Sorry to beat a dead horse but if I plan to change my tires every winter with better all seasons and rims, what is the best inexpensive jack and torque wrench I can get to make the job easier?

 

Why buy anything?
If you're just changing tires use the jack, and lug wrench that come with the car.
You may want to spray the lugs down with a little WD-40. Dealers use air tools and can be a pain to get off the first time.
Then just tighten them as much as you can. Assuming you are stronger then I am; there shouldn't be any problems.

 

Torque wrench will cost you about $40 from Advance Auto, make sure to get one thats good at least to 100lbs (torque bolts to ~90lbs), you can use any old floor jack, I got mine from walmart, think it was about $40 as well.

I've heard most torque wrenches are ± 10%, just thought I'd throw that out there, interesting fact(?).

 

Be careful using the stock lug wrench, the casting on the outside can be rough and scratch the wheel if you have aftermarket wheels w/ exposed bolts. I learned that lesson the hard way and have since performed the "lug wrench mod" by wrapping the end with electrical tape. I also bought a 2 ton wheeled jack for $25 @ Pep boys b/c the factory jack was flattening the pinch weld on the bottom of my car.

 

I have a variation of this. No scuffs on my rims...

 

yeah those are nice but I was in a hurry to get rolling on my new wheels and impatience won out over common sense- I have since purchased a breakerbar and dedicated 17 milli.

 

I scratched a wheel today with the damn lug wrench, I guess I wasn't even thinking. The lugs were a bitch to get off, those impact wrenches the shop used to tighten my wheels make my life that much more difficult.

 

I've found that a tad of anti-seize compound on the studs makes life a whole lot easier for subsequent changes. I do it for all my cars, trailers etc. "Just a dab will do ya". Maybe that slogan dates this ole' fart.