You cant trust a Kwik S@"t fitter

[EmilysDad]

Rubbish breaker bar if you're able to do that (or you spend a huge amount of time in the gym).

We managed to breaker a 3/4" drive breaker bar at work .... there were 3 of us hanging off it though

 

[gh3382]

You've to watch what they're doing where ever you take your car.

I'm in the middle of replacing the grotty OE centre caps on my ML. Rather than just prise the originals out I thought I'd remove each wheel in turn & just check that they would in fact come off and grease stuff up. No amount of hitting (with the heel of my hand) would shift the first wheel ..... 2nd wheel I'd to swing off my breaker bar to undo most of the bolts and ended up with yet more blasted stainless caps coming off the bolt, I wish that garages wouldn't use rattle guns to remove/refit wheels, some of my bolts are now beyond refitting.
The last wheels to come off my car were the rears to check balance at a local independent tyre place and it was a rear that I'd to swing off the bolts.

Emilysdad

i always check my wheels with a torque wrench everytime I know they have been off as I once found 4 nuts loose on another car after returning from a service. You are right on the air gun business it might be quick and easy for them but it rounds off nuts and can overtighten so threads get stripped.

GH3382

 

[Rappey69]

Putting any oil or similar on wheel bolts means the bolt will be tightened way past its intended torque when checking with a torque wrench !
Put some duralac on the hub contact points before putting the wheel back on . Its designed to stop any galvanic action between dissimilar metals.
Should be used behind brake pads rather than copper grease which apparently went out with the dinosaurs.

 

[EmilysDad]

Putting any oil or similar on wheel bolts means the bolt will be tightened way past its intended torque when checking with a torque wrench ! .....

I know. But as above, I'd like to know that I'd be able to remove a wheel at the road side without the use of a 6' scaffolding pipe on my wheel brace.
Do you assemble all things mechanical dry?

 

[peterws1957]

copper grease which apparently went out with the dinosaurs.

Blimey I use copper grease on all sorts of stuff, but then I'm continually regarded as a dinosaur by nearest and dearest.

 

[Rappey69]

Nothing wrong with using copper grease on all sorts of things as its great stuff but in this day and age according to the "experts" there is no need to use it on brake parts.
Using it on ally wheels against steel hubs can bring its own issues such as dissimilar metals adding to the risk of seizure by galvanic corrosion, hence duralac which is designed for stopping any seizing in dissimilar metals.
As for kwik fit, ive had two aircon regasses at £25 a go (with haggling) and they have sealed two chunky 4x4 tyres around the rim superbly so ive no complaints..
For things I cant do there is always MBS

 

[umblecumbuz]

... and I can't remember when I last torqued up a wheel.
It ain't the kind of thing I do at the roadside. I do it by feel and experience.

It's only the machine gun wielders at tyre depots that tighten wheelnuts up dry to the point where the two metal surfaces gall.
I have not found that a wipe with an oily rag on each wheelbolt has given any trouble.

 

[pgh13]

Always slightly puzzled that my local TyreStop, having tightened and then torqued the wheel nuts, circle on the invoice that they should be rechecked for tightness after 1000 miles.