Locking wheel nuts

A ‘mechanical knowledge’ examination wouldn’t be much good at making people better drivers and certainly wouldn’t be much use in roadside breakdowns; the level of knowledge required and the tools required would make it impractical.

Actually reading the owner’s handbook would be more useful; and most of us are guilty here. I drove my Audi for years before realising that the door-mirror de-mist only worked if the door-mirror adjusting joystick was switched back to the ‘neutral’ position. Luckily, due to OCD, I would always switch it back anyway!

Some basic road-side self-help skills would be useful: wheel-changing and jump-starting for example, but then how many even carry a decent set of jump-leads these days? And again some basic knowledge of your own care is essential; I once jump-started a brand-new Mercedes 4×4 on a campsite (their children had been watching on-board DVD player) but the biggest problem was actually finding the battery on the 4×4…

…eventually located under one of the back-seats!

Hah! The starting handle! Happy days…..:)

How many new cars actually have spare wheels these days?

Most the new model launches I have done over the past couple of years have the sealant/compressor kit instead. I think spares are going the way of the starting handle.

Moggy

Indeed. Although I had a rudimentary knowledge via my engineer father the driving instructor offered an optional two x one hour sessions on how it all worked. I never regretted taking those two sessions.

I think a mechanical knowledge examination should be part of the driving test to give all participants, male and female, a basic understanding of what is going on inside and underneath and perhaps they will have more respect for a vehicle and become better drivers.

My problem is that most people don’t have the knowledge or strength nowadays…

Absolutely right; most drivers don’t know how because they’ve never done it and even if they do know how many are not strong enough.

The last puncture I changed was on a friend’s Land-Rover Discovery; she had the good fortune to be parked outside my house when she noticed it. As an ex-mechanic I was shocked how hard-work it was to change! Apart from the physical weight of the wheel (which would be beyond the capability of about 75% of all drivers) the on-vehicle jack was next to useless; I only just managed to get the (rear) wheel off the ground (on a good, dry, road) and I cut one of my hands to ribbons in the process!

And before anybody mentions ‘Chelsea tractor’ the 4×4 in question lives on a farm…..and works for a living!

I think maybe a wheel-change should be part of the driving test but even if it isn’t I would always recommend actually having a go at changing a wheel on your own car (on a nice dry day on your drive); you may be in for a bit of a shock! Can you actually do it? Now, could you do it in the dark?

Smilies and jokes, Linc!!;) You must have turned the corner or at least realised it’s going to be a better life when it’s over!
Yes garage air guns at incorrect torque are the bane if the motorists life. I have used a local tyre place for a few years and they always make sure the settling are correct or simply hand tighten conventionally.

Good one Jim, keep the humour flowing!

I think changing a wheel should be included in the driving test. With obvious exceptions for those unable to.
How would people manage if they were in the middle of nowhere, with no phone signal ?

What’s that song Alan, “These boots are made for walking?”. and that’s just what they’l do. etc.
Jim.
L .7

I think changing a wheel should be included in the driving test. With obvious exceptions for those unable to.
How would people manage if they were in the middle of nowhere, with no phone signal ?

Has it left you with a rubber fetish?.
Jim.
L .7

No, after 11 years of it the novelty wears off….

Has it left you with a rubber fetish?.
Jim.
L .7

Ah runflats…the jolly old Dunlop Denovo, then after that the Dunlop/Michelin combined effort the ‘TD’ (not a true runflat but still a PITA)

All from a past life working in rubber (so to speak 😉 )

Gary, all you need to carry is a tyre lever, and an inner tube, and you MUST be able to change an inner tube?, or do you ask your wife politely to drive to you, and she does it?..:D

Hey, that’s my 1st Smiley for weeks, Are things looking up?.
Jim.
L 7

Sounds to me Gary, the wheels had been tightened with an air gun, as used in all garages these days. Obviously the gun didn’t have the right torque set for the nuts.
Jim.
L ,7

Yes ,this guy really didn’t have a clue and to be honest i was on a pushbike with no tools [ he actually walked into the local wood to find something to hit it with..I see what you mean Richard and that sounds like a good idea :)My problem is that most people don’t have the knowledge or strength nowadays.I would use a extension tube and jump on the blooming thing,a sharp move normally cracks it.
Mind you ,i am about to cycle 10 miles to work and pray i don’t get a puncture as i am the worlds worst at replacing inner tubes /fixing punctures in a home situation,let alone middle of nowhere and poss rain and dark 🙁

I used to use scaffold pole on the wheel brace(I don’t suppose trumper had any with his bike!) As I am a Blue badge holder I am in the RAC and get priority over everyone else. I also get a automatic car straight away if they can’t fix it and a private ambulance to hospital or home if I am taken ill while broken down. I needed them once when my immobiliser had a malfunction eight minutes from ringing them to a van arrived and fixed it. £130 a year and my wife is covered as well and that includes everything in their top package!

The bolts on the wheel were so tight i couldn’t shift them and one or 2 seemed to have some sort of protective cover on [i didn’t touch them,i let him remove them]. 🙁

They are just plastic nut covers to look nice and stop dirt getting into treads of the stud.

To loosen wheel nuts is the easier thing in the world to do, no great physical effort required.

With the right tools of course. all you need is an L shaped wheel brace or standard socket bar.
Imagine that we have puncture, drivers side rear. nuts will not move by normal pressure.
Do not jack the car up, position one of the nuts at about 4 or 5 o clock place the wheel brace on the nut with the other end as close to the road as possible (if on soft ground place a piece of wood or brick under the brace).
Get into the car select first gear slowly lift clutch and go forward a couple of inch’s . 9 times out of 10 the nut will be loose enough to undo as normal. (If not repeat process) repeat on other nuts, jack up car change wheel.
10th time the stud will snap off but if it was that tight it would have to have been cut off anyway.
The other side of the car you would have to use reverse.:)

I cycled home from work last week and a car was on the road side blocking the cycle way with a puncture.
I stopped to help him :angel: and i was gobsmacked by the fact he was in the AA but never rung them,he had no idea how to jack the car up and change a wheel.
The bolts on the wheel were so tight i couldn’t shift them and one or 2 seemed to have some sort of protective cover on [i didn’t touch them,i let him remove them].
Well, i don’t know who put the the wheel bolts in but it must’ve been an air tool or gorilla.After 10 mins i had to leave him -we weren’t getting anywhere ,i hope he had sense and finally called the AA out.
Oh and i banged up my bad ankle trying to help him. 🙁

As Moggy says every scrote knows how to get locking wheel nuts off. No point even bothering with them. When you want to take them off legitimately you will never find the little doofer (especially at night on a busy unlit road!)