👉🏻UPDATE👇🏻 Ford uses Torx PLUS ++ Here is the Difference

[MakinDoForNow]

You are correct with reference to paying in full every month. Wife and i (married 52 years) have been debt free since we were 57, including no house payments. We use Costco Visa and get back $600-$700 every year for a long time and make sure to pay it off in full monthly. Me thinks Visa folks, they don't like us to much, but hey, Visa makes a little on the back end, charging Costco a percentage (.04%) of each sale. The industry average for other businesses is 1.5-3.5%. The nice deal between them is because Costco doesn't allow any other cards. We buy pretty much everything we can (and need) from them, including gas. For those interested, I like my Costco stock also. Expensive now, but still pays very well and doing pretty good most of the time.

Costco accepts both Costco branded visa cards or any other branded visa card but gives better discounts for their own brand of visa card!!! Unfortunately I don't do Costco stock primarily due to dividend being less than 2.5%. (I will park up to 3% of free cash on a dip though).

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[Cherokee]

Credit cards, no thank you.

 

[Mavl-ous]

I doubt it, I just checked and I'm in the process of updating the T50 fits perfectly as does the TP 45.
I checked the smaller bolts on the tailgate and they all still align with the Torx Plus bits.
I Thank "Mavi-ous" for pointing this out.


You are welcome. I really thought I was losing my mind.

 

[Surly Old Bill]

All the Torx changes and talk of tight bolts reminds me that we should be happy to understand that tire stores will tighten lug nuts to 250+ ftlbs of torque to make sure they don't fall off, and to make it hard for someone to steal the wheels when we're stuck on the side of the road because we can't get the wheel off with the tiny factory wrench to change a flat.

As an old guy, which the vast majority of Mav owners are, I've learned to remove the lug nuts at home after visiting a tire shop (previously a 1/2" breaker bar with a 3' piece of pipe slid over the handle, now a cordless torque wrench) and re-install at proper torque so I don't have to be "surprised" out on the road when I can't loosen them.

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

All the Torx changes and talk of tight bolts reminds me that we should be happy to understand that tire stores will tighten lug nuts to 250+ ftlbs of torque to make sure they don't fall off, and to make it hard for someone to steal the wheels when we're stuck on the side of the road because we can't get the wheel off with the tiny factory wrench to change a flat.

As an old guy, which the vast majority of Mav owners are, I've learned to remove the lug nuts at home after visiting a tire shop (previously a 1/2" breaker bar with a 3' piece of pipe slid over the handle, now a cordless torque wrench) and re-install at proper torque so I don't have to be "surprised" out on the road when I can't loosen them.

I did exactly the same as you.
And I don't own a torque wrench.

 

[Prickly Pear]

After being members for >20 years and always paying our Costco Citi Visa balance in full every month, my wife accidentally transposed 2 digits and under paid an $1,870 bill by $3(!). Citi Bank said, "GOTCHA!" and charged us 5,000% interest! 5,000% was the actual amount when the interest charges were applied to only the $3 we owed. You'd think there'd be some "goodwill assistance." Nope. I had to make 5-6 phone calls before finally getting a refund.

That's when I got a Wells Fargo 'Active Cash' Visa card. Costco accepts all Visa cards, and the Wells Fargo card pays the same 2% rebate, so we're breaking even on that.

I was going to cancel the Costco Citi Visa, but a) it's our Costco ID (you can get a separate ID though), and b) apparently canceling a credit card account -- especially one over 20 years old -- is bad for your credit rating. So I've reluctantly kept it.

We do the same with excess checking account money -- it goes to a Vanguard MM fund that's been paying about 4.5% -- a lot better than Capital One's 0.0001%.

Similar thing happened to us - which is why I keep ours on autopay

 

[sajohnson]

Similar thing happened to us - which is why I keep ours on autopay

Smart move!

Before our 'incident' with Costco Citi Visa, I thought it was on autopay, because almost everything else is.

My wife does a good job with the bills but I learned that while she had essentially all regular bills paid automatically from the the Citi Visa, she paid the card manually because she was concerned about auto payments from our checking account. Not unreasonable, but my thinking was/is that it's highly unlikely that even money grubbing Citibank would intentionally (or accidentally) clean out our checking account.

