Tonight after coming to work I saw some guys trying to change a flat tire out in the parking lot. They could not get the lug nuts off. The owner of a 99 F150 said he just bought new tires on his way to work and when he came out to go home he had a flat tire but they couldn't change it. I had a air hose that would reach and a 3/4 inch air gun that would remove or break the studs. He said after the new tires his brakes pulsated like a bad rotor. I loaned him the air gun and he broke three studs on one wheel and two on another trying to get them off, (yes he was going the right way). Someone gave him a ride home and the truck is still here. He said he was going by the tire shop. My question is could the too tight lug nuts cause a flat?

 

Would it cause a flat? NO. Would it cause the brake pulsating? Yes. I'm not sure of the torque specs off hand, but somewhere in the 70-80 range. All he has to do is show that the shop went beyond the specified torque rating....

 

Torque specs for the 99 (12mm lugs) is 100ft lbs. Newer models with 14mm lugs is 150ft lbs. If they could not get the lugs of by hand, then they were probably torqued well above 150.