Sometimes even a simple part can have a bad design that makes a job take way longer than it should. One example is a certain design of lug nut. Lug nuts have a simple job, all they have to do is hold the wheels on. They’re usually chromed so they don’t rust as quickly.

There are some on Fords and Toyotas, and I’m sure other brands as well, that have a different design. There’s a regular nut, and then a chrome cap over and around it. I’m guessing this must be cheaper in some way, but it has a big problem. Over time, the outer chrome shell gets swollen from rust and environmental conditions. When that happens it can be hard to get the proper sized socket onto the lug nut. If it gets really bad you may need to hammer the socket on, or use a larger size socket, or even use an extractor socket that bites into the nut. All of these leads to simple jobs taking much longer, and is an extra expense for the customer, needing to buy new lug nuts because of a bad design.

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-Dan