Downgrading wheel and tyre size

FreddieFrugal

gabitzul wrote: »

The 17" wheels (205/50/17) were standard on the Zetec spec Focus, but LX*/Sport/Ghia came whith the very common and cheap 205/55/16.

*LX actually came with steel wheels but still 205/55/16 as my BIL's car still has them.

Mine is a face lifted one though. Studio, Edge, Zetec, Titanium
Different trim levels.

bigjl

roneik wrote: »

I spent a lifetime working for ford, cars are boring to look at and always tinny bodies. The only time I* had em was when we got a staff discount of 22%. When that stopped I bought a real car. Only the Germans know how to build a real car and put a real engine in it. REAL ENGINE:rotfl:

You mean like the new Mercedes van which is a rebadged Renault Kangoo?

Or a 2.0d BMW with self destructing camchain, only £2k to fix. Or oil pump failure on 2.0tdi VAG cars.

Let's not even get on the subject of chassis rot on Mercedes from the late 90's and and early 00's

FreddieFrugal

Well the new wheels are on, broke the tyre iron in the process tying to get one of the sets of nuts off. Useless thing that they put in the boot. Glad I wasn't stuck at the roadside.

Going to have new tyres fitted this morning.

Iceweasel

IanRi wrote: »

Well the new wheels are on, broke the tyre iron in the process tying to get one of the sets of nuts off. Useless thing that they put in the boot. Glad I wasn't stuck at the roadside.

Going to have new tyres fitted this morning.

I think that you are likely referring to the wheel-brace - I haven't used a set of tyre irons for over 25 years.

Lidl and Aldi regularly have decent quality extending wheel-bolt tools on sale quite cheaply.

Most garages and the public in general tighten wheel-nuts or wheel-bolts on alloy wheels far too tight.

The correct torque is much less than for steel wheels - but the spotty yoofs in many tyre dealers can't be bothered setting the torque wrench accurately.

Almost everyone who tries to slacken off a wheel-nut/bolt with a wheel-brace that has been tightened correctly with a torque-wrench would judge that they were not tight enough.

The other problem is the alloy wheel being 'stuck' to the hub.

But that's another tale.

FreddieFrugal

Indeed. Funny thing is the drivers side tyres were easy but the other side were the ones that were stuck. Even though all put on by same fitter last time.

Dad lent me his old torque wrench which had a lot more leverage than the 'wheel brace'. Came off easily. FIL had lent me his X shaped brace but the socket although right size for nut was so thick that it wouldn't fit in the hole around the nut.

Why are they called wheel braces? I'd imagine a wheel brace would be something you'd put on the wheel to support it and stop it from moving. Brace = support

I understand wrench and breaker, but brace doesn't make sense

ChumLee

IanRi wrote: »

Indeed. Funny thing is the drivers side tyres were easy but the other side were the ones that were stuck. Even though all put on by same fitter last time.

Dad lent me his old torque wrench which had a lot more leverage than the 'wheel brace'. Came off easily. FIL had lent me his X shaped brace but the socket although right size for nut was so thick that it wouldn't fit in the hole around the nut.

Why are they called wheel braces? I'd imagine a wheel brace would be something you'd put on the wheel to support it and stop it from moving. Brace = support

I understand wrench and breaker, but brace doesn't make sense

You used a torque wrench to undo the wheel nuts?:eek:

FreddieFrugal

ChumLee wrote: »

You used a torque wrench to undo the wheel nuts?:eek:

And old one, I wasn't hauling on it, it came off very easily, I tried that first but had an impact driver along with other tools if that hadn't worked.

Don't be so shocked!

molerat

IanRi wrote: »

And old one, I wasn't hauling on it, it came off very easily, I tried that first but had an impact driver along with other tools if that hadn't worked.

Don't be so shocked!

One of these is what you need. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Van-Telescopic-Extendable-Wheel-Brace-Wrench-Bar-21-Long-17mm-19mm-Socket-/351433950236?hash=item51d318841c

If you broke the standard one then those nuts must have been put on by a gorilla. The first thing I do after my car has been to the tyre man is undo the nuts one at a time and torque them up properly.

Iceweasel

IanRi wrote: »

Why are they called wheel braces? I'd imagine a wheel brace would be something you'd put on the wheel to support it and stop it from moving. Brace = support

I understand wrench and breaker, but brace doesn't make sense

I haven't a clue why it's called a wheel-brace either.

Wheel-wrench isn't much better.

The Americans call the thing a 'lug-nut' wrench - as their wheels are held on by lug-nuts.

On many modern alloys you need a special slim-walled 6-sided socket with nylon sleeve to avoid damage.

Like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-Alloy-Wheel-Impact-Socket-17mm-1-2-Square-Drive-Wheel-Nut-Impact-Socket-/390974353981?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5b07e3323d

A 12 sided socket often just takes the corners off the nut if they have been over-tightened.

Most experts advice is not to put grease on the studs or bolt threads

colino

Well brace is an old term for a cranked handle, like found on a brace and bit and older cars wheel remover thingies used to follow that same shape (probably mimicking the starting handle that unfathomably wasn't called a starting brace). What is odd, is that the aforesaid, "X shaped brace" is universally called a spider, though even decent workshop ones only have six legs.
I'll stick to wheel-brace.