Winter summer wheel switch

[Uriel]

I have 2 identical sets of alloys with a set of summer and winter tyres. It's the first time I'll need to change them over. I never had winter tyres before but decided to get some after getting the alloys for a decent price on ebay.

So DIY or just get a garage / mobile fitter to do it?

I don't have a drive but live on a fairly quiet, flat, straight road where I don't mind messing about with the wheels.

I don't have a torque wrench at the moment (which I assume is the best way for DIY). Any recommendations?

 

[Conscript]

You're asking if you should go to a garage to change your wheels over...?

Not being rude, but changing a wheel is a pretty straightforward task. I don't see why you'd go somewhere to get it done/get someone to do it for you unless there was some extenuating circumstance.

It shouldn't take more than about 5 minutes per wheel - crack the nuts loose while the car is down (don't undo all the way!), jack car up, remove nuts fully, change the wheel, replace and tighten nuts, lower car, tighten again. Repeat for other three wheels.

 

[Skeeter]

Er...

 

[Uriel]

Time and money basically.

I don't fancy doing the job unless I do it properly. Hence wanting to use a torque wrench. I checked a roundup in Auto-Express. They recommend one from Halfords but it's £80.

You can get the wheels changed quite a few times for £80 - but once I've bitten the bullet that would be the default option.

 

[Fr0dders]

What poppycock.

How do you change a wheel if you get a flat tyre. Do you have to call somebody out to do a proper job of that too ?

Just use the one that comes with the toolkit in the car. You don't need a £80 torque wrench to change your wheels.

 

[jellybeard999]

Does your garage use a torque wrench? In my experience they just gun it to whatever they fancy!

Just use the kit that comes with the car!

 

[Howard]

Time and money basically.

I don't fancy doing the job unless I do it properly. Hence wanting to use a torque wrench. I checked a roundup in Auto-Express. They recommend one from Halfords but it's £80.

You can get the wheels changed quite a few times for £80 - but once I've bitten the bullet that would be the default option.

How silly.

If you have a scissor jack and a wheel brace then you've got everything you need. It'll take you 10 minutes at most.

 

[amkan13]

You wouldn't need an expensive torque wrench, the Clarke CHT141 at 25 quid would do the job just fine.

Most of the places to get tyres changed would just use an air wrench and over-torque it anyway.

 

[Conscript]

Well personally I wouldn't bother with a torque wrench and would just use the supplied wheel brace and do the nut up VFT.

But, your shout. You could have had it done by now though

 

[Uriel]

Usually when I've changed wheels before it's just been putting the spare on for a puncture. Then it's been a quick trip to the garage shortly afterwards for a new tyre and the main wheel going back on.

I've been on the wrong end of a garage gunning it before. Fairly embarrasing - it ended in an AA callout just to change the wheel (they ended up using a telescopic wrench to get the leverage)l. Happened on my commute and I was seen by colleagues and everything. Such a man-fail not being able to change a wheel...

As it happens, my current car doesn't have a spare. It's a crappy goo kit so in the event of anything but a minor puncture it will be most likely be a breakdown service callot again. (I have 5 extra full size wheels - originally one spare and then the winter ones - but the wheel well isn't big enough for them).

 

[adam cool dude]

It most likely took the OP longer to write his post and research a torque wrench than actually getting off his bum and changing his wheels over with the kit already in his boot!

 

[Clarkey]

I've seen garages who claim to do things properly with a torque wrench. Every time, they have done them with an impact then thrown the torque wrench on it and when it clicks straight away they don't then loosen and re-do it properly, just leave it over tight.

 

[Uriel]

It most likely took the OP longer to write his post and research a torque wrench than actually getting off his bum and changing his wheels over with the kit already in his boot!

So the consensus is don't bother with a torque wrench then?

What if the wheels come off!

 

[sovietspybob]

I have a torque wrench... and have never used it on my wheel nuts.

I've got a 750mm breaker bar i use which lets me slacken the nuts with ease and do them up again without having to jump up and down on the tiny wheel brace that comes with the car, think it was less than a tenner.

 

[Fr0dders]

The wheel will start vibrating and shaking the car before it actually comes off.

Assuming that you actually attempt to tighten the nuts.

Wheels only drop off if something breaks or the wheel nuts weren't done up at all.

 

[Conscript]

So the consensus is don't bother with a torque wrench then?

What if the wheels come off!

You'll be fine.
I've changed changed wheels hundreds of times, never once have I used anything other than Beast Mode to tighten them using a normal wrench. Never had a problem, and I've never been able to do them up so tight that I couldn't undo them at a later point.

 

[pepsilol]

Let the air out of all 4 tyres. Call AA and tell them you luckily have 4 spare alloys that they can swap.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

Time and money basically.

I don't fancy doing the job unless I do it properly. Hence wanting to use a torque wrench. I checked a roundup in Auto-Express. They recommend one from Halfords but it's £80.

You can get the wheels changed quite a few times for £80 - but once I've bitten the bullet that would be the default option.

Rubbish mate, utter overkill to change a sodding wheel.
Got mine from Aldi for £7.50 with a 3 year warranty.
Have changed wheels a number of times with it.

What on earth will you do if you get a flat?
Surely the car has a spare, scissor jack and wheelbrace? I take that back seeing your reply above

 

[Uriel]

To add a little context - I'd googled a while ago and this was the sort of thing that came up: http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1557370-Do-I-need-a-torque-wrench

Interesting contrast to the opinions expressed here.

And of course there's the previous issue of having the nuts done so tight I couldn't budge them - although that's less likely to be an issue if I'm putting them on myself in the first place.

 

[sovietspybob]

Whenever my car has been into a garage the first thing i do is make sure i can undo all the nuts and then tighten them to what i think is right, want to know i could actually change the tyre if i ever need to with the standard wheel brace and not have to call out the RAC just because some numpty did them up too tight.