01-31-2024, 09:26 AM | #1 |
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Advice for Wheel Swap / Am I doing this right?
I'm a new G80 owner and I've been loving the experience so far. I've already encountered a few issues regarding the summer tires here in MD (it's been very cold the last few weeks except for that random 70F+ day we had) and I already have a set of winter tires on the way. Fitment is not a concern for me as I had a ton of great help sorting that out. This would be the first time I am swapping out a wheel for something that isn't a spare tire. Especially on a luxury/performance vehicle. Since, ostensibly, I will be doing wheel swaps at least twice a year, I want to be equipped to do it at home (no garage for what it's worth) rather than bug friends to use their shop every time. Based on cursory research, here's a list of things that I ordered to perform the swap:
So, please throw darts at the list I just put up. I started getting concerned when I saw some folks talking about things I hadn't considered at all such as: breaker bar, polymer coated sockets, manufacturer recommendation for final torque applied. I don't have a breaker bar or know which one is best to get. I don't know how important polymer coated sockets really are but I understand that you want to avoid scuffing up the wheels. And I really don't have a way to measure applied torque and I would like to know how much of a problem it could be if I overlook this one. If you guys have recommendations on products I ought to get, I would love to hear them all. Thanks! |
01-31-2024, 10:12 AM | #3 | |
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https://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-...ack-64779.html You'll also need some jackpad adapters: https://www.amazon.com/Aluminum-Anod.../dp/B06ZYZJ86J Get a nice socket set with plastic surrounds so you avoid scratches: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09KG9488V/ You don't need or even want to use an impact wrench, perhaps you can use it for undoing the bolts but you want to torque the bolts down to the correct torque, which is 101ft-lb or 140nm. Get a nice torque wrench to do this, I'm quite partial to the MichaelPro click-through https://www.amazon.com/MichaelPro-MP...dp/B0833V88KB/ Procedure is very simple: 1) Loosen the bolts with the car on the ground, just break the tension and do a couple turns 2) Jack the car up to just get the tire off the ground 3) Loosen and remove all bolts, take the wheel off 4) New wheel on, the wheels are hub-centric, so it should be able to sit on the rotor with no bolts in as long as it's on evenly 5) Insert all bolts, hand-tightening all 5 in a star-pattern (do not torque them down) 6) Lower the car down to the ground, then tighten and torque all 5 in a star-pattern to the speced torque, 101ft-lb/140nm. The torque wrench gives an audible "click" when you hit the right torque spec. It's not actually that much torque, so don't be alarmed if you think it's looser than it should be. Tire shops always tend to go ham on the impact wrench which is actually bad and can strip/break bolts if it's not done properly. |
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exuberantwombat19.00 |
01-31-2024, 11:03 AM | #4 |
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Get a set of wheel alignment pins. It’ll make the job a thousand times easier especially if you plan to have spacers.
https://ind-distribution.com/product...BoCUroQAvD_BwE
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01-31-2024, 12:34 PM | #5 | |
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I really appreciate you taking the time to lay it out so clearly. Sometimes there's a lot of tribal knowledge when it comes to stuff like this. |
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01-31-2024, 12:35 PM | #6 | |
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01-31-2024, 12:43 PM | #7 |
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I would also verify that jack works (fits under the vehicle). I just bought the Daytona 3ton from Harbor Freight. Its specifically marketed as a low profile jack as they do have non low profile.
Just a forethought!
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exuberantwombat19.00 |
01-31-2024, 12:53 PM | #8 | |
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01-31-2024, 01:18 PM | #9 | |
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Use an impact (low setting) to blast in the bolts while the car is in the air. Or just thread them all in by hand if you're not comfortable with an impact. Lower it just enough so the tire touches the ground (not full weight, just enough so the wheel doesn't spin when you tighten the bolts). Do the final torque in a star formation. Check torque again after 50-100 miles.
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01-31-2024, 01:33 PM | #10 | |
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If you hand tighten all the bolts in the air, the wheel will be flush with the rotor, so that's not a concern. |
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