Bottom line, the advantages of paying the Visa automatically from checking outweighed any risk. So immediately after getting a refund from Citi, I got the Wells Fargo 'Active Cash' 2% rebate card, transferred all autopay bills to it, and set it up for autopay from checking.

I'm not a fan of Wells Fargo, but so far so good. To be fair, if the same $3 underpay situation happened with them, they might very well also try to charge us ~5,000% interest.

 

[sajohnson]

I did exactly the same as you.
And I don't own a torque wrench.

OK, now I'm curious...

Do you mean you found the lug nuts overtorqued, broke them loose, and re-tightened them by feel (calibrated wrist)? You wouldn't be the first one to do that. Actually, almost no one has a torque wrench handy when changing a flat on the side of the road.

Still, it's good to use a torque wrench ASAP. They can be expensive, but a beam wrench is often all that's really necessary, and they are pretty cheap. This trusty Sears Craftsman wrench is just $23. I still have the 1/2" drive version I bought in the 1970s! I just used it a couple days ago because my fancy wrench only goes down to 50 lb-ft:

I also have this Precision Instruments wrench (below). The price at JB Tools is $262 (I paid much less). I use it to look like I know what I'm doing.

Seriously, it's overkill for many tasks (like lug nuts) but the flexible head, ratchet, and audible 'click' when the set torque is reached can be very helpful.

Still, the inexpensive beam wrench will work for most jobs. The lack of a ratchet is usually just an annoyance. The main issue I have with it is that because there is no 'click' the user must be able to see the scale while using it.

 

[Escapologist]

150ftlb means I stand exactly 8ins along the wrench

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

OK, now I'm curious...

Do you mean you found the lug nuts overtorqued, broke them loose, and re-tightened them by feel (calibrated wrist)? You wouldn't be the first one to do that. Actually, almost no one has a torque wrench handy when changing a flat on the side of the road.

Still, it's good to use a torque wrench ASAP. They can be expensive, but a beam wrench is often all that's really necessary, and they are pretty cheap. This trusty Sears Craftsman wrench is just $23. I still have the 1/2" drive version I bought in the 1970s! I just used it a couple days ago because my fancy wrench only goes down to 50 lb-ft:

I also have this Precision Instruments wrench (below). The price at JB Tools is $262 (I paid much less). I use it to look like I know what I'm doing.

Seriously, it's overkill for many tasks (like lug nuts) but the flexible head, ratchet, and audible 'click' when the set torque is reached can be very helpful.

Still, the inexpensive beam wrench will work for most jobs. The lack of a ratchet is usually just an annoyance. The main issue I have with it is that because there is no 'click' the user must be able to see the scale while using it.

Let's see. I've been driving for almost 60 years 56 of them legally on the road. I've been changing tires on farm and ranch equipment before that. Never in my life use a torque wrench to tighten lug nuts/bolts. I have never had a wheel come off because of loose lug nuts.
Not even with my Chrysler directional lug nuts. Guys old enough will know what I'm talking about. I don't use a torque wrench on my oil drain either. How about them nuts
Areas out here in Utah, Nevada and Idaho that I drive. If I get a flat tire there's no calling AAA. I've got to be able to take care of it myself and at almost 71 years old, I need to be able to remove that wheel myself. This is the setup that works me.

 

[sajohnson]

Credit cards, no thank you.

I say shiny beads are the way to go!

The main drawback of credit cards is that they make it easy for people to spend more than they can afford. Similar to setting a tray with a pile of cocaine on the dining room table at a rehab center.

As long as they are paid off every month, credit cards can be very useful. Many banks *pay* the customer to use them. The rebate can add up to hundreds of dollars. Ours is about $500/year, and we're retired and don't spend as much as most couples do, esp those with kids.

They also make buying online very easy (some would say too easy).

Some automatically extend mfr warranties.

A big plus is the ability to dispute charges. That hasn't come up often in my experience, but when it does, having the bank on your side is, as they say, priceless. It cuts though all of the back and forth bs with the vendor.

They also help improve credit scores.

That said, there are other ways to pay.

 

[sajohnson]

Let's see. I've been driving for almost 60 years 56 of them legally on the road. I've been changing tires on farm and ranch equipment before that. Never in my life use a torque wrench to tighten lug nuts/bolts. I have never had a wheel come off because of loose lug nuts.
Not even with my Chrysler directional lug nuts. Guys old enough will know what I'm talking about. Areas out here in Utah, Nevada and Idaho that I drive. If I get a flat tire there's no calling AAA. I've got to be able to take care of it myself and at almost 71 years old, I need to be able to remove that wheel myself. This is the setup that works me.

