Tools help please...

[steve singh]

Hi All,

I need a trolley jack, axle stands and a torque wrench to remove/put back on wheels.

This is just for occasional use (say once or twice a year).

Cars that I'll use this will be my own - so golf gti. Mk5, Porsche 996, and in the future a M3/3 series type.

I've got a 25% discount code for eurocarparts so would like to buy from there if possible.

I haven't got a clue which ones to buy from that website - could someone recommend me a sensible set that is suitable for my needs?

Thanks in advance.

[miniman]

Why do you need axle stands? Eurocaparts are great for parts but I wouldn't buy tools from them.

Jack: http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/...

Wrench: http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/...

Personally I've never bothered with a torque wrench for wheel nuts. I just go for FT.

[Contigo]

I think there's a tool in the "cruise control at 52" thread that needs your help!

[cpas]

I assume this is for changing to and from winter tyres? Halfords do a cheap kit including a trolley jack and axle stands. However, for simple wheel changing (as long as you are only doing one at a time, and putting a wheel back on immediately that you take the other one off) then a trolley jack alone will be absolutely fine.

[Krikkit]

miniman said:

Why do you need axle stands? Eurocaparts are great for parts but I wouldn't buy tools from them.

Jack: http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/...

Wrench: http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/...

Personally I've never bothered with a torque wrench for wheel nuts. I just go for FT.

Eurocarparts carry a very decent range of tools.

Need axle stands because hydraulic jacks are not to be trusted. Once it's up, use a stand.

Also worth using a torque wrench to make sure you don't over-do it on wheel nuts. They're not actually torqued very tight when at the proper spec, it's a common fallacy that they need to be f'in tight all the time.

[steve singh]

Hi, it will be for the times when I want to paint the calipers or change discs/pad or if I send a couple of wheels at a time for a refurb (though the latter might be a case of getting a spare set of wheels) etc.

Hence I thought I would need axle stands.

Also paranoid about wheels so thought a torque wrench would be sensible!

Cheers

[WhoseGeneration]

miniman said:

Personally I've never bothered with a torque wrench for wheel nuts. I just go for FT.

Well, you'd be wrong. The danger with wheel nuts or bolts is overtightening, using only "feel".
I've seen the result.

[B'stard Child]

Don't buy cheap st - I'm serious - never scrimp on anything that is going to hold 1500 plus kgs of weight above you.

I bought a couple of cheap axle stands and I only use them for my motorcycle if I remove a wheel - anything else I'd never trust them



These I use if I'm working under a car



I got this as a birthday present - from someone who didn't know better but new my 20 yr old sealey had died and wasn't repairable



First time I used it the car fell off it £400 worth of damage and I went out and bought a decent one



Don't buy cheap st

[miniman]

WhoseGeneration said:

miniman said:

Personally I've never bothered with a torque wrench for wheel nuts. I just go for FT.

Well, you'd be wrong. The danger with wheel nuts or bolts is overtightening, using only "feel".
I've seen the result.

Where do you get tyres fitted?

[deeen]

I believe correct torque is quite good for alloy wheels.

[The Black Flash]

Meh. For occaisional use, Halfords. I've had a jack+stands set for 20 years and they've been fine with all manner of use and abuse. Stands are rated at 2 tons, each, plenty strong enough. Big low profile jacks and clever stands are great for sure, if you're using them all the time or have money to burn. But just to change wheels? Nah.

Torque wrench just for wheelnuts? Yeah ok, sure. I have used mine to put the wheels on just because it's there, but normally just use a long bar. Never once have I had a wheel fall off or knackered anything, go figure.

[WhoseGeneration]

miniman said:

WhoseGeneration said:

miniman said:

Personally I've never bothered with a torque wrench for wheel nuts. I just go for FT.

Well, you'd be wrong. The danger with wheel nuts or bolts is overtightening, using only "feel".
I've seen the result.

Where do you get tyres fitted?

Varies but I always tell them the torque figure and I've found all do use a torque wrench to finally tighten.
I then, of course, check once home. With a further check after about 600 miles.
Anyway, your experience and mine, we each have our view.

[chazola]

any 2-ton rated jack stands/ trolley jack will be fine for what you want to do. The Halfords standard jack and stands are good value, and are what I use. Their £35 or so jack has quite happily held up the back and front ends of 2 tons of 60's Mercedes with no creep. But if you want to buy from ECP looking at their site the Sealey basic jack/stands should be fine, a lot of the budget jacks and stands you see I'm pretty sure are from the same Chinese factories, they just have a different brand stamped on them. I have a torque wrench that I got from Aldi that is exactly the same as what you'd get from other places for 2 or 3 times the price. To be honest a torque wrench is not essential for wheel nuts, I use a 600mm breaker bar most of the time but using a torque wrench is doing it properly. I prefer the pin-type jack stands to the ratchet-type, I've heard a few stories about the ratchet ones giving way without warning.

