REALLY stupid question about getting the wheels off!

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Hopefully this weekend Im gonna have a go at changing my rear pads. Im about to go to halfords to get some axle stands to make the job easier (also is the jack that came with the car sufficient enough to lift the car to get the stands under?).

But before I go I had a go at taking the wheels off! I CANT! Im assuming you have to take off the bit in the middle of the alloy (anthracite alloys) thats secured using allen bolts. But becuase the bolts are plastic, I cant get them off without fear of rounding the bolts off!

How do you get the allen bolts off?!?!?!?! Ive tried three different allen keys now, and each one cant do it, as it starts to round them off!

I thought it would be easier than this but my god, I cant even get over the first fence!!!

 

[mr angry]

Lol ....the centre bit is only clipped on and can be prised off using the hook thing or even a screw driver.

 

[Justin]

LOL! As above. I think the car jack in the car has the little part to remove them..

Also I'd buy a decent jack aswell.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Hows this: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_217059_langId_-1_categoryId_165727

and these: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_216002_langId_-1_categoryId_165727

Thanks for the help too, I did see that tlittle hole where you can prise it off, but it seems quite brittle so I didnt want to break it!

I'll go run and hide now

 

[Justin]

Yeah that jack will be fine

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Cool, thanks

 

[Marky_]

I found them a b**ch to get back on

 

[DrR]

LOL, easy mistake i guess.

 

[Russ_16v]

hey matey if you didnt know then there is nothing to be ashamed about, we all gotta learn somewhere! This is what forums are for

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Thanks Russ, and the end of the day, I dont want to screw my car up my making silly mistakes. Things that are ridiculously trivial to some people are stupidly hard for others!

Ive just bought the jack and stands, so I may have some more questions as I get stuck changing the pads over!

One thing that confused me in the guide on changing the rear pads is that someone commented on how you didnt have to take part of the caliper off to change the pads. Is this correct? In the guide, part of the caliper was taken off by unscrewing two BIG bolts, yet someone said this was unnessecary.

 

[Henry]

there's no need to dismantle the caliper

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Well Ive just come back in from the garage after my attempts to change the pads.

One word could describe my efforts = FAIL!!!

On the drivers side wheel, I undone all the bolts apart from the special one. And on the offside, I cant get ANY of the bolts undone, they're all too tight!!

Ive got a basic socket set, which managed to get the three normal bolts undone on one wheel, but I cant get that one special bolt off! It keeps slipping off, and Im fearing i'll round it off!

On the other side, I havent got a long enough socket wrench to get enough force to undo any of the bots!

Anyone got any tips, coz I was hoping to get a bit further than that!

And yes I know this sounds silly, but as above, we all have to start somewhere! And at least im having a go!

 

[Henry]

don't worry about what some others might think

sounds as though you need a length of pipe to slip over the ratchet handle for leverage (is your trolley jack handle hollow?)

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

OMG!!!!

I cant getting the fukcing special wheel nuts off!!!!! What d*%khead designed those nuts!!!! I cant get any leverage on them without it slipping off!!!!!

The depth of the nut itself is only about 5mm, how are you supposed to get any leverage on that! Especially enough to tighten a wheel!

At least im confident some t**t wont knick the wheels! Even with the special tool I cant getting the frickers off!!

OMG WHY IS EVERYTHING SO HARD!!!! If anyone can help me before I ending up chucking the tools through the window, that would be great!!!

AARRRRGGGHHHH!

 

[emdos]

They sell extendible breakers in Tescos for 7 quid. Very long for extra leverage. they work well. I had a problem on my BMW where the bolts had seized in the Hub.

Step 1. normal wrench/ratchet - no luck
Step2. extended breaker - 1 or 2 off
step3. 18v Drill 1 or 2 more.
Step4 . - for the locking wheel nut. - had to weld a pipe to it to turn it :S

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Yeh Ive got an extendible breaker, but the trouble is that the key keeps slipping off! The actual key itself isnt very deep, so you cant get any leverage on it

 

[rich-6]

TBH mate, I think you should get someone else to do the brakes, Last thing you want is the pads to fall out on you while driving, If your struggling to take the wheels off i think you'l struggle to do the brakes :approve:

Might be an idea to watch over someone first then you do the other side and get them to check

 

[emdos]

I know exactly what you mean! had the same problem.When I used the 18v drill it sheered off the teeth, i had no choice but to weld it

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

TBH mate, I think you should get someone else to do the brakes, Last thing you want is the pads to fall out on you while driving, If your struggling to take the wheels off i think you'l struggle to do the brakes :approve:

Might be an idea to watch over someone first then you do the other side and get them to check

I can understand that, but tbh I dont hink I'll have a problem with the actual brakes, its just the this stupid key nut that wont come off! And its not like I dont know how to do it, it just wont come off!