I like 4-way lug wrenches. We have them in our cars.

I had a '70 Duster with directional lug nuts.

It's probably fine to tighten by hand, esp for people who have worked on vehicles enough to have a good idea what (say) 100 lb-ft feels like. You obviously fit that description, but many people do not.

The main issue is with people who have less strength and/or do not have a clue what the torque spec is -- or if they do, have no idea what that feels like. They may end up with ~20-30 lb-ft on the lug nuts. They may also end up with uneven torque, which can warp rotors.

That said, the wheels are unlikely to fall off anytime soon. It does happen occasionally though -- lug nuts aren't properly tightened and the driver begins to feel a vibrating/wobbling sensation, then a banging...

 

[kevinmccune]

Let's see. I've been driving for almost 60 years 56 of them legally on the road. I've been changing tires on farm and ranch equipment before that. Never in my life use a torque wrench to tighten lug nuts/bolts. I have never had a wheel come off because of loose lug nuts.
Not even with my Chrysler directional lug nuts. Guys old enough will know what I'm talking about. Areas out here in Utah, Nevada and Idaho that I drive. If I get a flat tire there's no calling AAA. I've got to be able to take care of it myself and at almost 71 years old, I need to be able to remove that wheel myself. This is the setup that works me. back in the day it was so easy to twist the GM lug studs off,think they were 7/16 the.

 

[kevinmccune]

had an installer torque the lugs on my dakota so tight it pulled the threads had to get a bunch of new lug nuts( strangely enough it didn't seem to harm the studs.

 

[sajohnson]

Costco accepts both Costco branded visa cards or any other branded visa card but gives better discounts for their own brand of visa card!!! Unfortunately I don't do Costco stock primarily due to dividend being less than 2.5%. (I will park up to 3% of free cash on a dip though).

I've learned not to trust my memory, so I searched for, "Does it matter which 2% rebate visa card I use at Costco?" This was the result:

"Yes, it matters. While several cards offer 2% back, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is superior for in-warehouse purchases because it offers 2% back on all Costco spending, plus 4% on gas and 3% on restaurants/travel, with no annual fee. Other 2% cards (like the Citi Double Cash) offer similar flat rates but miss out on higher bonus categories at the pump.
Key Considerations:
Best Overall (Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi): 2% in-warehouse, 4% gas (up to $7k), 3% restaurants/travel. Rewards are paid annually via a certificate that can be redeemed for cash or merchandise at Costco.
Best Alternative (Flat 2% Cards): Cards like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (2% on all purchases) offer simplicity but lack higher bonus categories for gas or travel.
Rewards Redemption: The Citi Costco card rewards arrive once a year and must be used at Costco. Other bank cards often allow redeeming cash back throughout the year.
Membership Needed: You must have a Costco membership (starts at $65) to apply for the Citi Costco Anywhere card.
Other strong 2% options include the Citi Double Cash Card, which gives 1% when buying and 1% when paying."

Quote: "[the Costco card]...offers 2% back on all Costco spending, plus 4% on gas and 3% on restaurants/travel, with no annual fee."

True, however, the rebate is just 1% on all other purchases. Other cards (like the WF Active Cash) give a 2% rebate on all purchases, also with no annual fee. The 4% on gas and 3% on restaurants/travel can be good, for those who spend a significant amount in those categories (we don't). Of course people can and do use multiple cards. Personally, I'd rather just use one as my primary card.

Another consideration is, quote: "Rewards Redemption: The Citi Costco card rewards arrive once a year and must be used at Costco. Other bank cards often allow redeeming cash back throughout the year." That's not a big deal, but it's nice to have the flexibility.

That said, we probably would not have gotten the Wells Fargo card if Citibank hadn't tried to screw us over, and then given me a hard time. Their behavior was incredibly short-sighted. Attempting to take advantage of a woman with dyslexia who inadvertently underpaid an $1,870 bill by $3 by charging her 5,000% interest is not a good look. She made one mistake in over 20 years and they pounced. A decent company would be apologetic, explain that it was automated billing, and issue a refund. Not Citi -- they claimed there was nothing they could do because "the software would not let them." We did eventually get a refund, but by then the damage was done.

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