How would I ever get the nuts off with only the stock tire iron if I had a flat when they are torqued to 150LBS?

 

Eat yer Wheaties!

Oh, welcome to FTE btw

 

It's easier than you think.

Put the tire iron on the lug, stand on the iron, and jump on it until it breaks loose.

At which point you and the iron will both be on the ground next to the tire.

Pick the iron back up and Repeat 5-6 more times......

At least that's the procedure I've used every time I've had to change a flat on my work truck.

 

It's even better if the tires haven't been changed in a couple of years and they are corroded. Jumping on the tire iron until you fall down is the common procedure, and pretty effective. Just make sure the truck is not going to fall off the jack. Saw that happen once, and it's the kind of thing that can end pretty badly if someone isn't positioned right . . . .

 

Generally the best plan is to bust them all loose then jack the truck...

150 ft/lbs isn't bad at all. Problem is when the gorillas use unregulated or defective air tools at the quick change shop and reef them down to golly knows how many yard/tons. Throw in some corrosion from road salt + Time, forget it.

Ford Operator's Manuals USED to specify "lubricated threads" for lug nut torque specs. Now everybody screams like a wounded eagle for even suggesting it. A very small amount of anti-sieze, juuust enough to take out the squeek, seems to help with removal. Torque to something less than the max when doing this, I suppose. Haven't had any loosen. I check 'em periodically just because, and especially before and during highway runs. It only takes a few minutes.

 

Yeah, I know huh?
When I went to rotate tires the first time I was like "wholly simoleans Batman"!

my solution,, 20 bucks at Harbor Freight gets you a 25 inch breaker bar with rubber grip handle. Leverage, my hero.

 

With my age has come a little wisdom. Buy the tire warranty and let the tire mechanics do it.

 

^^^ this 100% ^^^

Do not use the method above unless the truck is fully on the ground.

I've been doing it that way for so long I forget it is part of the process.
Always break'em free first, then jack the vehicle.


The worst part for me isn't the friction on the threads, but the friction at the lug face. With them that tight, there is so much friction between the lug and the wheel that they really seem to stick and break free violently. I always use anti-seize on the threads, but I still get that "WHACK" when they break free.

 

exact same thing I did after the dealer put them on so tight I broke a couple of the shells getting them off. Good thing replacement lugs are only like $6...

I offered a torque wrench class for the service department. They didn't think it was funny.

 

Or just let a buddy hold the lug wrench real tight, while you put the vehicle in gear and give it some gas.

 

Friction on the lug face for the win. I kept getting warped rotors way earlier than I should untill I was out of warranty and did my own tire rotation.

It is impossible to properly torque your lugs with out lube on the face of them. They stick like a **** (even when tightening) without it.

Little bit of anti-seize on the threads and a thin coat on the face and I torque at 150. Night and day difference if you go this route. I re torque but I've never had a nut move. Been through four tire rotations.

 

After breaking two 1/2" breaker bars, a 3/4" breaker bar with a 6' black iron pipe cheater works pretty well jumping on it. My 3100 ft-ibs impact wrench wouldn't budge them​​​​​​. They were corroded thought.

 

I have an 18" breaker bar that wouldn't budge em. So I got a 30" bar. That works. And now I only torque them to 100. They ain't coming off at 100. 150 is just overkill.

 

While I might (or might not) agree with you, I would not be willing to offer up that opinion in a public space like this. Same with the use of anti-seize. I might (or might not) use anti-seize on my lug nut threads and face, but I wouldn't be willing to advise others to do the same. We live in a very litigious society.

 

Our Ford Edge lug torque spec is 162 lb-ft.

I’ll let you guess what they got installed at when I changed the wheels, but I’ll give you a clue - it wasn’t 162.

150 is tight. With the emergency wrench they come off HARD. 150 is borderline reasonable. 162 is downright ludicrous. There is no way you are getting them off with the little wrench they give you.