Flat Tyre Issue

[fatboy69]

One of my cars is taxed & MOT’d although currently not insured because my insurance company are tts - car is parked off road in my back garden so not being insured isn’t a problem.

However the car has developed a slow puncture, or the tyre might just have gone down due to not being used, so I need to get the tyre off & checked.

Easy?

Not so. After a couple of hours two of us couldn’t get the wheel nuts off.

I have pumped up the tyre however I need to get the tyre to my local garage a mile or so down the road.

So the question is this - how do i get the car/tyre to the garage?

I can’t drive it (no insurance), the garage won’t come out, I can’t get it towed due to no insurance & my breakdown cover has expired because my insurance co are muppets.

Anyone got any sensible suggestions?

[ElectricPics]

fatboy69 said:

One of my cars is taxed & MOT’d although currently not insured because my insurance company are tts - car is parked off road in my back garden so not being insured isn’t a problem.

However the car has developed a slow puncture, or the tyre might just have gone down due to not being used, so I need to get the tyre off & checked.

Easy?

Not so. After a couple of hours two of us couldn’t get the wheel nuts off.

I have pumped up the tyre however I need to get the tyre to my local garage a mile or so down the road.

So the question is this - how do i get the car/tyre to the garage?

I can’t drive it (no insurance), the garage won’t come out, I can’t get it towed due to no insurance & my breakdown cover has expired because my insurance co are muppets.

Anyone got any sensible suggestions?

Soaking the nuts in Plus Gas would be my first option - they'll have to come off sometime and you don't want the garage's windy gun ripping the studs off with them.

[fatboy69]

Stupid question.

What is Plus Gas?

[gothatway]

fatboy69 said:

Easy?

Yes. Pop it on your trailer - every PH contributor has one.
I know - that probably wasn't helpful or you'd have done it already.
By the way don't all vehicles have to be insured, regardless of where they are parked these days - or did I dream that ?

[anonymous-user]

I would just get an impact gun if the free up spray doesn't work. The trick is back and forth not just one way.

[ElectricPics]

fatboy69 said:

Stupid question.

What is Plus Gas?

Not stupid if you've never heard of it. Excellent releasing oil.

https://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories...

Halfords do one called Shock and Unlock which is supposed to be pretty good although I've never tried it.

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/paints-body-repai...

[stevensdrs]

Blowtorch on the nuts will do it if you don't have an impact gun.

[fatboy69]

I don’t have a trailer & neither do I know anyone who has one.

As for the insurance. Didn’t think it was an issue if the car was parked off road.

Seems as though I might have fked up somewhere.

Do I need to SORN it even if it is taxed & MOT’d?

[TooMany2cvs]

fatboy69 said:

As for the insurance. Didn’t think it was an issue if the car was parked off road.
..
Do I need to SORN it even if it is taxed & MOT’d?

Yes. You can't have a taxed but uninsured car - it's a breach of the continuous insurance rules that've been in place since 2011, and you will get a bking followed by a fine if you don't take the hint.

SORNing it cancels the tax.

[fatboy69]

Bugger.

[TooMany2cvs]

fatboy69 said:

Bugger.

<shrug> No point in paying for it to be taxed while it's off the road...

[Ian Geary]

TooMany2cvs said:

fatboy69 said:

Bugger.

<shrug> No point in paying for it to be taxed while it's off the road...

It can depend though I suppose...

The fee to cancel insurance could be punative, meaning very little of the original policy price is returned, making it not cost effective to cancel insurance, only to re-insure later on before the year is out.


But this won't change the law unfortunately.

Can insurance policies be "suspended"..ie put on hold so that the remaining months be used beyond a 12 month period?

Ian

[fatboy69]

SORN done.

[sfr]

As above, soak them in releasing oil, then try tightening the nuts a nadge before trying to loosen them, work them back and forth in that manner, surprising but it works!

[vikingaero]

Are you using the original supplied wheel brace to try and get the nut off? Could be time to invest in a breaker bar and 17/19/21mm deep socket.

[M_A_S]

There are plenty of mobile mechanics. If you're in the north Essex area I can recommend an excellent one.

[Wings]

A long tubular bar over the handle of the torque wrench, the longer the bar, the greater the torque and easier the nuts will undo.

Edited by Wings on Sunday 14th January 20:06

[anonymous-user]

Wings said:

A long tubular bar over the handle of the torque wrench, the longer the bar, the greater the torque and easier the nuts will undo.

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 14th January 20:06

That’ll fk up the torque wrench nicely!!

Get a breaker bar.

[gshughes]

Loosen the nuts. Drive the vehicle very slowly (5 mph max) a few feet backwards and forwards, turning a little if you can. This is often enough to free the wheel from the hub.

[TooMany2cvs]

gshughes said:

Loosen the nuts.

That's the bit he's having the problem with...

fatboy69 said:

However the car has developed a slow puncture, or the tyre might just have gone down due to not being used, so I need to get the tyre off & checked.

Easy?

Not so. After a couple of hours two of us couldn’t get the wheel nuts off.