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Roadside lug nut tool options...

MTVR

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What specifically is/are your favorite lug nut tool(s) to carry with you in the MTVR for roadside use, and why?

I'm visualizing socket, breaker bar, and cheater bar, but would an air or electric impact wrench be a better solution on something of this size?
 
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Elijah95

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What specifically is/are your favorite lug nut tool(s), and why?

I'm visualizing socket, breaker bar, and cheater bar, but would an air or electric impact wrench be a better solution on something of this size?
Milwaukee 1/2 drive impact with minimum of 5.0 batteries, you can change 2-3 tires with no problem. Order one of these gear reduction tools as a backup it’s a life saver. Then go to harbor freight and pick up some impact adapters and you’re golden


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MTVR

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I really appreciate the information sharing, with you guys getting me up to speed.

I am beginning to see that I am going to be making a lot of trips to Harbor Freight...
 

MTVR

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What size socket am I going to be using on the lug nuts? My Snap-On stuff from when I was a technician, doesn't go that big.
 

JonM934

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I bought a BIG air impact wrench from Harbor freight but was disappointed to find that it does not work so great when run from the 7 Ton's air compressor. It works great when run from my shop compressor and it takes the lug nuts off good. I wish the Marines didn't paint the threads but I guess it is either paint or rust.

Elijah95 recommended and I also purchased a Torque Multiplier and I use that fairly often on all the nuts on the rims and other things on the truck. Considering the price, that is one of the best tools I have purchased.

I know this is a USA truck and so it should take SAE sockets but I fall back to Metric.

The rim nuts take a 33mm. That is if you need to take the rim apart.

The thin nuts that hold on the plastic cover are 32mm.

The lug nuts are 33mm.
 

Elijah95

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Only way you can run an air tool effectively is to install several additional air tanks to create an air pig.


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frank8003

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When at a place to buy stuff get a small can of paint remover, your choice, experience tells. If you have painted threads then loose that and run your nuts off and back on to torque before you ever leave the house.

It is not nice to overpower those good threads with paint on them.

Study male and female threads that hold your wheels on......
TM says to take all the nuts off and replace them with NEW.
Who does that but dummy Me.
 

frank8003

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One may want to look inside stuff, external stuff and do the PM's
Much in there creates noise vibration and faults that should be resolved.
It is only about three hours work then you be done. Then search for cause again.......IMG_1351.JPGIMG_1351.JPGIMG_1352.JPGIMG_1354.JPGIMG_1742.JPGIMG_1744.JPG
 

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Floridianson

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Milwaukee 1/2 drive impact with minimum of 5.0 batteries, you can change 2-3 tires with no problem. Order one of these gear reduction tools as a backup it’s a life saver. Then go to harbor freight and pick up some impact adapters and you’re golden


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You might get them off with the 1/2 but I do not believe it will put them back on with enough torque. That is if someone has removed the lug nuts and put them back on with the correct torque wrench. My Milwaukee M18 3/4" drive fuel on #4 setting or the highest it will go only put on close to 480 / 485. The problem is not how to remove them but to put them back on with the correct torque. Not over not under what they call for so a geared wrench will only remove them not torque them down. On the road I would trust my charged up 3/4 drive to install my wheels and I would double check as soon as I got to my Torque wrench at home. Real long trip I would carry my torque wrench.
 
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Floridianson

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When at a place to buy stuff get a small can of paint remover, your choice, experience tells. If you have painted threads then loose that and run your nuts off and back on to torque before you ever leave the house.

It is not nice to overpower those good threads with paint on them.

Study male and female threads that hold your wheels on......
TM says to take all the nuts off and replace them with NEW.
Who does that but dummy Me.

Thought that was the thimble nut they wanted to be replaced or carefully inspected. That is the one that holds both wheels on to one stud.
 

frank8003

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I am now sure that everyone that has ever had to deal with military lug nuts has removed them all and studied the stud threads and the nuts, up close, whatever they may be.
Threads get wiped out, studs get stretched. YOUR wheels, you decide.
On MT goto https://www.steelsoldiers.com/threads/5-ton-lug-nut-torque.
I was workin only on a Deuce, same same applies.
It is how one put them ON, NOT whatever it takes to get them OFF.
MTVR stuff is in TM-2320-421-10-2 WP0209 and WP0209-1 and WP 0198
Doesn't say anything about fouled threads internal or external.
Did you Bead or sodablast everything?


Here is a "fer-instnce".buds 5.JPGbuds 6.JPGbuds 7.JPGlugnut IMG_2670.JPG
 
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98G

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For changing a tire on the road what i want to have along -

1) a couple of jacks, 20ton preferred. 8ton will do.

2) geared lug wrench.

3) cribbing.

4) breaker bar with cheater pipe and socket.

You can get by on less. But this is what I want to have.

Where you'll run into problems is removing the flat one if you were not the one who put it on. Some bozo with a 1" air impact wrench used that to tighten them. That's where you want the geared wrench. Using a long cheater pipe will work, but when they give they jerk. The geared wrench does it much better.

Putting them back on is most convenient with a breaker bar and maybe a little bit of pipe extension. You get a better feel for the torque this way. Check them in a few miles and then torque to spec using a torque wrench when you get to destination.

Electric/air wrenches are useful for being able to put a known amount of torque when putting the lug nuts back on. Thing is, if more torque is required to get them off than the powered wrench can provide, you're dead on the side of the road calling for help. With purely mechanical tools you can simply increase the force until the nut comes loose or something breaks.

For a known truck that you've had the wheels off of, being able to apply excessive force to remove the nuts is less of an issue.

These are my observations, based on my experiences, which include all too many blown tires. I've done it all the wrong ways, and changed my mind as a result.
 

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Floridianson

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Yep I really do not trust anything but I always have the big truck 4 way and 4 foot cheater bar somewhere close. Yea electric can let you down and maybe not get close to the right torque. Believe someone here used the electric hand power and still lost a wheel. I never really thought much about it when doing tire work on the trucks that just get played with around the house and used the 4 way and cheater bar for install. Then I bought the correct beam torque wrench when I started to use the 915 and 373 trailer to go to the NC. GA. and Fl. rally's. Did not want to have wheel trouble on the highway with a tractor / trailer.
 
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