Tools Needed To Remove Wheels

[TakeLifeEasy]

I don't have any tools to remove the wheels so can someone let me know what I need for a 1971. I assume a breaker bar but what size, what size are the nuts etc.

Many thanks for any help.

 

[ozziedog]

I just use a socket and a breaker bar. The length of the breaker bar depends on how butch you are :shock: The original wheel brace on these was somewhere in the region of a foot long I`m guessing, and some even smaller as in eight to ten inches. If you had one that was eighteen inches long, that would be great to undo the nuts but I`d go rather gently doing them up as you could get way way way too tight with that amount of leveredge. Depending on what wheels I have on dictates which size socket / spanner I use because some of my wheels I have bolts with a seventeen mill head and some wheels have bolts with nineteen mill heads and I think these are the most common. If you are stock, I bet it`s in a manual somewhere like a Bentley or similar which I can`t get to right this moment. Do you have a socket set ? Or borrow a socket set just to see what size you have then you are sorted.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Never straight forward is it. :mrgreen:

 

[TakeLifeEasy]

Thank you, I will check the size of the nuts and get the 18" bar as I am a bit of a wimp!! I think when I do them up, I will take them to the tyre shop and have them tighten them up. Plan is to take the wheels of, service the brake system, respray the steel wheels and put new tyres on. Oh yeah, and then move onto the other jobs on the list!

Thanks again

 

[Raggles]

Thank you, I will check the size of the nuts and get the 18" bar as I am a bit of a wimp!! I think when I do them up, I will take them to the tyre shop and have them tighten them up. Plan is to take the wheels of, service the brake system, respray the steel wheels and put new tyres on. Oh yeah, and then move onto the other jobs on the list!

Thanks again

A couple of suggestions ... make sure you buy a decent quality (deepish) socket for the breaker bar. Also, if you do decide to get the tyre shop to tighten, then make sure they have the impact gun set to the correct torque. My experience is that they generally set the torque way too high if you don't ask specifically and removing the nuts afterwards to do any work or simply replace a wheel is a real pain. When I came to removing the last wheel on my van recently, I used an 18inch bar and had to stand with full weight on the end and bounce up and down to shift the nuts (hence the need for a decent socket or you will strip the heads).

 

[TakeLifeEasy]

Thanks for the tip, I will look out for a decent socket once I measure the the nut size.

 

[ozziedog]

I would maybe take it to the tyre shop as a very last resort to have my wheels tightened by the staff there. I haven`t seen any of the operatives in the tyre places and I mean in the last ten years or so, I haven`t seen any of them use a torque wrench correctly. I haven`t seen any of them adjust to the correct torque setting of any wheel when using a torque wrench. I have intently watched them on several occasions and they mostly do the same routine, spin the nuts on with the windy gun, then wizz them all up going around the wheel, then reaching for the torque wrench and going around once more and the wrench goes click, then the next and the wrench goes click etc etc. The fact is the reason the wrench is going click is because they have completely overtightened with the windy gun. This is bad on steely wheelies and can be terminal on alloys, and I really do believe they have not a clue but think they are doing a good job as they have it would appear very little knowledge of what a torque wrench does and more importantly why. They do need to be reasonably tight to the manufacturers torque setting but not over tight as it can do a fair bit of damage. They all seem to have the confidence that they are doing a grand job too. :roll:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,End of rant :mrgreen:

 

[slow-lane-Matt]

If you want to get to the rear brakes you need to remove the wheel nuts and wheels - which should be OK with a normal socket set.

The problem may be removing the big castellated nut on the axle which you will probably need to remove as well, depending on age of bus

These are on very tight and need a 3/4 socket and scaffold bar extension to get off.....

A normal 1/2 socket will just break - ask me how I know !

 

[bac2ba6]

At the risk of sounding extremely rude should you really be attempting the brakes if your not sure how to get the wheels off ?
My apologise if I have mis read your original post in which case as you were [emoji38]

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[vwed]

I would maybe take it to the tyre shop as a very last resort to have my wheels tightened by the staff there. I haven`t seen any of the operatives in the tyre places and I mean in the last ten years or so, I haven`t seen any of them use a torque wrench correctly. I haven`t seen any of them adjust to the correct torque setting of any wheel when using a torque wrench. I have intently watched them on several occasions and they mostly do the same routine, spin the nuts on with the windy gun, then wizz them all up going around the wheel, then reaching for the torque wrench and going around once more and the wrench goes click, then the next and the wrench goes click etc etc. The fact is the reason the wrench is going click is because they have completely overtightened with the windy gun. This is bad on steely wheelies and can be terminal on alloys, and I really do believe they have not a clue but think they are doing a good job as they have it would appear very little knowledge of what a torque wrench does and more importantly why. They do need to be reasonably tight to the manufacturers torque setting but not over tight as it can do a fair bit of damage. They all seem to have the confidence that they are doing a grand job too. :roll:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,End of rant :mrgreen:

Totally agree Ozzie.
You would be hard put to find an operative who knew the correct torque and it probably isn't in any reference manual that they would have to hand.
It is 94ft.lbs. Tattoo this on your forearm!

 

[TakeLifeEasy]

bac2ba6,
My question was related to the tools I need just in case I was missing some I may need. Unless we try new things, how do we learn!

 

[bac2ba6]

bac2ba6,
My question was related to the tools I need just in case I was missing some I may need. Unless we try new things, how do we learn!

True. My bad . As to your question my lug nuts are 19mm (72 crossover) and it may be worth if your taking wheels off and on to invest in a torque wrench even a £20 one will be close enough to the settings you need plus there useful for other jobs aswell [emoji106]

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[ozziedog]

If you haven't taken wheels off before, I don't believe you can read about how to do it because there are so many variables that have a huge impact on personal safety. The first couple of times it may be as well to do it with someone experienced so that you can get experience and safely. There is also 'Techenders' a weekend with like minded camper peeps that also teach minor things like wheels removal up to basic engine tuning. Well worth going along to one of these. Graham at Midlamd Early Bay also does this type of thing occasionally. It's great to learn how to do it but it has got to be done safely, most people have no idea how much a camper really weighs and you really don't want to find out the hard way when it's sat on top of you :shock: . Most of the separate components would crush you, like the front suspension could crush you on its own as could the rear suspension as could the engine and box, but all together it can easily crush Arnold Scwarznegger and me and you at the same time. :roll:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,, be safe :mrgreen:

 

[Raggles]

Another useful learning tool are the Rick Higgins 'Bug Me' videos. As the titles suggest they concentrate on Bugs, but give a great run down on all things air-cooled. The first is routine and general maintenance for beginners.

http://www.bugmevideo.com

Each title has a preview to give you a feel.