Wildguzzi.com

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Kiwi_Roy on October 28, 2016, 12:15:27 AM

Title: Lug Wrench
Post by: Kiwi_Roy on October 28, 2016, 12:15:27 AM
I'm sure I'm not the only one faced with this dilemma, what tool to take on a trip in case you have to remove a wheel nut on the roadside, a regular wrench for a 27mm nut is huge, here's  what I did.

Measure the length of a flat with a compass
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s526/Kiwi_Roy/72%20Eldo/Lug%20Wrench/photo%201_zpskgib876n.jpg)
The flat just happens to be exactly the radius of the nuts circle.
So without moving the compass scribe a circle on a scrap of metal
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s526/Kiwi_Roy/72%20Eldo/Lug%20Wrench/photo%202_zpsddvyh2k6.jpg)
The radius also happens to go exactly 6 times into the circumference.
So divide the circle up by 6
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s526/Kiwi_Roy/72%20Eldo/Lug%20Wrench/photo%204_zps9k90kk4g.jpg)
And carved a simple wrench of 1/8" Aluminum using a regular wood coping saw, elapsed time < 60 minutes.
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s526/Kiwi_Roy/72%20Eldo/Lug%20Wrench/photo%205_zpspirbhgyo.jpg)
I made it short as I can always find a rock to use as a hammer. The aluminum is plenty strong enough for this task and it takes up little room in the tool box.



Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: ridingron on October 28, 2016, 12:23:25 AM
And then?
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Sasquatch Jim on October 28, 2016, 12:24:15 AM
 So what did you do then?  Cut yourself a wrench out of a scrap of steel?
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Kiwi_Roy on October 28, 2016, 12:27:36 AM
Just be patient, i'm going as fast as photobucket will jet me  :embarassed:
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Phang on October 28, 2016, 12:33:44 AM
I think, knowing the radius of the nut won't tell you the size of the socket, need a little calculations  :grin:

(http://study.com/cimages/multimages/16/apothem_3.png)

(https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/images/hexagon-triangles.gif)

Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: oldbike54 on October 28, 2016, 12:38:10 AM
I think, knowing the radius of the nut won't tell you the size of the socket, need a little calculations  :grin:

(http://study.com/cimages/multimages/16/apothem_3.png)

(https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/images/hexagon-triangles.gif)

 So then the answer is blue ?

 Dusty
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Phang on October 28, 2016, 12:45:16 AM
So then the answer is blue ?

 Dusty

depending on which scientific calculator you used  :laugh:
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Kiwi_Roy on October 28, 2016, 12:49:43 AM
No but no measuring stick was harmed in the process  :grin:
Just measure across the flats for the socket size.
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: oldbike54 on October 28, 2016, 12:52:47 AM
depending on which scientific calculator you used  :laugh:

 Plugging the data into one calculator gave me the answer of Clarinet , but I'm pretty sure that isn't correct  :laugh:

 Dusty
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Phang on October 28, 2016, 12:55:57 AM
No but no measuring stick was harmed in the process  :grin:
Just measure across the flats for the socket size.

Very clever way of drawing a perfect hexagon  :thumb:
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Phang on October 28, 2016, 12:57:40 AM
Plugging the data into one calculator gave me the answer of Clarinet , but I'm pretty sure that isn't correct  :laugh:

 Dusty

it hasn't been moisturised for a year, I hope the wood didn't crack
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: oldbike54 on October 28, 2016, 01:01:15 AM
it hasn't been moisturised for a year, I hope the wood didn't crack

 I'm guessing this will confuse almost everyone else  :laugh:

 Dusty
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Moto on October 28, 2016, 01:49:04 AM
This is the best tip in ages! I am impressed by the geometric construction and by the use of a coping saw (!) to make a useful tool. I don't know which is more delightful.

Makes me proud to be a Wildguzzi member.

Moto

Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: tris on October 28, 2016, 03:51:05 AM
Well Apotherm is a new word to me ..... Wildguzzi is so educational  :bow: :bow:

Posed with the same problem, I planned to go down the route of a monster 27AF combination spanner and an angle grinder to chop it to a suitable length and then use a suitable rock to "persuade" it

However I ultimately solved the problem by flogging the Cali and buying the Breva - but still have the giant combi spanner lying around as I didn't get as far as chopping it up :wink:
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Phang on October 28, 2016, 04:04:18 AM
out of curiocity, I calculated the radius/side length of a 27mm nut.