Edited by chazola on Sunday 10th June 22:40

[steve singh]

chazola said:

any 2-ton rated jack stands/ trolley jack will be fine for what you want to do. The Halfords standard jack and stands are good value, and are what I use. Their £35 or so jack has quite happily held up the back and front ends of 2 tons of 60's Mercedes with no creep. But if you want to buy from ECP looking at their site the Sealey basic jack/stands should be fine, a lot of the budget jacks and stands you see I'm pretty sure are from the same Chinese factories, they just have a different brand stamped on them. I have a torque wrench that I got from Aldi that is exactly the same as what you'd get from other places for 2 or 3 times the price. To be honest a torque wrench is not essential for wheel nuts, I use a 600mm breaker bar most of the time but using a torque wrench is doing it properly. I prefer the pin-type jack stands to the ratchet-type, I've heard a few stories about the ratchet ones giving way without warning.

Edited by chazola on Sunday 10th June 22:40

Thanks all - Halfords have a sale on which for £50 you get a trolley jack, chocks, axle stands and some other bits and bobs - so going for that as I'm assuming H&S would stop them selling me something unsuitable...

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

When the description says 2 x 2 ton axle stands - does that mean 4 tons combined?



Last piece in the jigsaw - can someone suggest a torque wrench that is suitable for wheel bolts from ECP/Halfords???

Cheers

[Krikkit]

steve singh said:

Thanks all - Halfords have a sale on which for £50 you get a trolley jack, chocks, axle stands and some other bits and bobs - so going for that as I'm assuming H&S would stop them selling me something unsuitable...

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

When the description says 2 x 2 ton axle stands - does that mean 4 tons combined?



Last piece in the jigsaw - can someone suggest a torque wrench that is suitable for wheel bolts from ECP/Halfords???

Cheers

The stands are rating to hold 2 tons each, so if you could balance it a 4 ton car would be easily held on them.

Most cheap torque wrenches are the screw type like this one and perfectly usable.

[wiliferus]

The Black Flash said:

Never once have I had a wheel fall off or knackered anything, go figure.

Neither have I, but I have spent over an hour and nearly given myself a hernia trying to remove wheel nuts that the previous owner did up far too feckin tight.

Never had that issue with nuts I've tightened to the correct torque.

[dictys]

B'stard Child said:

Don't buy cheap st - I'm serious - never scrimp on anything that is going to hold 1500 plus kgs of weight above you.

I bought a couple of cheap axle stands and I only use them for my motorcycle if I remove a wheel - anything else I'd never trust them



These I use if I'm working under a car

I think I prefer the UK stands (the first set) with the pin through them, The American style ones have only a small lip holding them, the lever can be flipped up and the "c" cup at the top doesn't fit correctly at jacking points. I always use a reasonable set of the fist style stands.

[Bowler]

steve singh said:

Last piece in the jigsaw - can someone suggest a torque wrench that is suitable for wheel bolts from ECP/Halfords???

http://www.screwfix.com/p/reversible-torque-wrench/18289

[Mr2Mike]

B'stard Child said:

Don't buy cheap st - I'm serious - never scrimp on anything that is going to hold 1500 plus kgs of weight above you.

I bought a couple of cheap axle stands and I only use them for my motorcycle if I remove a wheel - anything else I'd never trust them

Unless you are attempting to balance you entire car on a single axle stand, they won't be supporting 1500kg each. I have had no incidents with a set of Halfords axle stands I use very regularly, in fact I've not even heard stories of any collapsing. I don't like the folding style of axle stands however and I wouldn't use anything that looked visibly weak. I prefer the pin type to the ratchet type as well; I'm slightly surprised you'd prefer using a mechanism that could potentially not work correctly to something that is pretty much infallible.

B'stard Child said:

I got this as a birthday present - from someone who didn't know better but new my 20 yr old sealey had died and wasn't repairable



First time I used it the car fell off it £400 worth of damage and I went out and bought a decent one

Had a jack collapsed you might have a point, but the car falling of it suggests it wasn't properly located in the first place. Again I have had a couple of cheap 2 ton trolley jacks for about 15 years which are used regularly. The seals in one of them are starting to show their age as it very slowly sinks if left with weight on it, but as long as you use the axle stands properly it's not a problem.

[falkster]

WhoseGeneration said:

Well, you'd be wrong. The danger with wheel nuts or bolts is overtightening, using only "feel".
I've seen the result.

Never used a torque wrench, on wheels, in 20 years of driving and over 40 cars.