What tools for swapping own wheels from front to back?

[P1pps]

At £29 for a trolley jack from Screwfix, I am tempted to just buy two and raise the whole vehicle on one side from the front and rear jack points on each side to swap the wheels front to back.

[spikeyhead]

Hol said:

GravelBen] said:

I don't think I've ever seen anyone use a torque wrench for wheelnuts outside a motorsport or trackday paddock.

Probably 99% of people just do them up with a wheelbrace or socket until tight, and never have any problems.

Its when workshops/tyre shops overtighten with a rattlegun that you get problems like not being able to undo the nuts on the side of the road to change a puncture.

Guilty. But, only because I have one easily to hand.

Me too

[Evoluzione]

Impact wrenches do have different strength settings, not that i'm recommending it, but mine on the lowest setting torques to about 110Nm if I let off quick enough which is ok for many cars. Ok if i'm in a rush on my own car just to get me home, but would always back off and re-torque with a wrench for a proper job.

[eltax91]

P1pps said:

At £29 for a trolley jack from Screwfix, I am tempted to just buy two and raise the whole vehicle on one side from the front and rear jack points on each side to swap the wheels front to back.

Refer you to my earlier question OP. Whereabouts in the country are you?

[GravelBen]

Evoluzione said:

GravelBen said:

I don't think I've ever seen anyone use a torque wrench for wheelnuts outside a motorsport or trackday paddock.

Probably 99% of people just do them up with a wheelbrace or socket until tight, and never have any problems.

Its when workshops/tyre shops overtighten with a rattlegun that you get problems like not being able to undo the nuts on the side of the road to change a puncture.

Good quality workshops do exist outside of your zone though.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't suggesting most workshops do that - I've only encountered badly overtightened ones a couple of times.

My point was that wheelnuts tightened by hand with a wheelbrace or socket are unlikely to cause any problems, and that the vast majority of people who change their own wheels do it that way without issue.

[markiii]

get some torque sticks will be far quicker

[rustednut]

GravelBen said:

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't suggesting most workshops do that - I've only encountered badly overtightened ones a couple of times.

My point was that wheelnuts tightened by hand with a wheelbrace or socket are unlikely to cause any problems, and that the vast majority of people who change their own wheels do it that way without issue.

The point is, that for anybody who removes and replaces wheels occasionally, or more often, is they know how tight is right by the feel/experience. But any decent garage will always use a torque wrench before the car is handed over.

To anybody who has never attempted such a task before, and has nobody else to guide/advise in person, then a torque wrench is the SAFE option. Would you not expect any garage/mechanic to use a torque wrench when refitting wheels to your car? Why would you not use 1 on your own car?

The same SAFE option that says use a decent jack and axle stands, not bricks etc.

[P1pps]

My NSF wheel flew off while driving down the M5, less than an hour after a backstreet garage in Birmingham evidently failed to refit my wheels correctly.

To say that it was traumatic, costly and time consuming to resolve, would be an understatement. I would take any reasonable steps to not repeat it.

In the years that followed, I would therefore always hand-torque my own wheel bolts after rotating my tires or after anyone had touched them.

I am now bemused and disappointed that the latest cars no longer include: (a) a spare wheel; or (b) a front or rear sub-frame for jacking.

I will nonetheless always continue to check the torque of my bolts, just as I also regularly check both tyre pressures and tread depths.