 

[mr angry]

Try resting the angle of the tool on the axle stand and push down on it from 9 oclock position. This helps prventing it twisting off. You may have to rotate the wheel to get right height for axle stand.

 

[bomber]

or get it to a garage with an airgun to loosen it off. i know ats are shut at 12 on a sat though

 

[Justin]

Get a power bar for the nuts, and the wheel key will fit on, you maybe havent got it fully on. Once its on, it won't slip

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

But the key isnt very deep. I havent got a pic of it, but the inside looks like a swirly circle. But that swirly pit is only about 5mm deep, a normal nut as about 2-3cm!

 

[iimushroomzii]

Chisel the bolts off

 

[Henry]

But the key isnt very deep. I havent got a pic of it, but the inside looks like a swirly circle. But that swirly pit is only about 5mm deep, a normal nut as about 2-3cm!

sounds like the standard Renault locking key; should be OK. are you holding the key on over the nut as you lever the ratchet with your other hand?

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Also, IF and when I take this bolt off, can I put one of the spare normal ones back in? I dont fancy trying to get them off again next time!

Henry: Im pushing the key on (into the wheel direction) as I TRY to loosen it. Because if I dont push it on as well, it just comes straight off. But its pretty hard to push and turn my wrench!

 

[Henry]

you just sort of need to arrange yourself and the ratchet so that you can comfortably hold the key over the nut and also get some leverage into it - it must just be a matter of enough leverage

if you smear the thread and the shoulder of the bolts in copper grease as you put them back in, that should prevent them from seizing again for a good while

 

[Jay Payne]

I would of changed your pads for you today, it would of taken me 20 mins

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

lol, at least I would have had someone who new what they were doing!

Have you got any tools to take this stupid f**king nuts off?! Me and my dad have just had another go and we cant get it to budge!

If not, I might take it to the garage where I got my tyres done, and ask if they could quickly take the special nuts off, so I could put the spare normal ones on! Id rather have my wheels nicked than to f**k about with them anymore!!!

Also, I do want to try it myself, as I want to get better at basic mechanics!

 

[jamie.91]

when my wheel nuts are tight i just stamp on the bar lol i know its rong but it does the job as for other bolts just use a longer ratchet or a strong arm, hope you get it sorted

jamie

 

[rich-6]

Did you say you have a breaker bar? the way i remove stuck locking bolts with them is as i'm pulling up on the breaker bar to release the bolt i counteract the movement by pushing down at the socket end, This will stop the tool wanting to twist off the bolts head and puts more force into the bolt itself, I'l knock a paint pic up for reference.

Behold my Paint skillz lol

You need to keep the locknut tool as flat as possible to the face of the bolt if you don’t you’ll damage it and end up having to have it drilled out

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Thanks for the drawing Rich. Thats exactly what I was doing.

I thought it would be easier with two people, as one could push the tool into the wheel, while the other pulled/pushed the bolt undone, but alas, no luck yet

As ive said before, the normal bolts came loose fine (when I had the extended tool!), but because the special key doesnt go very far onto the bolt, it slips of REALLY easily.

 

[DrR]

Take the locking wheel nut off first, as it will have the least stress on it that way.

 

[rich-6]

I'd nip it into a garage then to get them to whizz the nuts free you can drive home on 3 bolts safely if you dont want them to put them back in. When you refit all the bolts after you've dont the brakes put a small amount of copper grease on the threads, It'l stop them siezing into the hub like you have now

I reckon in the first instance the garage have put them in with the windy gun which you shouldnt do, I do them up with one if i'm rushing then torque them up, Locknuts get no more than 20Nm though

 

[Struggler]

if theyre too tight,
hammer a slightly smaller socket over the top,
and treat it like a normal bolt,
my mate lost the key and this is how we got them off,
its scary how well it works

 

[Peperami]

Erm, this may sound daft, but on the 'special bolt' you are using the locking wheel nut right?

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Erm, this may sound daft, but on the 'special bolt' you are using the locking wheel nut right?

And what do you mean by the locking wheel nut?

If you mean the special bolt that came with the four spare normal bolts (that was in the glove box) - then yes I am

 

[Jay Payne]

yes thats what he means. They have obviously been done up too tight by whoever did them up last.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Burp, Im gonn have another go, but use a hammer to see if that will shock them loose, or even push the nut further onto the bolt.

If that fails, then I hope the garage I got my tyres done at is open and can quickly do them as a favour!

If they're not open, then I may require the burpspeed services! Obviously that entirely depends on if you are free, I dont expect you to go out your way to help.

Thanks though!

 

[Jay Payne]

The longer you dick about with it and the more mess you make of the nut, the harder it will be for me to do but give me a bell if your really stuck and i'll see what im doing