Lug nut tool

[Country]

Hey all!
We have a 2009 and it's time to replace the tires.
The stock tires look to be 300 for a set of four.
I am wondering what others have done for tires.
I also would appreciate a link to the lug nut wrench that fits.
We tow with our Silverado but feel the lug wrench is different.
Thank you.

 

[profdant139]

I use Goodyear Endurance tires -- USA made, very reliable, but expensive.

And I don't use a lug wrench -- I use a torque wrench. On many (but not all) Cruiser trailers, the lug nuts are 3/4 inch and they take 110 foot-pounds of torque. Be sure to check the torque after you get new tires -- the tire shops sometimes don't do it right.

Too loose is very bad -- and too tight is no fun when you are on the side of a lonely highway and you have to change a tire.

Pro tip -- get a short extension for the socket so that the torque wrench isn't blocked by the sidewall. Don't ask how I learned this tip.

Let us know if you have any questions about this stuff -- when I first got my trailer, I had no idea how to use a torque wrench.

 

[JimboFunFinder]

The alternative is to purchase a name brand respectable tire which is made in China. Carlisle Radial Trail HD Trailer Tires are generally rated to be reliable and are handled by many tire stores. I would stay away from the no name tires. Sometimes you can find tires on Amazon for less money than local stores and come out way ahead even after you add the cost to install them.
You will want to pay attention to the load rating and the speed rating of your trailer tires. If you regularly dry camp on rough roads or run heavily loaded you may want to consider purchasing tires with a higher load rating (more rated plies).

 

[mjpguy]

Goodyear Endurance tires. Just do it. Get it over with. Spend a little extra for peace of mind. It will be worth it. No more China bombs. Sure the China bombs are "warranted" but a lot of good getting a replacement $50 tire is when the blowout took half the trailer side out with it.

 

[JimboFunFinder]

RV Cruiser thinks highly enough of China-made tires to install them on all new Funfinder trailers right from the factory. Our 2016 came with China tires and I had no problems with them.

 

[Rocky Mtn marmot]

I run Maxxis brand tires, very pleased. I would bet that the reason rv manufacturers use China made tires is solely based on price. Get a long black air tool socket that fits the lug nuts, and a long breaker bar that fits the socket. This will make loosening the lug nuts alot easier. It is not recommended to use a torque wrench to remove nuts. You do use the torque wrench to properly tighten lugnuts. Be sure to reset a torque wrench to zero after each use. Be sure to use the proper lug nut tightening sequence recommended by the axle manufacturer.

 

[profdant139]

Rocky, that is useful info -- why is it not recommended to use a torque wrench on lug nuts? Thanks in advance for your answer!

 

[mjpguy]

True Jimbo, mine came with China bombs also and I didn't have any issues either. But I've just seen WAY too many instances of failure to trust them anymore. It's just my opinion. The extra money for quality tires is worth it to me. Peace of mind while on the road and one less thing to worry about. If you place one of these Endurance tires side by side with one of the imports, you'll see and feel the difference immediately. Especially in the sidewalls

 

[LJAZ]

Rocky, that is useful info -- why is it not recommended to use a torque wrench on lug nuts? Thanks in advance for your answer!

You can use it tighten them up, just not recommended for taking them off.

 

[profdant139]

Interesting! So your answer prompted me to look into this issue, and you are exactly right -- using a torque wrench to loosen lug nuts can damage the inner workings of the wrench. Good to know!

Now I guess I have to start shopping for a new torque wrench? Or is there a way to re-calibrate a wrench that has been abused (like mine)?

 

[profdant139]

Yes! There is a way to re-calibrate a torque wrench:

https://www.equipmentworld.com/maintenance/maintenance/article/14970962/how-to-calibrate-a-torque-wrench-stepbystep

This is a perfect "rainy day" RV-related project. Now if it would just rain, once in a while. (I live in Southern Calif -- we have had maybe six rainy days since April of 2021.)

 

[Rocky Mtn marmot]

You do use a torque wrench to tighten lug nuts.

You do not use a torque wrench to loosen lug nuts nor any nuts as it can harm the torque wrench according to the instructions that came with my torque wrench.

 

[profdant139]

Rocky, that's not fair -- nobody reads the manual!!

 

[Dakota 1120]

I use Goodyear Endurance tires -- USA made, very reliable, but expensive.

And I don't use a lug wrench -- I use a torque wrench. On many (but not all) Cruiser trailers, the lug nuts are 3/4 inch and they take 110 foot-pounds of torque. Be sure to check the torque after you get new tires -- the tire shops sometimes don't do it right.

Too loose is very bad -- and too tight is no fun when you are on the side of a lonely highway and you have to change a tire.

