Interesting lug nut tool

[Overland]

Perhaps this has been around for a while, but I've never seen it before.  It's a geared lug nut tool with an adjustable arm to gain leverage against the opposite lug nut.  It would be a bulky single-purpose tool to carry, but it's interesting and I could see it being useful to many.  I guess you could use it to install the nuts, too; though you'd probably have to be careful to not over torque them.  

https://garrettwade.com/product/geared-lug-nut-remover

[SeaDawg]

That would have been really handy when we worked on the small boat trailer last year.

 

[Rivernerd]

3 hours ago, Overland said:

I guess you could use it to install the nuts, too; though you'd probably have to be careful to not over torque them.  

I wouldn't use it to install lug nuts, even in an emergency.  It would be so easy to over torque and break off the stud, because the mechanical advantage makes it impossible to gauge torque by "feel."  Although most tire shops I have patronized use impact wrenches to install lug nuts, I don't use those either, ever since I broke off a stud on one of my trucks with one.  I now torque to spec by hand with a torque wrench.  Worth the extra time, IMHO.

One reason to carry the lug nut remover:  to enable you to remove a tire after a less-than-careful tire tech over torqued your lug nuts to the point you can't get them off without it!

[Overland]

Yeah, I agree.  It's a neat tool, but a beaker bar (or a long pipe for that matter) is less expensive and more versatile.  And easier to tuck away somewhere.

[John E Davies]

That is a very cool specialty tool. I have used torque multipliers in the past, big ones, for really heavy applications. The problem with this one is that it only does one thing, wheel nuts. I much prefer carrying a battery powered impact gun, it will zip off the lug nuts easily, and has lots of other uses, like those pesky rusted suspension bolts….

I also carry a drill/ driver, and the two tools fit neatly into the plastic Dewalt box, with room for extra batteries, bits and so on.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[ScubaRx]

John Davies, that bad boy is a real hoss. I have the same one except mine is the DCF899HB (hog ring anvil) and it has more available torque (700 ft-lbs) than my pneumatic  DWMT70773 (650 ft-lb). I needed to remove some 3/8" lag bolts that had been embedded in oak for many years. the DCF899HB got the ones that were not buried too deep right out, the rest, it just snapped off where they went into the wood. I don't leave home without it.