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LMTV Lug nut size

aleigh

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Phoenix, AZ & Seattle, WA
So here's a trick for you all that I learned from the professional who came out to change my first tire when I was out in the middle of nowhere. The bottle jack does not have enough reach to lift the axle high enough. In this case I just dug the ground out the extra inch or two I needed. What he did though is to take some scrap lumber and we drove the truck (with the flat) up on the lumber pile. This raised the bad wheel a few inches so that when he jacked it it went high enough.

About the freeway pictures, it was I-90 and it was just backed up for some reason. I don't know what the cause was, but you are seeing people who decided to abandon ship and drive up one of the onramps to get off. Drivers get really nuts out here during commute hour. Then I had to deal with a woman who just decided to stop right in the middle of a 2 lane road - just stop - to look at some elk. For a long time.
 

Overdrive

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Wentzville, Missouri
That's a nice big jack you used. Looks like a 20ton? I purchased an 8 ton for my truck but now I am wondering if I would have issues dealing with a flat... I need to break it out and see what I would be dealing with after reading your post.

Thanks for the info!
OD
 

aleigh

Well-known member
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Location
Phoenix, AZ & Seattle, WA
I think an 8 ton would do the job fine even at gross weight. The 20 is just what they had - if anything it helps that the length of stroke is probably longer than the smaller 8 ton.

I do recommend people try to change a tire at home before they have to do it in the field! It's not hard, really, and I might even say it is easy with 2 people. The most physically demanding part is actually spinning the wheel to line up the special CTIS lug nut. I've never done it on pavement but IMO that would probably be a lot harder (ha!). Reason being I think it would be more difficult to spin the wheel in place. I'm really amazed the two of us managed to lift the old wheel into the pickup.
 
108
6
18
Location
Central california
Thanks of posting photos. It's interesting to see the xzl side-by-side with the good year. Is anyone out their running xzl on there LMTV?

I have a 20 ton jack, and I like it a lot. I know the 8 ton is enough, but the larger jack makes me feel better somehow.

On the topic of the jack not having enough travel; usually after I jack to full jack height, I use a jack stand to support the axle temporarily. Then, I can let the jack down and jack it up a second time if needed with a few bits of plywood under the jack. It adds a step (and requires a jack stand), but it works for me. I guess it might just be easier to drive over the plywood at the beginning....
 
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mkcoen

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Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Spring Branch, TX
So here's a trick for you all that I learned from the professional who came out to change my first tire when I was out in the middle of nowhere. The bottle jack does not have enough reach to lift the axle high enough. In this case I just dug the ground out the extra inch or two I needed. What he did though is to take some scrap lumber and we drove the truck (with the flat) up on the lumber pile. This raised the bad wheel a few inches so that when he jacked it it went high enough.

About the freeway pictures, it was I-90 and it was just backed up for some reason. I don't know what the cause was, but you are seeing people who decided to abandon ship and drive up one of the onramps to get off. Drivers get really nuts out here during commute hour. Then I had to deal with a woman who just decided to stop right in the middle of a 2 lane road - just stop - to look at some elk. For a long time.

I've got a 2x10 and a couple of 4x4s in the back of the truck to use as cribbing blocks for the jack. That'll work fine on a hard surface but not sure it'd be enough on soft ground.

I-90 can be a nightmare. It took us about 4 hours one holiday weekend to get from Ellensburg to Renton. The only satisfaction was seeing a WSP officer grab a bunch of bikers that were splitting lanes and passing on the shoulder.
 

aleigh

Well-known member
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Location
Phoenix, AZ & Seattle, WA
I had no problem with the jack sinking into the soft wet (recently/currently raining) conditions with the block you see in the photos. The first couple pumps it settled a bit and then it was fine. When you think about it really if the contact area is roughly as much as the tire... it's no different.
 

olly hondro

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tucson AZ
Back to the thread title: LMTV lug nuts. I am conflicted by differing opinions offered by the interweb about thread engagement. Some truckers say one thread protruding past the lugnut. Other drivers say three. The drag race sanctioning body says the length of thread engagement should be equal to or greater than the stud diameter. The last opinion sounds like there is Engineering behind it. Me, champion of the obvious, says that any threads protruding do not contribute to the fastening of the wheel. This pondering comes about as I tinker with an aluminum Hutchinson wheel that, because of the center ring thickness, leaves the mounting studs theoretically 0.3 inch too short. I could mill down the lugnuts that amount, lets see if that would leave enough engagement....
 

Ohiobenz

Well-known member
Supporting Vendor
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Seville, OH
Minimum thread engagement should always be 1x diameter. Ideal thread engagement is 1.5x diameter.
A standard tap for a 5/8" stud can tap a maximum of 1.23" because 15/16" is the max ideal depth and the first several threads of a tap don't cut full threads....
Ironically 5/8" nuts are only 9/16" thick. Go figure.
 
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