[Dodge Doll]

One of my bigger pet peeves is with tire shops: they use pneumatic air guns to tighten the lug-nuts on tires with.

That means the average Joe might not be able to crack a lug-nut 'free' to change a tire, if it comes down to it.

I tell the shop, those lug-nuts are to be HAND-TIGHTENED, and yes I will pull out a tire iron and check a lug-nut before I leave the shop.

It makes sure that if I have to, I can change a flat tire without calling for assistance.

[CherryRed]

I see your point but this past summer there were several cars that lost their tires, flew over the median and one man was even killed when one of those tires hit his windshield. Something needs to be done but at what cost?

[Kohn]

This is almost like a Catch 22 in tire installation. Either way, one gets into possible trouble. To answer your concern, I believe a simple request to hand tighten your tires would work. But sometimes, the ability to untighten a bolt depends so much on the muscular profile of the driver. If the bolts are tightened just enough for someone with less muscular power, then that might just endanger that person's life all the more.

Are there pneumatic air guns that can be hooked to the battery of a running car? That might be a solution.

[Dodge Doll]

I'm tough enough/strong enough to manage better than most females, so when I say hand-tightened, I'm talking torqueing that lug nut to the point that one of my girlfriends would have to jump on the tire iron to crack it free.

I've seen cars lose tires while on the road, it's really not funny.

[Jess28]

I wondered how we were supposed to get the tires off when they put them on so tight? My hubby had a heck of a time loosening the lug nut when he went to switch the tires to my winter tires. He was cursing the repair shop.