Removing and installing wheels basics

[ymc226]

Originally Posted By: racer12306

No, you want the weight off of the tires before you loosen the bolts. Using a breaker bar to loosen, you need to leave some weight on the tires so they don't spin, but with an impact, that doesn't matter.


TY for the clarification. Not that I anticipate needing an extender, but if I used a short extender on the torque wrench, how much, if any, adjustment is necessary?

 

[SIXSPEED]

Originally Posted By: ymc226
Wow,

Thanks for all the replies.

I'll use the HF torque wrench as it appears to be reliable enough. Don't want to spend more on a beam type wrench. I'm one to overthink everything so I tend to ask a lot.

To confirm, when I use the impact wrench to "break" then lug bolt, I assume that the car should still be on the ground. Afterwards, I'll lift the car up and then use either the impact or the cordless electric to spin off the bolt.

The clicker type allow you to set the torque without having to continuously view the needle/scale. But if you have never used a clicker before, try it out with a low torque setting (e.g. 50 lb-ft) on a tightened lug nut so you get a sense of what it feels/sounds like when it reaches the set torque ... so you know when to stop; sometimes it is rather subtle and only occurs for a moment. Also return the torque setting to minimum before putting it away.

No need to raise the car to loosen lugs with an impact. Seems like it just zips them off before you can release the trigger.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Kira
Anybody here care to comment/advise regarding applying Anti-Seize to the OP's lug bolts?


I do not use it -- I prefer them dry. If you do use it, you need to reduce the torque you apply to the lug nuts. Anti-seize is a grease carrier, and the lubricity of it allows the fastener to apply more torque to the bolt for a given input torque than with a dry fastener. Conventional wisdom is 20-30% less torque on the input when using anti-seize. Different anti-seize products have different characteristics, so you'd want to look up the exact product you're using.

This product:

http://www.bostik-us.com/files/tdsfiles/NSMarinersChoice.pdf

Recommends de-rating the torque value by 41%!

Or, looking at it differently, if you this product where a dry torque specification is given, and apply the specified dry torque to the fastener, the fastener is actually sustaining 41% MORE torque than it would be if torqued dry.

 

[ymc226]

Originally Posted By: Donald
An impact wrench is less likely to snap a lug bolt or stud than a breaker bar.


Good to know. I'd rather not do damage on my first outing. Would make me shy away from working on my own car. FWIW, I just started doing my own oil changes last year (at 48) and it makes me feel good though you all probably started when you were 12.

 

[Vikas]

Quote:
To confirm, when I use the impact wrench to "break" then lug bolt, I assume that the car should still be on the ground. Afterwards, I'll lift the car up and then use either the impact or the cordless electric to spin off the bolt.
If you have powerful impact gun, then you can remove the bolts while the wheel is up in the air. But if you find that your gun or the battery lacks the oomph or runs out of steam, then you will have to put the wheel back on the ground and then use the breaker bar. I usually loosen three of the bolts while the wheel is on the ground and that gives me good idea if the other two will be fighting or not. I also zip them back up to snug before jacking that wheel up. But I have two impact wrenches, a big one to remove and the small one to put them back up!

Socket extension makes no difference for torque wrench. It DOES make a BIG difference for impact wrench. Avoid using extension if you want the full power of the impact wrench.

 

[robertcope]

Torque sticks are great for putting the lugs on initially. What I do is run them on 10lbs under where I want them, then lower the car and hand torque to spec.

robert

 

[The Critic]

Impact wrench to remove

For install, use an impact to lightly "seat" the lug nuts until they bottom out, then lower the car and use the torque wrench to torque to spec.

Or you can use a torque stick, but please confirm with a torque wrench later.