Alandf

Last week I was on a ramp connecting I580 east to I680 south, the ramp was short and there was construction being done on the shoulder and a new ramp.I was forced off the highway by a tandem gravel truck and onto the shoulder ,unfortunately there was a huge boulder left on the shoulder by the construction crew, I hit it with my front right tire and wheel,destroying the tire. There was no way I could get the wheel bolts loose with the supplied lug wrench. Even the AAA guy struggled, but got the mini spare on the car. I drove to a dealer in Pleasanton,CA , while they had the tire, I waited almost two hours before a service writer wrote up the job! Then it only took about 30 minutes to put a new tire on and balance.They did a sloppy job of replacing the mini spare and jack in the well in the trunk., and it took way too long.
This week I took the car to MB of Marin (my local dealer) they were very accommodating, got me in, aligned the front end, did a complimentary detail on the car to clean off all the construction dirt on the car and inside from our feet on the shoulder.
Compliments to this dealership!
So,question.. has anyone had experience with an extendable lug wrench to give more mechanical advantage to change a flat?

Darel

Every time I take mine in to get a wheel repaired (which is often) or something done, I leave a note on the seat saying "Torque lugs to 96 ft-lbs!!!!" I also make sure they note it on the work order. I do my own service, including rotations, unless it's free, for instance a road hazard claim. If you don't specify, the mechanics just blast the lugs on there with their giant air impact gun and you're not getting them off. I've had a 3' breaker bar with a six FOOT pipe extension slipped over it that wouldn't budge them after a recent wheel repair or tire replacement. Luckily, I have a compressor and impact gun that's just as big as the local shop's. I just keep several 17mm impact sockets around, because by the time you get around to the 13th or 14th lug nut, if they are really blasted on there it's inevitably going to crack. Had the same issue with my Audi S5. Really thinking about one of those lug conversion kits to see if it makes it any easier. I do love the fact that the Audi includes one of those alignment pegs in the tool kit in the trunk, why doesn't MB do that?

Since I've been adamant and fastidious about leaving notes and putting it on the workorder, my local shop pays attention and I've had no issues at all. And in fact, since the MB is my wife's, as soon as I get it home I go around and break each lug free and torque it myself just to be certain. She has a 3-hour commute each way, and if she's stuck on the side of the PA turnpike, that makes for a bad day for both of us.

KEY08

kajtek1

Typical "impact wrench monkey" scenario.
In most of the shops the wheels are serviced by trainee, or a guy with least mechanical drive and the impact wrenches can do real damage to MB wheels.
I don't take my cars to mechanics, but whenever I buy another car, I go with torque wrench all around the lugbolts. 90% of the time they are badly over torqued.
I do have sliding extension break bar on the side of 18" bars and I use it on my trailers, where torque is much higher. But any extended wrench has to be used with caution and not setting the socket perfectly can round the bolt head and then you are in real troble.

ghlkal

I had to change my tire off of I-65. I had to place the tiny lug wrench on the bolt, and then jump and down on it to break it loose. There was no way I could budge it with my hands and arms. This was with the lugs torqued properly. If someone over torqued them, it may not be possible.