Jacking up your vehicle
- Thread starter molly 2
- Start date
molly 2
Full Member
- Posts
- 5,101
- Likes
- 5,743
. :mad1::mad1: I totally agree with your comment especially on alloys the last time my van was serviced I specifically asked for the wheels to be removed cleaned and greased.they said it was a struggle to get them of and charge me £50 ,in my opinion for doing what they used to do and should do on service .I have first hand experience removing wheels that have been on for years .I don't think any mechanic would treat his own car like that .:mad1::mad1::mad1:
wildebus
Full Member
- Posts
- 8,434
- Likes
- 13,527
Would you care to explain further?
martinmartin
Full Member
- Posts
- 922
- Likes
- 978
Just my opinion but I dont agree.
wildebus
Full Member
- Posts
- 8,434
- Likes
- 13,527
£50 to remove the wheels? how much to empty the ashtray?
Seriously, I would find another garage if you are using them on a regular basis and they do that!
My VW T5 had a problem with "holding onto" the wheels - slightly oversized hub I think as same with both steel and alloy wheel sets. last time I took the steel wheels off to fit the alloys, the two fronts refused to budge despite some persuading with my large rubber mallet.
Drove to local tyre place where they have bigger mallets wielded by bigger and fitter people than me and it took them 20 minutes to remove the front wheel. They then swapped the two fronts for the alloys for me. Total cost .... £0.00
Where did I do next time I needed tyres fitting? Where would I NOT go for a service?
trevskoda
Full Member
- Posts
- 42,276
- Likes
- 61,837
You should remove wheels and rotate plus light grease back where they touch hubs,also do the stud threads,when of do a vis inspection on b/pads & condition of hoses pipes etc,in law YOU are responsible to make sure vh is ready for the road not some garage ,i do a daily walk round,bulbs tyres general roadworthy condition,old army training.
trevskoda
Full Member
- Posts
- 42,276
- Likes
- 61,837
Wd 40 round the hubs the night before,they will come of easy next day.
wildebus
Full Member
- Posts
- 8,434
- Likes
- 13,527
No they wouldn't Trev. Sometime wheels stick on when the mating surfaces kind of chemically "weld" together (not literally, but by way of explaining the effect) and sometimes they stick on due to mechanical issues. The T5 issue was mechanical locking, not chemical.
And you think a spray of WD40 would do what 30 minutes plus of very heavy work with a mallet failed to? they must make it strong stuff in Ireland
Deleted member 52918
Guest
Just a quick word of advise for those of us lucky enough to own a vehicle with electric power steering.
It can be damaged by striking a wheel to remove it or, striking a steering arm to remove a ball joint.
Pullers should be used on these vehicles!!
I have a girder puller for my wheels that'll pull flywheels up to 2ft wide, I do struggle to get it on a ball joint though:hammer::lol-049::lol-049:
Also if using any grease on wheel nuts/bolts, make sure you only grease the thread & not the actual mating surface of the nuts, if grease gets on this then there's a good chance that they'll be over torqued as torque depends on friction!
Phill
Ps., I carry a 2 ton swivel handled jack made by SGS engineering in Derbyshire It's very well made, well so far anyway, plus a couple of wooden blocks, a 3/4" sliding t bar etc.,
It can be damaged by striking a wheel to remove it or, striking a steering arm to remove a ball joint.
Pullers should be used on these vehicles!!
I have a girder puller for my wheels that'll pull flywheels up to 2ft wide, I do struggle to get it on a ball joint though:hammer::lol-049::lol-049:
Also if using any grease on wheel nuts/bolts, make sure you only grease the thread & not the actual mating surface of the nuts, if grease gets on this then there's a good chance that they'll be over torqued as torque depends on friction!
Phill
Ps., I carry a 2 ton swivel handled jack made by SGS engineering in Derbyshire It's very well made, well so far anyway, plus a couple of wooden blocks, a 3/4" sliding t bar etc.,
mid4did
Free Member
- Posts
- 615
- Likes
- 991
I watch when my tyres are being replaced and make them know it.The one I use uses a torque wrench.I carry a 2 ton trolley jack,lumps of wood and a spider wrench and know it will do the job as I check regurlarly.
I have the renault master with the spare in the cage .I lowered it and greased the threads,also cleaned up the road dirt and checked the pressure within the last 6 months.
My brother was caught out in France a couple years back with a puncture on the motorway.You have to call out and pay the french breakdown mechanic.He claimed the cost of this on his breakdown insurance.
