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

[Bill DeWar]

Amici,

 "Special" lug nuts locking or otherwise are also
the enemy of mechanics. Nothing better than to
have a pile of cars in the lot and first one in has
these. After playing the find wheel lock key
game for a while you finally get all wheels loose
except one. Your $16.95 tire rotation special
is not looking like such a great idea about now.
 The best thing is thay are usually on wheels
so ugly you'd pay someone to steal them.

My personal rant over..

Bill D
Triumph Rescue
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Babcock" <BillB at bnj.com>
To: "David W. Riddle" <dave at microworks.net>;
<wheeltowheel at wheeltowheel.com>; <fot at autox.team.net>; <members at dctra.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 1:06 AM
Subject: Re: [Fot] Why you say NO to "special" lug nuts


> Yep. I have a full set of them sitting in a drawer, never installed. Can't
> quite bring myself to toss them, but I won't put them on a car after a
similar
> experience. I also took the single locking lug nut off my F350
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fot-bounces+billb=bnj.com at autox.team.net on behalf of David W.
Riddle
> Sent: Tue 11/20/2007 9:21 PM
> To: wheeltowheel at wheeltowheel.com; fot at autox.team.net; members at dctra.org
> Subject: [Fot] Why you say NO to "special" lug nuts
>
> 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
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