given time and patience, a hammer, and two screwdrivers you

[WyoCherokee]

given time and patience, a hammer, and two screwdrivers you CAN remove a lugnut.

 

 

 

here is how to do it. First make sure that you have 4 tires with about 15% tread left, and that you have a job in the high desert where sharp rocks are abundant. Second: Make sure one of the wheel lugs has no ribs on it whatsoever and is rounded off completely so that even a pounded on socket cannot remove it Third, Make sure you get a flat tire on that wheel at 9am on your way home from fishing AND ARE STILL 20 MILES FROM PAVEMENT. Very important that cell phone coverage is non existent. That is a crucial step. Next step: break out the tools consisting of two flathead screw drivers and a hammer. the next 4.5 hours you will spend using the screwdriver as a chissel to break the lug nut into 4 pieces....at least that's the plan. Once you have gotten 3 of the 4 pieces off, you are now left with the thickest part of the lug, and one screw driver that has completely blunt tip and the handle broke through. Try and spend at least another 2 hours trying to chip a crack into what remains of the lugnut with the tire iron behind the seat and the screwdriver. The handle should completely break on the screw driver by now leaving you with just the shaft. Here is where you will encounter your left thumb starting to go numb and blood starting to flow. Finally you will get enough of it chipped away that you just might be able to break the remainder of the nut by driving on the flat tire with the other 4 lugs just loose enough to allow the wheel to wable but not enough to ruin the other studs. Drive on the flat for at least 10 miles between 15 and 20 mph to slowly work the lug loose. Oh and you need to keep a keen ear on the cb, and hope somebody other than a trucker is listening so they can come up to give you a ride back to the shop to get the right tools. For a semi would not be able to turn around on the road you are on. i know, i asked.Finally you can hear the wheel wobble so you get out, and begin the painstaking process of jacking the truck up and using the dull screwdriver to pound what remains of the lugnut in a counterclockwise fashion to spin it off. Get it about half way off, and then just start whaling on it to break a thin spot and in the process manage to whack your thumb about 5 times and now it will be completely numb. Once you have the old lug off, you can now do the simple task of changing both front tires to match. Sounds easy enough right? try again. it is now about 90 degrees out, you ran out of water about 5 miles back, so you are very thirsty and you have no AC. you happened to dump your tool box off of the tail gate in both exhaustion and frustration and now all of the sockets are mixed together and in the bed of your truck somewhere. now you will need to find a #18 1/2 inch drive socket and a 3/4" 1/2 inch drive socket. after about 15 min you should find it. Once youget the tires changed, you can now go back to the shop torque the lugs to specs and go home and fall asleep for 5 hours while the truck is still outside waiting to be unloaded from the weekend and the tools organized again. And with that, changing a flat with a hammer and two screwdrivers is easily done. Oh and you will need a new tire, a new wheel stud, and possibly a rim, but it should be fixable with a grinder :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

personal account written by Allen Wellborn without the use of a left thumb for typing

 

 

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[LJRockstar]

Great story! I have had days similar to that myself.

[Wildman]

Shouldn't this be in the DIY section :hmm:

 

Alway like a 'first hand experience' project write up.......or left thumb in your case ;)

[WyoCherokee]

good point. lol

[DirtyComanche]

So, ya see, it's just easier to change all the crappy OEM lugs out to better ones sometime before this happens.