Air impact wrenches make easy work out of otherwise tough jobs like loosening lug nuts, in which an extension bar on a standard wrench can prove insufficient. You won’t find a pro auto shop ...

And late one night, I tried to change a flat. And no matter how hard I tried — I literally stood on the lug wrench — I couldn’t seem to loosen those nuts. So, I gave up and walked home.

To be honest, even with over 50 years in the automotive repair industry, I never heard of the expression “lug nut swelling.” When I asked one of my automotive experts, ASE master technician ...