[Fot] Why you say NO to "special" lug nuts

[David W. Riddle]

Rant on

This evening an electrician took my (unattended) Server center 
down.  So I rush over to bring the servers back on line.

I pull in the parking lot and there is a guy sitting in his car on 
his cel. Trunk open and battery cables lying on the ground.

I ask, "Need a jump?"  Nope he has a flat tire and can I help him.

I then noticed that he has a crippled left arm so of course I jump in 
to get the tire changed for him.

Hmmm.... Who put this monster wooden box which huge ass speakers in 
your truck that has to be removed to get to the stupid ass don-nut 
spare and jack out of your car I wonder to my self as I remove said box.

Get jack under car and get it partially lifted.  Remove cover on the 
wheels to get to the lug nuts.

Lug wrench is way to BIG for the lug nuts.  I reached in to feel the 
lug nuts (I forgot to mention he parked in just about the darkest 
part of the parking lot) and they felt "weird".  They are "kinda" 
rounded with slots running down the length.  The guy remembers that 
he has a special tool for the lug nuts and gets it's out of the glove 
box along with a barely useable flash light

You have about 3/4" of an inch access to the lug nuts.  The special 
tool is about 3" long and the standard lung wrench fits onto it 
(although pretty sloppy fit).  That means that the leverage force you 
are applying to this 3/4" lug nut is about 5" out in space.

Managed to massage four of the lug nuts loose.  The fifth however... 
Someone had been a little eager with their impact wrench.

Downstairs from the server room is a full service sign shop that a 
friend of mine owns.  I have the keys to the building so I'll grab 
some tools.  I take one of the lug nuts with me and discover that 
this a 16mm socket is just a hair to small and a 17mm socket is just 
as much too big.  Same with trying standard sockets.  Can't get 
enough purchase or angle to try and use a crescent wrench.

Ended up putting his stuff back in the trunk and helping him call a 
tow truck to take the car and drop it off at a tire store.

Moral of the story.  Special lug nuts are not worth it.  I would 
rather have some steal my wheels then to have my "anti-theft" 
solution leave me stranded on the side of the road and unable to 
replace a flat tire.

Rant off