Aaaarrrrrrggghhhh My Nuts Are Tight !

[paulmpaciorek]

Was gonna rotate my wheels on my Sharan today.......but could I hell shift the nuts.Tried with the brace....slipped off !!!! Tried with socket bar and added leverage......wouldn't budge....didnt dare try the locking one...

 

Any ideas....oh yeah it has alloys.

 

Paul

[Guest pnwheels]

Are you sure you want to rotate wheels around? A tyre will wear naturally on its axle and is best left there. If you must, make sure you observe any direction of rotation on the tyre and re-adjust the pressures. As for undoing tight studs, a trip to your local garage or tyre dealer and use of a "windy gun" is in order.

[Guest GT-Four]

it is actually recommended by a lot of manufacturers to rotate wheels around axles as the fronts usually wear much quicker than the rears.

 

rotating them about evens the rate of wear so you can be in a position to replace all 4 tyres at a time....which of course we all do ;-)

[Guest j_mchattie]

http://www.tyres-online.co.uk/techinfo/rotation.asp

[GSMGuy]

I for one would not rotate, a tyre will wear according to it's relation to the road... swapping around one that has worn to a certain angle could result in a LETHAL loss of grip, as it is used in a different angle to the road!

 

Plus replacement of 4 tyres is more expensive... Funny how the people who recommend rotation are usually the tyre manufacturers or distributors....

 

Mike

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Yes - but Paul still has a problem that he cannot loosen his wheel nuts; Have you tried the extending-handle wheelbraces from car accessory shops, or Tesco for about

[edwardoplunkett]

Just rotated my tires for the first time from new. Lug bolts were significantly over torqued from factory. Torque spec is 125 ft-lb, and I bet these were 150 (calibrated arm) or better. My "Windy Gun" was having to work real hard at 100+psi. Wound up using a breaker bar for some.

 

Reinstalled with some WD-40 for ease of removal later. Heaven help you if you need to change a wheel with the factory tool on the side of the road, at night, in the rain, etc...

[MrT]

My Galaxy tires wear evenly across the surface and for all intents and purposes all the tyres rotate perpendicular to the road. Any imperceptable changes in tread wear across the tyres are more than compensated for by the flexing of the carcass due to the load.

 

You are far more at risk by changing two tyres rather than four as having tyres with different levels of grips (due to changes in either manufacturer or even advances in tyres from the same manufacturer) could cause instability at the limits of adhesion.

 

It is more important to have the greater amount of tread at the front where it can pump the water away, the rear tyres have less water to move as they follow the path already cleared by the front.

[Mauser]

Most important thing is to keep a load pressing inwards on the nut, using extended bars is fine but just be warned about them twisting off and knackering your nuts (painfull).

If possible I would try and get some leverage pressing directly inwards onto the nut as another person tries un-doing it, also a sharp blow with a hammer may also help loosen them :(.

Anyway good luck :(.

Simon

[Masked Marauder]

It is more important to have the greater amount of tread at the front where it can pump the water away, the rear tyres have less water to move as they follow the path already cleared by the front.

It is normally considered better practice to put your best tyres on the back because you can correct the oversteer or understeer on the front, but if the back breaks away there is little you can do except steer into the skid.

[seatkid]

It is normally considered better practice to put your best tyres on the back.

That would be the spare tyre then.... :(

 

Paulmp: if you don't have the confidence and the right tools don't even attempt the locking nut, take it to a good reputable tyre place.

 

I use a local outfit, the owner/manage always does it himself, he uses a one metre long torque wrench which sits square and close to the wheel. Says its not worth taking the risk, he sees virtually 80% of all locking nuts bust, and it can be a nightmare then to get em off.

[MrT]

It is normally considered better practice to put your best tyres on the back because you can correct the oversteer or understeer on the front, but if the back breaks away there is little you can do except steer into the skid.

Having the tyres with more grip on the rear is better as you say, however having deeper tread does not equate to more grip. In dry conditions a slick would give more grip.

 

The deeper the channels in the tread the more water can be be pumped away to avoid aquaplaning and the rear tyres have little to do in this area compared to the front.

[Guest j_mchattie]

Which is why its recommended to rotate. Its effort and we all hate doing it, but it keeps your car on the road for longer.

 

If you have let them run down to take the shape of the road (like in GSMs post), then you have left them too long - and should not rotate.

 

But if you rotate from new, your tyres get more even wear and allow you to brake more safely. This is because your kerbside front wheel wont be worn more than the rest all the time (roundabouts) - and so wont lock before the drivers side.

 

Giving you safer breaking.

 

Its very true that you dont see deep tread on racing cars, but then again - rain calls off play. The UK has rain (lots of it) and 1.6mm tread is the legal limit (i think the Police change theirs at 2.0mm?)

 

Manufacturers arent trying to scam you out of money, at the end of the day you will need new tyres anyway - mileage dictates that. Buying one every 3 months or 4 a year - its as broad as its long.

 

The manufacturers want you to be happy with your tyre performance, and recommend rotating to keep you safer.

 

I have nothing to do with the tyre industry, im a student.

[DubDriver]

Which manufacturers recommend rotating tyre?

 

Not the car manufacturers!

 

VW manual expressly suggests that tyres are not rotated i.e. turned so that when re-fitted rotate in an opposite direction. The only form of rotation is to move the nearside front to nearside rear and similar with the offside.

 

 

As for loosening the studs, standing on the bar to crack it does the trick. 30 years of experience proves it, make sure that the bar/socket is square first.

[Guest MATT]

one would suggest a good quality bar, which has a good length, then, while making sure it is square, apply ones body weight to the end of the bar, applying more, and more weight, until, hopefully, one exceeds the force required to loosen ones nuts.

 

MATT

[Guest j_mchattie]

Then your tyres must be directional. Otherwise, theres no reason not to rotate.

[MrT]

Some of the earlier Galaxies had two piece construction locking wheel nuts and when they stuck they had a habit of coming apart when forced. The head was connected to the bolt by a short spline.