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Re-fitting a wheel - A useful tip


Guest Mike C

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Guest Mike C
Most commercial vans use wheel bolts and not permanant studs and wheel nuts and the wheel and tyre are obviously much heavier than the average car wheel. When re-fitting a wheel it can be difficult for those of lesser strength to lift the wheel and position the first wheel bolt. A tip from the trade is to use a special stud (similar to a coach bolt without the head) that can be fitted to the hub in the upper bolt position and use this to hang the wheel on while the bolts are fitted. The stud should be of the same thread as the wheel bolt (eg: M12, M14, M16 etc) and about 100 to 150 mm long. It should have flats or a screw driver slot at the non threaded end to allow tightening or loosening. Fit the stud in the uppermost bolt position and lightly tighten. Lift the wheel on to the stud push the wheel back against the hub and then swing the wheel slightly to align the other bolt holes. Fit at least two bolts to hold the wheel and then use a spanner or screwdriver to remove the stud and then fit the remaining bolts and tighten and torque up to the correct lb ft/nm value. Most garage or engineering workshops can make up this stud or several different studs if you have more than one vehicle with diferent wheel bolts. Might just save a hernia for those of us without three hands. Regards, Mike C
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Guest David Powell
Here is another way:- Take your BIG G.S.screwdriver, put it through the top bolt hole in the wheel and into the top bolt hole in the hub [on the front wheel of a rear wheel drive get the Mrs to hold the foot brake on]lift up on the driver handle and slide the wheel on. Similarly on a studded wheel, aquire a steel tube with an outside diameter that will go through the wheel stud hole, and inside diameter that will go onto the stud, and slide it on. Two of each even works better.
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Guest Mark R
Dave, Using a screwdriver as you suggest is a good way of damaging the internal threads of the hub bolt hole. I know some do you this method but I reckon Mikes idea is much better and safer. To stop the unbraked wheel turning I use a couple of wheel chocks which most motor caravanners carry with the levelling ramps much safer than leaving the missus in the cab on the hard shoulder. On a studded wheel why use a steel tube? just lift the wheel on to the studs then fit the wheel nuts. Another safety tip DO NOT oil or grease the wheel bolts/studs/nuts just keep them clean with a soft wire brush. Have just recovered a wrecked Peugot Wayfinder that shed a rear n/s wheel at 50 mph because the owner had greased the wheel bolts to make them easier to remove. Several other bolts were also loose.
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Guest David Powell
Hi Mark...I didn't bore anyone with fine details, but I actually have a small section of soft plastic tube I put on the end of my big screw driver to protect the threads,[it actually lives there as that is all I use it for apart from the odd jubilee clip on a bottom hose of a hot rad] and when the wheel is lifted on the screw driver it is not the wheel that turns as it is hanging by the top hole, it is the hub that will turn,unless you use two screw drivers. I don't do wheel changes out on the road as I have 'Tyre-safe' in all my tyres which instantly repairs all punctures (same stuff they put in aircraft tyres) Only have wheels off for servicing. If I had to change a wheel on the hard shoulder I'm afraid I would play it safe and call Green Flag,and have protection of a breakdown truck behind us. Come to think of it,I don't think we are allowed to change our own wheels on a motorway are we?... Why I use a metal tube on studded wheels is because it was part of the wheel changing tool kit in my Mercedes Benz, comes in the form of a 'U' shape so that it fits onto two studs, just slip it through the wheel, look down behind, and slip it onto two studs and slide the wheel effortlessly on without having to wriggle it about to find the holes, 'Mercedes Benz' are the clever ones, not me...Good thing you mentioned the danger of lubricating wheel nuts,I know some people do it, very dangerous practice as you say. Have you worked out why it is always the N/S Wheel nuts that come off ? ? ?
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Guest Mike C
Hello David, Why nearside wheel nuts or bolts come off has been regularly discussed on VW forums as it was a regular occurrence with the VW Beetle. The consensus of opinion was that N/S wheels are more likely to come loose because they revolve anti-clockwise the direction of loosening a wheel nut. Not firmly convinced of this. Next question: Why is it that nearly all wheel losses are steel wheels? If the wheel nuts or bolts are tightened and torqued up correctly they should not loosen but it is worth checking the tightness regularly. HGV drivers do this as a regular routine. Glad to see you use Tyre-Safe, good stuff and one of the few that do not damage the tyre unlike some of the get-you-home cylinders. Which Mercedes uses wheel studs? All the ones I have seen use wheel bolts. Regards, Mike C.
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Guest David Powell
Hello Mike...I have two thoughts on steel V aluminium. One:- Steel flexes a lot more that aluminium, and two:- The tapered heads of high tensile steel bolts would have a better grip on aluminium than on mild steel. Just another thought, it has been going on for years hasn't it. My first motor home didn't have these problems, left hand thread on the left wheels, and right hand tread on the right, 20 inch wheels (1942 3Litre 6 cylinder Austin)...Your other question, I bought my second hand Mercedes 190 with the wheel studs with my bounty when I finished my 12 years in the R.A.F. so it must have been about mid 1950s model, long gone now of course. Like you say Mike Tyre-Safe is good stuff, I assume I have had the odd puncture as I have had a tyre with pressure down 5 or 6 lbs on occasions. Well! better go and cool the fridge down ready for Newbury.
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Guest Mark R
David, To answer your question re changing a wheel on the motor-way hard shoulder. It is not illegal to do it yourself but there may be a liability if you break any of the road traffic acts or leave debris, spare wheel, spanners etc on the carriage way which cause an accident or damage to another vehicle. That is the legal position but I would suggest that it is much safer to do the following. Pull over as far to the near side as possible. Get all passengers out of the vehicle on the nearside and to the safe side of the barrier. Phone the police and tell them you have broken down. They will not mind and probably get a vehicle to you if available. Phone your breakdown insurer and get them to change the wheel with the protection of the recovery vehicle. If possible use someone as a lookout for vehicles that may be veering towards yours and if you carry one use a whistle to warn of danger. Always carry additional safety kit of whistle, torch/lantern, safety jacket(s), 12v emergency light preferably of the flashing variety, warning triangle etc. Having spent a good few years sorting out problems/recovery from motor way hard shoulders and this with a great big wagon with loads of flashing lights I have still had several near misses and seen several friends killed or seriously injured. Mike, I suppose it is too obvious to say steel wheels because there are many more of these in use. I agree with Dave about steel flexing but alloys are normally torqued up much tighter and over tightening an alloy wheel will do less damage to it than a steel wheel which will lose the spring washer effect round the bolt hole. Over tightening any wheel can cause fractures and eventual failure some times with catastrophic results.
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Guest Mike C
Hello Dave and Mark, The reason for raising steel wheels was just as you both mentioned. The problem is that some tighten wheels without a torque wrench and the good (not so good) old foot pressure on spider wheel brace or wheel spanner is often the cause of damaged steel wheels. Have seen wheels so overtightened that it took a power wrench to loosen them and several with fractures around the bolt holes and wheel nuts so loose that it is a wonder that they stayed put. Alloy wheels can almost weld themselves to the steel hub in time if a light smear of Copper-Eze is not used. Mark, I can only agree with you about working on the hard shoulder of motorways or at roadsides generally. Sorry about your loss, I have also lost a close friend in this situation.
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