Undoing car wheel nuts at the side of the road

WobblyDog

I've changed a wheel at the side of the road before now and didn't have any problems undoing the wheel nuts with the standard wheel brace supplied with my Fiesta.

Was I lucky that it hadn't been overtightened by whoever fitted the wheel, or is the manufacturer-supplied wheel-brace always sufficient for a mechanically-minded bloke of average strength? Should I buy a bigger wheel-brace just in case?

PasturesNew

To be honest, the world's a different place these days. I know how to change a wheel - and have done it over the years on a lot of vehicles. I'd not do it now though.

Roads are busier, drivers are less attentive, cars are travelling faster. Ergo, you're more likely to come a cropper. Also, my sibling called out the AA/RAC man once when she got a puncture and the man said to her "you did the right thing, it's these little jobs that keep us in a job". Also, so many cars these days don't have a spare wheel any more, for a variety of reasons.

You might as well just hang up your jack and stick to only using it to change wheels in your own driveway or a side road. For all other instances, live longer and call a little man out to do it.

And .... wheel nuts are most often tightened by machine now, so it's highly likely that one nut will be ridiculously tight, no matter how strong you are.

My top tip is: If you find a nut is particularly tight, it's probably the last one. Put the others back on and tighten them as hard as you can - then give the tough one a go as it's not got all the pressure on it any more.

I always start just by making sure each one's loose before fully loosening any of them. If I can move them 1mm that's enough the first time round.

molerat

Yes. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rolson-42729-Wheel-Wrench/dp/B000VLI4O2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1458397903&sr=8-6&keywords=wheel+wrench

facade

molerat wrote: »

Yes. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rolson-42729-Wheel-Wrench/dp/B000VLI4O2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1458397903&sr=8-6&keywords=wheel+wrench

I have one of those in each car. They were much cheaper when I bought them though.

They work very well, except they need a bit of care when used with the locking key, as they tend to twist sideways, so you have to support the socket with one hand and and push with the other.

As to the original question, yes, pretty much all spanners used to be deigned so the same amount of pull correctly tightened the nut, so a 10mm spanner is a lot shorter than a 19mm one.
A reasonable pull on the wheel brace should tighten the nut correctly.

(Now we have all bought torque wrenches, and started doing everything to "the book" instead of by feel)

EssexExile

While in the comfort of your own drive or garage, slacken each wheel nut in turn then tighten it with your wheelbrace. Repeat after each tyre change or service.

molerat

essexexile wrote: »

while in the comfort of your own drive or garage, slacken each wheel nut in turn then tighten it with [strike]your wheelbrace[/strike] a torque wrench. Repeat after each tyre change or service.

.......................

Marvel1

My previous wheel brace hat came with my Fiesta turned round! I had to buy another.

EssexExile

Good point Molerat. I was trying to keep it simple but now I have to add "Once you've tightened them make sure you have something in the car at all times that is capable of loosening them".

EdGasket

The problem comnes when some stupid tyre fitter over-torques the nuts. Had some on the son-in-laws car that my normal impact wrench couldn't shift and the mains impact wrench only just managed. When we did get them off, he needed two new nuts as the threads were chewed up.

[Deleted User]

Yes you were lucky you were able to move them.I dont know what wheel nut torque Quickfit and the like use but in the past I ve had to resort to a hammer and chisel or an eightfoot bar to shift wheelnuts..An old Bedford Van I had once sheared all four wheel stubs off moving them.
When I tighten my own nuts up now I only do a moderate tightness because they appear to tighten on harder with use.Same story go s for oil sump nuts .Some people are paranoid about wheel nuts and put all their strength in tightening them. My advice is to try and undo them all at home before venturing out on the Mway because it could cost you dearly getting a tow off. Breakdown companies might not get you off fast enough before traffic police get you towed off, A cheap star brace is better than the one what comes with the car, at least you can jump on them harder.
With my companies little Citroen C1 I could nt believe how hard it was to to get the wheel off the hub once the 4 nuts were off. Its a bigger problem than undoing the nuts.The tyre fitters were laying into the tyre with a sledge hammer at great force ! try that by the side of the road.

Strider590

The extending wheel nut wrench posted above, I have one of these and i'm going to buy a spare to keep in my garage for the kit car, they're absolutely invaluable.