The recent editon of Rock Auto's newsletter details "Lug Studs," which sounds to me like German weight lifters. But, no. Lug studs are an old technology coming back to haunt us. I am most miffed about how the studs usually make it more difficult to change a tire. At 67 I have enough trouble already. January Newsletter | Early EditionJanuary Newsletter | Early Edition Also, an amusing tale about changing plugs on a '68 Corvette.
No idea why those are coming back into vogue. Totally illogical esp in the context of changing a tire -- not every driver's a male w/ upper body strength, mfrs I were just a little guy barely in school at the tail end of the musclecar era -- yes they had fans in HI in the '60s and '70s too (arguably the only kind of West Coast racing to make it over, drag racing). Friends of the fam had a '68 440 Six Pack Road Runner, a '70 LT-1 Corvette, a '69(?) International Scout, and a '68 396 Chevelle. So somewhat kiddo-marinated in the sound of lumpy cams, as no WOT around the kids or hell would break loose w/ their moms Later in life would meet a racing buddy whose father's a rather famous engine builder and tuner in WA, now for vintage Ferraris rather than big-block muscle. But learnt a lot about a culture I'd missed out on living here, our talks filling in the blanks behind what to me were basically all mystique
Dang. Just think.... I've made all these trips around the nearest star and I've managed to avoid knowing what "lug studs" are or why somebody would KNOW what it is that they actually are supposed to DO. I'm presently able to DIY tire rotations on all of my vehicles, but it's getting easier.... My 2020 Terrain is 'called' an SUV but I'm pretty sure that my pre-teen granddaughter could manage to loosen the lugs and swap those wheels out - without air or batteries. My '23 Pickup "may" have a different outcome.... 'lug studs'??? I've finally aged out of that silliness......
Wheel bolts. VW uses them I’ve read. The hub projections could maybe help temporarily “hang” the wheel, assuming it has close-tolerance hub opening, while you rotate the wheel to align with the bolt holes. I’m a bantam weight, adopted a wheel-lifting trick: 1. Wearing my steel-toes and a headlamp, with the car raised “just” enough for the wheel to be clear of floor when installed, roll/cajole the wheel into position, bottom tilting slightly closer, and stud openings roughly aligned. 2. Sit on the floor facing the situation, with headlamp on, tuck my toes under the wheel around 4:30 and 6:30, lift wheel up with toes while steadying/guiding with hands, push onto the studs, get a lug nut started, and away you go.
Hub + wheel bolt is half the connection points compared to hub + stud + lug nut. That meant less wiggle developing in the wheels. Which was something back when manufacturing had looser tolerances, and it's why the bolts are still used by some. As for why they are spreading outside traditional users, it's manufacturing costs; two vs three parts to assemble. Robots are lining up the holes in the factory, so that isn't an issue there.
Make sure you teach those kids how to "step on the lug wrench", for those peculiarly tight lug bolts. That seems to be a dying art form. When I was reviewing, how to change a tire with the kids, none of them knew or could figure out how to bust a tight lug nut off. Of course I get the snarky, I'll just call AAA. No wonder they can't figure out anything for themselves.......
If you need to step on the wrench it’s time for a new tire shop. Or DIY, if that’s what it takes. definitely do the stepping before raising, just enough to get them turning.
Stepping? For me? It's more like hopping up and down on the end of the tire wrench. Even then it's often a painful process for my knees. And getting them back on usually means more jumping to hit proper torque. About 78 ft-lbs... kris
Tesla mdel 3 lug nuts are 129 ft/lbs. When I "give them the beans" with my trusty/rusty, Porter-Cable corded impact, it just kinda cogitates, for about a second, before it starts loosening. It's rating is a lowish 450 ft/lbs though.
And, who here dealt with the infamous Prius wheel fusing to the car issue? Mini-sledge, bad words, calls to the mental health lifeline. Nothing worked until I think it was Patrick Wong suggested l loosen lugs a smidge, drive at snail speed, slam on brakes. Before reinstall wire brush wheel and slather on ?white? grease? I don't recall. kris
Anti-seize paste applied thinly with an old toothbrush works good. my drill with rusted-on wheels (haven't had any in a while though), was (on a concrete slab) raise till the wheel was just clear, remove all lug nuts except one at 12 o'clock, just on about three threads (to restrain wheel, if-and-when), place 4x4 wood block against inside face of tire, set full-size sledge hammer about 3 foot back swing across the concrete with a good amount of effort. Can take 2~3 tries, with escalating violence. (With every parenthesis I'm feeling Steve's editor's withering disapproval.)
That's their Dad's job. I myself can mostly skip the step method because: Breaker Bars. I HAVE done it over the years, which is why I always make sure that there are enough tools in the car to change a tire, including a 1/2" breaker bar and the appropriate deep well socket. MY Cars (all GMCs) and my work car (a Jeeplet) have jacks that are 'good enough' for a roadside swap. I also have (and have used) a plug kit and an inflator. I've been lucky, but I also make my own luck when I can. I rotate my own tires, which means that I do not have to deal with mechanics who are too lazy to use a torque WRENCH and who rely on the "two pulls and a fart" method for lug torquing. +1! @AAA: I'm a >40 year member, but like USAA, they're not nearly what they used to be. I will not count on them to change out a tire for me while I can still do it myself.
I teach the lug wrench method because kid now-a-days will almost always take the easy way out (call road service). It doesn't do them any good if they have all the tools available in your garage, at their disposal. I highly doubt that your garage tools will be available to them when they get themselves in a "pickle". That's the same reason we hide the matches, sometimes, when we go camping. Self-reliance and thinking on your feet. Looking stuff up on the internet can't be done, if your out in the "sticks", that's the reason they couldn't call road service. In another decade or two, we might be able to make satellite service economically feasible to the general public. I've tossed the slime kit out of my trunk and replaced it with highway plugs and have a full size spare, that gets tossed in on road trips along with my jump pack.
Ah.....fire-starting. I DO keep MRE matches - some of which are in each glovebox.....and at home I keep candles, lighters and a few old school lamps....etc because I already HAVE a lot of those. See: Hurricanes. Batteries, steel wool/dryer lint and other stuff that doesn't look as good on Yoo-Tube are also always at hand too. The various "Meal-team six tact-y-kool" stuff like ferro/magnesium gizmos I don't bother with nor do I have a fire piston. I'm a submariner - so I KNOW how fire pistons work. I have found that in a 'plugs out' post-disaster world, if you are not careful fires are a LOT harder to stop than they are to start. -or? If you're not smart enough to start a fire, maybe you shouldn't.
Some of the older kids has caught on and bring their own lighters, but the fire-sticks (magnesium sticks) are always available. That's part of the lessons, fire safety. Our favorite old camp spot was over-run by the Caldor fire 5 years ago. The sap-lings are just coming back and providing shade again. It helps for them to see the devastation that an uncontrolled fire can cause and the miles of burn scar we drive through to get to our old camp spot. It drives the point home.....
