I got old and I got weak. Bummer. But between my ears has not eroded. So I had to substitute brains for brawn...and on a strict budget...Breaking lug nuts has become daunting. Especially those that Arnold Schwarzenegger wanna-be tire monkeys have tightened.Breaking lug nuts lose while the tire is still on the ground is beyond my ability. The upper arc of lug nuts is too far off the ground. I want to jump up and down on the handle of a breaker bar to snap really tight lug nuts loose. Remember, I said I was weak. I'm not kidding...So I jack the tire up off the ground. No need to worry about it spinning.I made a post out of a length of 4x4 Doug Fir. Comfortable height. Reaches the height of the bottom lug nut. A 2x4 won't work. It will tip.I cut a full-across V notch on one end, About an inch and a half deep.I set the 4x4 against the wheel. Fasten the black impact wrench socket and extension across the notch, then carefully climb up onto the breaker (a long ratchet with cheater extension pipe is best as it won't swivel and cause a mishap).Grab ahold of some place on the body. Nine times out of ten my body weight is enough to twist the tool. Being lowest to the ground, I can step off the ratchet, and revolve the tire to the next nut.I can only wish I was forty years younger. Hope this helps. Ladies might appreciate the tip.

I found a cheap, like $10, electric impact wrench on ebay close to 15 years ago. Only comes out when it is time to rotate tires. It's a Harbor Freight quality impact wrench, but it's been used plenty and still going strong. When offroading in the truck, if I need it, I power it from a 800 watt MSW inverter that's hard wired.-Michael

Sounds like a reasonable method.There's always the old trick of putting the breaker bar and extension (or something equivalent) on the lug nut, resting the other end against the ground, and driving forward or backwards as appropriate to apply torque as needed. I've haven't had need to do that one yet myself; the lug nuts on an E series chassis don't get torqued crazy tight.

OP, I thought for a second that you were going to place the end on the ground and put the tranny in drive or reverse and let the engine do the work.:BMarvin

I must not be coordinated.I tried the wrench on the ground "trick" decades ago and it ripped the socket off the lug nut, rounding the corners off the nut, causing a nightmare. No thanks.

I thought you were going to flip tires on the wheel.As for lug nuts... unless I see them go on with a torque wrench I re-torque shortly after getting home. Don't want to be on the road with this issue.

Make Your Own Tire Changing Tool | Good Sam Community

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Apr 27, 2017
Standing on a breaker bar is not very safe at least for me. But Jesús snapped off the tang on a nearly new Harbor Freight breaker bar just like the one in the picture. The square prong was OK, the swivel pin was bent and then snapped.

I had a flat tire fixed on the toad last week. The tire man was señor gorilla, incarnate. With a truck cross four way lug wrench, he tightened lubricated lug nuts until they squealed "SKAREEEEEEEEK!"

Maybe I can find a 3/4" drive breaker bar, impact extension, and black impact socket. Have the welder across the street tack weld the breaker bar straight, and tack on the extension and socket. That way the bar cannot swivel. Puzzle out how to make a magnetic plate with handle for the top of the toad. Something to steady up with and not really to grab.

This area is remote. For 75 miles not even a barbed wire fence. Sometimes hours go by with no cars. At night it's even more desolate. To add insult to injury summer daytime temps can climb to 110F.

I'm trying my best. New Michelin tires are going on the front of the car. A 2 ton 12-volt electric scissors jack is waiting for me up north. But I would feel comfortable sorting out the tools issue before the trip. Once I cross the border it's like a Keystone Cops melee. Me, the doctors, frantic shopping, and avoiding almost total traffic jams morning and afternoons. I get jabbed, stabbed, drained, probed, and my personal wheels come-off around 3:00PM Pooped. If I show up without a plan the stuff never gets done.

BTW Quicksilver has a one-inch-drive Ingersoll Rand impact wrench driven off the bus air system. I can no longer even lift the impact but there is somebody always around back home. Here, it's a tiny toad, a Samlex 300 watt inverter and not much else. I am planning to use the original car jack as a back up support underneath as fiddling with it is easy as long as I don't have to lift the car.

With this stupid herniated disc I can't even bend way over. To change tires, I spread a mini tarp, sit down and use a 24" spoon end pry bar to lift the tiny 195x70x14" tires. The welder made a loop on the end so the tire does not roll off. Hah! standing back up is a real zoo.

I hate all this nonsense rigamarole but what can I do? Outsmart it, is the only thing I can come up with.
Naio
Explorer II
Apr 27, 2017
Abrazos Grandes to you, Mex.

I hope that 12v jack works well for you. I looked at them, but the reviews sounded like they were pretty unreliable. You may be able to improve on it, tho.

After years struggling with a scissors jack, I just bought a $35 bottle jack and I love it! So easy!

I hate to even gonna think about lifting big van tires, tho. If I had to do it, I think changing one would be a multi day project for me, rest and strategise in between. I carry a lot of food and water, for me and cat.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Apr 27, 2017
Bet I am more unreliable than any jack :(
dkf435
Explorer
Apr 28, 2017
Have an old Black & Decker 12v impact wrench but still need more power at times.

They were talking about torque multipliers in other places, check Amazon and Ebay for better prices.

https://www.amazon.com/HomCom-Heavy-Torque-Multiplier-Wrench/dp/B00G3NA6C0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493342911&sr=8-2&keywords=torque+multiplier

David
westend
Explorer
Apr 28, 2017
Non-invasive hand hold for temporary repairs
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Apr 28, 2017
Gee.. I just plug in the Big Bad Wolf (He Huffs and he PUffs and he BLWOS the nuts off) (150 PSI crafstman Air compressor) Plug in the air powered impact wrench, grab the impact socket.. and off come the nuts.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Apr 28, 2017
Tiny toad need trailer to haul that stuff. Half the time the llanteros (yawn TEHR ros) tire men curse when their impacts hammer bit do not turn and then grab their own version of Newton's Persuader. Usually three feet on length.
Horizon170
Explorer
Apr 28, 2017
MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Tiny toad need trailer to haul that stuff. Half the time the llanteros (yawn TEHR ros) tire men curse when their impacts hammer bit do not turn and then grab their own version of Newton's Persuader. Usually three feet on length.

This will do the job.
MarvinManual helper
pnichols
Explorer II
Apr 30, 2017
Marvin, thanks for that Cheater Wrench video link!!

What an ingenius device ... eloquent and simple ... engineering at it's finest. Sometimes they really get it right.
hypoxia
Explorer
Apr 30, 2017
This sounds like a Red Green episode