Pro tip -- get a short extension for the socket so that the torque wrench isn't blocked by the sidewall.

Above is exactly what I did right after getting my XT-276. Installed new Goodyear Endurance tires several years ago although they looked new ... and when the factory chinese tires were removed - noticed they were TWO YEARS OLDER than my unit.

Right after the new Goodyear Endurance tires were installed, it was noticed they rolled easier, held the road better and provided a more stable foundation (less sway) so very pleased with the tires.


AND - get a socket that fits the water heater anode rod so can use a ratchet wrench or breaker bar with the extension & socket to remove the anode rod for draining the water heater and/or install a new rod. I don't use the torque wrench to install the anode rod but one could but never saw a torque spec. for it.

 

[Dakota 1120]

You do use a torque wrench to tighten lug nuts.

You do not use a torque wrench to loosen lug nuts nor any nuts as it can harm the torque wrench according to the instructions that came with my torque wrench.

Correct. I carry a 1/2" drive long breaker bar to break the lug nuts loose...and remove the water heater anode rod too.

 

[RipVan]

I don't wish to get involved in "International Product bashing" so I'm not going to comment on those aspects. Quality tires are the important issue and yes they are likely to be more expensive than similarly sized automotive tires.
RE: torque wrenches , I may get flamed here but I have two "click-type" torque wrenches from Harbor Freight (1/2" & 1/4") that I believe to be adequate for "home mechanic" use. Most likely made in China but not marked as such on the product or in the included paperwork. The manual states that they should be "re-calibrated" every 6 months. On one of my shopping trips to HF, I inquired how to go about the process. The manager said just bring it in and they'd swap it out for a new one. Re-calibration must cost more than their original cost! Brought my 1/2" drive version in and yup, they gave me a brand new one!! Bottom line, unless you're a professional mechanic, the HF wrench will do fine. Instruction do state to ONLY use for tightening.

 

[Dakota 1120]

Never had/used a torque wrench from Harbor Freight .. so wonder just how accurate they are - including a brand new one.

During my years as a professional mechanic with a master mechanic certification, I used Proto and Snap-On.

Also have a digital torque wrench tester like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154801954373?hash=item240aea5e45:g:PRAAAOSwc4th56s-

so I can check the calibration from time to time.

 

[profdant139]

After reading this thread, I took a careful look at my torque wrench (which I am sure I got at Harbor Freight several years ago). I first noticed that there was no place on the wrench for calibration, unlike higher quality torque wrenches.

I then decided to check the calibration, just to see how bad my wrench really was. I looked at a couple of YouTube videos – I won't bore you with the calculations.

Bottom line – my wrench is exactly perfect! I didn't believe it, so I double checked the results. This is a shock, because I have been using it to remove lug nuts (which I now know is the wrong thing to do).

So I will continue using it to tighten lug nuts but will get a breaker bar for removing them. A breaker bar is a good idea, anyways – it provides a lot more leverage than a torque wrench does, which means that I can ask my wife if she wants to change the tire next time we get a flat!

 

[RipVan]

Nice to hear (read) that profdant139’s Harbor Freight torque wrench was in “exactly perfect” calibration. Makes me feel better about mine. I’ll acknowledge that the HF wrench is likely ill suited for a professional mechanic but for occasional use by Joe Home Mechanic, it’s good enough. I’m also thinking that if the HF product is accurate within +/- 4%, the lug nuts on our camper wheels won’t know the difference .

 

[profdant139]

Rip, knowing what I now know, I would not have gotten the cheap Harbor Freight wrench. The fact that it is still in literally perfect working order is just dumb luck.

Frankly, in many ways it is more important for the newbie to have a reliable tool for torquing the lug nuts. If I inadvertently over-tighten the nuts, I run the risk of being unable to loosen them while stuck by the side of the road in the desert. If I severely under-tighten them, I run the risk of losing a wheel.

Which would be a bad thing, since I have a single axle trailer.

And the same is true of my truck's lug nuts. A while back, I got an oil change from my local Jiffy Lube, and they rotated my tires. I always double check the torque after a tire rotation -- only the paranoid survive, right?

Well, this time I could not even get my socket onto the lug nuts after the Jiffy Lube rotation. My next oil change was done by a real mechanic. When he tried to rotate the tires, he told me that someone (Jiffy) had used the wrong socket and had rounded the corners on my lug nuts and that I needed new nuts!!

Apparently, the Jiffy folks used impact wrenches (of course) and had set the torque on the wrong setting.

My new lug nuts now work fine. I no longer let Jiffy touch my tires. And I am still going to double check the lug nuts whenever anyone other than my mechanic rotates the tires.