From what I understand it's illegal to do it yourself on an Autoroute.
I have the renault master with the spare in the cage .I lowered it and greased the threads,also cleaned up the road dirt and checked the pressure within the last 6 months.
My brother was caught out in France a couple years back with a puncture on the motorway.You have to call out and pay the french breakdown mechanic.He claimed the cost of this on his breakdown insurance.
From what I understand it's illegal to do it yourself on an Autoroute.
trevskoda
Full Member
- Posts
- 42,276
- Likes
- 61,837
No they wouldn't Trev. Sometime wheels stick on when the mating surfaces kind of chemically "weld" together (not literally, but by way of explaining the effect) and sometimes they stick on due to mechanical issues. The T5 issue was mechanical locking, not chemical.
And you think a spray of WD40 would do what 30 minutes plus of very heavy work with a mallet failed to? they must make it strong stuff in Ireland
True of course if there stuck that bad,but some times it helps esp with alloy wheels,hence i grease the back.
wildebus
Full Member
- Posts
- 8,434
- Likes
- 13,527
A lot of people swear by Coppaslip and its clones but that can make things worse in fact on many occasions, especially when a wheel has got really hot. I use a product called Ceratec, which is a non-metal lubricant, on the mating surfaces between wheel back and hub to (usually!) make sure the wheel does not stick on.
On the T5, I took the wheels off very soon after I first bought it and had the same problem back then - stuck hard - and I cleaned up all around the hubs with a dremal wheel to smooth it and it made it easier for a while but the problem obviously returned.
(I have had to deal with quite a few stuck wheels in the past as used to refurb wheels so I was removing and refitting wheels on a daily basis, but my own T5 ones were the worst I've had - and the Tyre place hadn't seen many worse either I think)
Deleted member 5816
Guest
As well as the vehicle Jack ( which on a T5 is an excellent Jack ) a 6 ton hydraulic Jack an assortment of wood blocks ( useful for aiding levelling ramps )
Also a 4 ton air bag. We tend to wonder the North Yorkshire Moors and Scottish Highlands a lot of these places you get no mobile signal so you are on your own.
Whenever I have had the vehicle in the garage on returning home I always remove my wheels myself and retorque and do this on a regular basis to ensure they will come off when needed.
On previous vehicles with alloys I have always made a brown paper gasket to fit between the hub and alloy wheel. I have yet to do this on the T5.
Alf
Also a 4 ton air bag. We tend to wonder the North Yorkshire Moors and Scottish Highlands a lot of these places you get no mobile signal so you are on your own.
Whenever I have had the vehicle in the garage on returning home I always remove my wheels myself and retorque and do this on a regular basis to ensure they will come off when needed.
On previous vehicles with alloys I have always made a brown paper gasket to fit between the hub and alloy wheel. I have yet to do this on the T5.
Alf
Last edited by a moderator:
Deleted member 5816
Guest
Channa
Full Member
- Posts
- 0
- Likes
- 0
No longer the case Graham, you are correct originally stretches of autoroutes franchised with exclusive rights and extortion ensued.
The AA challenged in the courts and won , indeed patrols in France AA liveried vans RHD with British patrolmen, I know this is true because they were billeted in our accommodation .
I was based in Frejus as were they, however their patch reached the Ardeche so one can only imagine response times.
Both the lads seemed knowledgeable, I don't think the AA were short of volunteers ! Some recoveries were still to a garage but they had a better angle on ensuring customers and themselves weren't fleeced
Channa
Channa
Full Member
- Posts
- 0
- Likes
- 0
The call out system to my knowledge didn't change you ring the number and operatives summoned the lads were possible. From a customers perspective a chance an English speaking mechanic at the roadside. From the AA standpoint they broke the monopoly of the old system and their liability dropped in charges of recovery, it also helped the customers that spurious work was avoided. I wonder how the B word will affect things.
channa
Canalsman
Full Member
- Posts
- 6,027
- Likes
- 7,597
So rather than follow manufacturer's service guidelines and remove the wheels annually it is better to break equipment and risk injury ...
trevskoda
Full Member
- Posts
- 42,276
- Likes
- 61,837
Coppaslip should not be used on alloy wheels its for the back of brake pads which do get very hot but would be ok on steel wheels,a water proof non fling grease 2 4 C marine prop grease will do ok and can be bought in a small tube.