It's 15.5884572681mm  :afro:
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: charlie b on October 28, 2016, 08:13:07 AM
I still have the factory wrenches for my T5.  One of them is a double box wrench.  One end is 27mm for the axles.  The other is 22mm for the dipstick and fill plugs.  It's about 7" long and seems to be well forged steel.  A bit rough but it works well.
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Antietam Classic Cycle on October 28, 2016, 09:11:11 AM
I still have the factory wrenches for my T5.  One of them is a double box wrench.  One end is 27mm for the axles.  The other is 22mm for the dipstick and fill plugs.  It's about 7" long and seems to be well forged steel.  A bit rough but it works well.

This ^^ The original Guzzi "dog bone" wrench is what I carry.

(http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TjAAAOSwdzVXuNiS/s-l1600.jpg)
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Moto on October 28, 2016, 09:12:40 AM
I think, knowing the radius of the nut won't tell you the size of the socket, need a little calculations  :grin:

(http://study.com/cimages/multimages/16/apothem_3.png)

(https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/images/hexagon-triangles.gif)

You can see by inspection that the ratio of the apotherm to the side in this case is sqrt(3)/2, remembering the Pythagorean theorem, and you can find the numerical answer in your head if you know the square root of three, which is about 1.73.

To see this, consider the length labeled "side" to be 2 units. Then either of the right triangles in the shaded area has an hypotenuse of C = 2 units (the radius of the original circle) and another side A of 1 unit. Since A^2 + B^2 = C^2, the remaining side, B, the apotherm, is B = sqrt(C^2 - A^2) = sqrt(4 - 1) = sqrt(3) units. The ratio of the apotherm to the "side" in the diagram, then, is sqrt(3)/2, which you could calculate in your head as 1.73/2 = .865, on a good day. The calculator value is sqrt(3)/2 = .866025.

Phang's formula gives the same result, of course. (I never heard of an apotherm, either.)

But Roy's Euclidean construction, with no numerical calculations, takes the cake, since there is no need to know the size of the resulting wrench. Kudos.



Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Moto on October 28, 2016, 09:29:59 AM
out of curiocity, I calculated the radius/side length of a 27mm nut.

It's 15.5884572681mm  :afro:

= (27/2) * [2/sqrt(3)] = 27/sqrt(3)

The general rule, then, is hex size = sqrt(3) times flat length.

:afro::afro:
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: LowRyter on October 28, 2016, 09:38:45 AM
Wow,

I'd really like to see the how you made a center stand. 
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Two Checks on October 28, 2016, 09:42:16 AM
Phang's formula...wasn't he Phyliss Diller's husband?
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Phang on October 28, 2016, 12:07:49 PM
= (27/2) * [2/sqrt(3)] = 27/sqrt(3)

The general rule, then, is hex size = sqrt(3) times flat length.

:afro::afro:

You are good   :bow:

Are you a maths teacher?

I tried the trigonometry approach earlier today but googled the above formula for polygons.

(http://i64.tinypic.com/whcgvm.jpg)

not sure if I got it right, left school many years ago.
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Sasquatch Jim on October 28, 2016, 12:20:14 PM
  This stuff is beyond my photoaprehension.
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Moto on October 28, 2016, 01:58:22 PM
You are good   :bow:

Are you a maths teacher?

No, I'm a sociologist.

I know very little math, believe me. Thanks for your kind words.

Moto

P.S. Your trig formula is right.
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: OlDogface on October 28, 2016, 03:23:32 PM
I just laid the nut on a piece of steel and scratched its shape with a nail. Then drilled a hole near one inside edge and cut the rest out with a jigsaw. 
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Cam3512 on October 28, 2016, 03:26:01 PM
This ^^ The original Guzzi "dog bone" wrench is what I carry.

(http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TjAAAOSwdzVXuNiS/s-l1600.jpg)

Me too.   And I don't have to find a rock...
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: charlie b on October 28, 2016, 04:24:15 PM
No rock, but, sometimes I have to kick it with my boot  :)

And mine does not look as good as Charlie's  :)
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Antietam Classic Cycle on October 28, 2016, 07:03:45 PM
No rock, but, sometimes I have to kick it with my boot  :)

And mine does not look as good as Charlie's  :)

That one is actually just a photo from eBay. Mine looks even better - bought it as part of a bunch of replated stuff from Mark Etheridge, so it looks new.

charlie b: since your's is for the T5, shouldn't it be 22 mm on one end and 24 mm on the other?
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: charlie b on October 28, 2016, 08:48:49 PM
Charlie,

Well, I have been wrong before so it may be 24  :) For some reason I remember it being 27.  Will have to look at it next time I have the tool box out.

Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: leafman60 on October 29, 2016, 05:46:22 AM
I really admire the innovative improvisation of the Original Poster. I am not raining on his parade. However, similar already-made motorcycle wrenches are out there for those who don't want to cope with a coping saw:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RK-Closed-End-27-mm-Wrench-for-Motorcycle-Tool-/192011133290?hash=item2cb4c1616a:g:VrIAAOSw8w1X3btV&vxp=mtr

Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Roebling3 on October 29, 2016, 11:09:45 AM
I'm so lucky I stopped carrying tools nearly 40 years ago.  Good fortune,  R3~
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Matt Story on October 29, 2016, 12:14:16 PM
= (27/2) * [2/sqrt(3)] = 27/sqrt(3)

The general rule, then, is hex size = sqrt(3) times flat length.

:afro::afro:

or,

(side length * sin 60deg (.866...))*2=hex size  then round slightly for measuring errors and fastener tolerances
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: charlie b on October 29, 2016, 12:39:48 PM
Or, you can get the ones that have an axle wrench on one end and a tire spoon on the other.

But, every now and then I like to make my own tools too.  Like my custom tool for removing FAC cartridges.
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Kiwi_Roy on October 29, 2016, 12:50:18 PM
I really admire the innovative improvisation of the Original Poster. I am not raining on his parade. However, similar already-made motorcycle wrenches are out there for those who don't want to cope with a coping saw:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RK-Closed-End-27-mm-Wrench-for-Motorcycle-Tool-/192011133290?hash=item2cb4c1616a:g:VrIAAOSw8w1X3btV&vxp=mtr

Nice but not as pretty as the Guzzi dog bone
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Waltr on October 29, 2016, 01:46:53 PM
This ^^ The original Guzzi "dog bone" wrench is what I carry.

(http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TjAAAOSwdzVXuNiS/s-l1600.jpg)

This thread was beginning to make my head hurt (not that hard to do lately) ,   THANKS CHARLIE!
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: sturgeon on October 29, 2016, 03:30:50 PM
I really admire the innovative improvisation of the Original Poster. I am not raining on his parade. However, similar already-made motorcycle wrenches are out there for those who don't want to cope with a coping saw:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RK-Closed-End-27-mm-Wrench-for-Motorcycle-Tool-/192011133290?hash=item2cb4c1616a:g:VrIAAOSw8w1X3btV&vxp=mtr

To add to the parade deluge, 22/27 are fairly common size pairs for dual-sport/dirt bike axles, and doubled-ended box wrenches in those sizes can be found in lots of places. I'm kinda partial to the tire-iron/axle wrench combos myself.
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Moto on October 29, 2016, 06:33:43 PM
or,

(side length * sin 60deg (.866...))*2=hex size  then round slightly for measuring errors and fastener tolerances

That's the same as multiplying by the square root of 3, a number that I have memorized. If you can remember the sine of 60 degrees and multiply it by 2, that's just as good.

Moto
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: malik on October 30, 2016, 08:14:59 PM
http://www.bestrestproducts.com/p-329-besthex-27-mm.aspx

For road trips these besthex wrenches work well - especially for those of who, although intrigued by the problem, are not really competent to do anything effective ourselves.

Mal
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: sib on October 31, 2016, 07:15:13 AM
Sorry, but this seems like the right occasion to bring in Ichiban Moto.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC28gtkJP-bK77M5Qyc3Dn7g
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: charlie b on October 31, 2016, 03:14:39 PM
That one is actually just a photo from eBay. Mine looks even better - bought it as part of a bunch of replated stuff from Mark Etheridge, so it looks new.

charlie b: since your's is for the T5, shouldn't it be 22 mm on one end and 24 mm on the other?

Charlie,  you are correct again!!  I just looked and mine is 22 and 24.
Title: Re: Lug Wrench
Post by: Tom on October 31, 2016, 04:03:31 PM
I use/carry an adjustable crescent wrench that fits or the dogbone.  Depends on the bike and where I'm riding.