Wheel brace too big to fit in hole, and other Qs
Discussion
Yesterday I got a puncture in my 350Z. I parked up at the nearest safe place, and attempted to change the wheels, only to find that the supplied wheel brace does not fit fully inside of the holes where the bolts are. So I ended up having to drive the short distance home and leave the car there.
So I'm guessing I'll need some deep sockets, like these?
http://search.diy.com/search#w=deep socket
and something like this
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
I did try to use the socket out of my tool box but even had it fitted I'm sure I would have broken it when trying to loosen the bolts.
Are there any more cost effective solutions?
Oh and the guy at work reckons my alloy wheel will now be buckled. I only drove it about 2 miles in total after I realised, and at a slow and gentle pace. I don't want to spend money on tyres for broken wheels so how likely is this?
So I'm guessing I'll need some deep sockets, like these?
http://search.diy.com/search#w=deep socket
and something like this
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
I did try to use the socket out of my tool box but even had it fitted I'm sure I would have broken it when trying to loosen the bolts.
Are there any more cost effective solutions?
Oh and the guy at work reckons my alloy wheel will now be buckled. I only drove it about 2 miles in total after I realised, and at a slow and gentle pace. I don't want to spend money on tyres for broken wheels so how likely is this?
Does it have aftermarket wheels then? Can't believe Nissan would supply a tool that wasn't capable of removing the wheel nuts.
Anyway, what you need ideally is an impact socket and a decent breaker bar - both available from Halfords. Critical thing is that the socket is 6-sided, rather than multi-sided so it grips the nuts properly.
Anyway, what you need ideally is an impact socket and a decent breaker bar - both available from Halfords. Critical thing is that the socket is 6-sided, rather than multi-sided so it grips the nuts properly.
miniman said:
Does it have aftermarket wheels then? Can't believe Nissan would supply a tool that wasn't capable of removing the wheel nuts.
Anyway, what you need ideally is an impact socket and a decent breaker bar - both available from Halfords. Critical thing is that the socket is 6-sided, rather than multi-sided so it grips the nuts properly.
Yes aftermarket.Anyway, what you need ideally is an impact socket and a decent breaker bar - both available from Halfords. Critical thing is that the socket is 6-sided, rather than multi-sided so it grips the nuts properly.
I've had a look at the impact socket set on Halfords, but it still looks like they might not fit in the holes.
Halfords sell special sockets for wheel nuts - they have a plastic tube around them to stop damage to the wheel. The plastic tube can be removed leaving you with a thin walled socket which is what I use when there isn't clearance for a normal socket.
I've done hundreds of wheel changes with the Halfords socket and it's been fine.
ETA: chances are your wheel won't be buckled as long as you drove slowly enough. I've driven that sort of distance on a flat tyre a few times with no wheel damage (murders the tyre though).
I've done hundreds of wheel changes with the Halfords socket and it's been fine.
ETA: chances are your wheel won't be buckled as long as you drove slowly enough. I've driven that sort of distance on a flat tyre a few times with no wheel damage (murders the tyre though).
Captain Muppet said:
Halfords sell special sockets for wheel nuts - they have a plastic tube around them to stop damage to the wheel. The plastic tube can be removed leaving you with a thin walled socket which is what I use when there isn't clearance for a normal socket.
I've done hundreds of wheel changes with the Halfords socket and it's been fine.
ETA: chances are your wheel won't be buckled as long as you drove slowly enough. I've driven that sort of distance on a flat tyre a few times with no wheel damage (murders the tyre though).
Cheers, I better pop in somewhere for a chat then.I've done hundreds of wheel changes with the Halfords socket and it's been fine.
ETA: chances are your wheel won't be buckled as long as you drove slowly enough. I've driven that sort of distance on a flat tyre a few times with no wheel damage (murders the tyre though).
Its made me realise why I'm often too reluctant to work on cars though - lack of decent tools seems to get me every time.
RobCrezz said:
They look OK, but that still doesn't solve the problem of getting these ones out. 
hairykrishna said:
Halfords used to do an extending wheel brace with a half inch drive, which came with a 17/19mm deep socket. Can't seem to find it on their website though.
That socket has quite a thick wall, and on deep 17mm bolt holes the 19mm end of the socket can foul the wheels. I scratched the paint on a BK Racing wheel before I spotted the problem. Then I bought the right socket for the job.Studio117 said:
The size will be standard ie m12x.15 but the bolt will have a smaller head to fit in the narrower holes.
What brand are they?
Thats the problem, I don't know what make the nuts or the wheels are. It never occurred to me this would matter. Shows what I know.What brand are they?
ETA the very top of the head is just exposed, and the brace fits but I can't get enough of it on the head to grip so I can loosen it.
Edited by TameRacingDriver on Tuesday 2nd October 10:36
doogz said:
This is not a nightmare, it's a really simple problem. If having the wrong size socket for your wheel bolts is as bad as car ownership gets for you, you're pretty lucky.
Can you provide a picture of the wheel in question, and the nut/bolt?
I can but not until much later, as I'm at work, car is at home, and I'm not expecting to be home until after dark.Can you provide a picture of the wheel in question, and the nut/bolt?
Nightmare is a bit strong yes, but I always seem to encounter niggly little things. I guess I am naive enough to have thought that changing to a spare wheel would not have presented me with a fundamental problem!
And trust me, car ownership has been troubling at times to me in the past (especially financially).
TameRacingDriver said:
RobCrezz said:
They look OK, but that still doesn't solve the problem of getting these ones out. http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=2...
Its not rocket salad
Get some of them nuts though, they make life much simpler with wheels like that.
After that Clio of yours I have decided that you are the unluckiest person in the world!
But yes, buy a 1/2" drive breaker bar and a set of impact sockets. Wrap the end of the one that fits your wheel bolts in insulation tape to stop it damaging the wheel. You'll use them for loads of stuff once you own them - one of the most important tool I own is a breaker bar.
But yes, buy a 1/2" drive breaker bar and a set of impact sockets. Wrap the end of the one that fits your wheel bolts in insulation tape to stop it damaging the wheel. You'll use them for loads of stuff once you own them - one of the most important tool I own is a breaker bar.
StoatInACoat said:
After that Clio of yours I have decided that you are the unluckiest person in the world!
But yes, buy a 1/2" drive breaker bar and a set of impact sockets. Wrap the end of the one that fits your wheel bolts in insulation tape to stop it damaging the wheel. You'll use them for loads of stuff once you own them - one of the most important tool I own is a breaker bar.
Thanks. I think you're right, everyone I knows says this!But yes, buy a 1/2" drive breaker bar and a set of impact sockets. Wrap the end of the one that fits your wheel bolts in insulation tape to stop it damaging the wheel. You'll use them for loads of stuff once you own them - one of the most important tool I own is a breaker bar.
Sad thing is, I'm steadily having any enthusiasm for cars just drained. They've really stopped being fun in my mind, which is a shame, because for those trouble frees years of ITR ownership, I really enjoyed it. Now I just seem to look for the next large bill to come along.
But yes, I'll get those bits. To be honest, I don't even know when I can be bothered to sort it out, that shows how fed up I am.
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