:

https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Automotive-1721-Telescoping-Wrench/dp/B000CMJ2KU/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2YJZ1548ATVHI&keywords=gorilla%2Blug%2Bwrench&qid=1653962332&sprefix=gorilla%2Blug%2Bwrench%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-7&th=1

View attachment 371618

Have still never used either one on this truck.

Impact gun or ratchet to remove them at home and they go back on by hand and tightened with a long Tekton torque wrench.

Tonyrodz said:
I have the same one in the Hoe. I haven't needed to use it yet tho.

X3 this thing kicks butt. It's been transferred to my 3rd vehicle now. Great when I am pulling the boat and need it too for the different size nuts. Takes very little space. Nice storage bag. Once you break the nuts loose you can roll it like a choo choo rod to spine them off lol. Originally bought mine from pep boys.

https://www.amazon.com/EPAuto-Telescoping-Wrench-Wheel-Sockets/dp/B071FV7XVM/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=1C3KU28YO14CW&keywords=lug+wrench&qid=1654117806&sprefix=lug+wrench%2Caps%2C60&sr=8-3-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNUdNTk1ENTRMSkkmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA0OTg2NjEyNVVJSU9VUDVWRzhOJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3MjgyMTkxMTRVODVZWFJXSlpEJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Tonyrodz · Jun 1, 2022

89Suburban said:
X3 this thing kicks butt. It's been transferred to my 3rd vehicle now. Great when I am pulling the boat and need it too for the different size nuts. Takes very little space. Nice storage bag. Once you break the nuts loose you can roll it like a choo choo rod to spine them off lol. Originally bought mine from pep boys.

https://www.amazon.com/EPAuto-Telescoping-Wrench-Wheel-Sockets/dp/B071FV7XVM/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=1C3KU28YO14CW&keywords=lug+wrench&qid=1654117806&sprefix=lug+wrench%2Caps%2C60&sr=8-3-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNUdNTk1ENTRMSkkmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA0OTg2NjEyNVVJSU9VUDVWRzhOJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3MjgyMTkxMTRVODVZWFJXSlpEJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

That's a good price.

swathdiver · Jun 1, 2022

Tonyrodz said:
That's a good price.

That is, I paid about that for the Gorilla a few years ago. Seems they've grown very fond of their packaging!

SnowDrifter · Jun 3, 2022

I have one that's similar to the gorilla unit.

Works great!

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/dorman-autograde/tools---equipment/tire---wheel-tools/lug-wrench/d7f168ccce9b/dorman-autograde-14-inch-lug-wrench-drive/dag0/711900/v/a/2293/automotive-suv-2003-jeep-liberty?pos=1

Can vouch the thing will take north of 300ftlbs of force

BG1988 · Jun 3, 2022

Danzigman said:
So after having a tire issue on the road for the first time since owning my Tahoe I have decided that i need to carry a better lug wrench with me in the truck. I was thinking just a craftsman breaker bar and extension. Does anyone have any recommendations on a lug wrench to carry with me? I like standard four way wrenches but they just aren’t good to have sliding around in the back.

go to an antique shop and get a real one made from steel

Lug Wrench recommendations?

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