Spare wheel advice

[Mr Pig]

..maybe having an ex army guy as service manager kept the workshop running sweet.

I think the recruitment process for tyre fitters might be somewhat different where I live.

Thick Fit: So.. Dale, you left school as soon as you could, passed no exams and can barely write your own name?
Dale: Ehhhh..
Thick Fit: Well, the hours are bad, the work is filthy but at least the pay is terrible.
Dale: Wot?
Thick Fit: Great! You can start on Monday.
Dale: Buh eh..
Thick Fit: Don't worry. We'll give you all the training you need. Toilet is there, radio is there and you go out that door for a fag break. That's you all set! See on Monday, if you remember to come in. And where we are. And what day it is.

 

[martin j.]

This is why I avoid places like this, sell you an overpriced tyre and invent extra work to earn more cash/bonus.

 

[Walone]

Edit:- one other very useful bit that I've added to all our close family cars, where it was not included in the tool kit was, a plastic threaded dowel or "wheel alignment tool" - having one of them makes changing wheels at lot easier than struggling without one.

There is a VW Group for that item and there is usually some being sold on ebay, if not any Audi parts department will order one in for you, and they are not very expensive. p/n 893 012 223

@RUM4MO thanks for the dowel tip, I ordered one on Thursday afternoon and it arrived this morning. £4.99 inc p&p on eBay, looks unused.

 

[Mr Pig]

I've not seen a plastic alignment tool. I bought these ones years ago There is one in my car and one in my wife's, you don't need to use two. LINK

Must admit, studs are a heck of a lot easier to use the nuts.

 

[Walone]

I've not seen a plastic alignment tool. I bought these ones years ago There is one in my car and one in my wife's, you don't need to use two. LINK

Must admit, studs are a heck of a lot easier to use the nuts.

Must admit, I might have preferred the steel ones to plastic, will have to see how my plastic one copes with the wheel weight.

 

[Mr Pig]

Must admit, I might have preferred the steel ones to plastic, will have to see how my plastic one copes with the wheel weight.

I bought those years ago and at that time I didn't see any plastic ones. I'd be afraid to use a plastic one in case it snapped leaving the end in the bolt hole.

 

[Walone]

I bought those years ago and at that time I didn't see any plastic ones. I'd be afraid to use a plastic one in case it snapped leaving the end in the bolt hole.

I don't think it would be too much of a problem to remove if it did snap, as long as it wasn't tightened too much.

 

[Mr Pig]

I don't think it would be too much of a problem to remove if it did snap, as long as it wasn't tightened too much.

I agree, but I'd rather just use one which is not going to snap! ;0)

 

[RUM4MO]

These VW Group plastic wheel locator threaded pins are tough enough for that job, I probably prefer using them as opposed to using the longer alloy VW Group versions that the big 4X4s get supplied with.

If you managed somehow to break one off in the hub, I'd expect that you could get it out by forcing one end of the screwdriver supplied, some cars get a couple of these double ended screwdrivers in the tool kit - into the hole in the centre of the threaded pins.

I suppose that is another thing that some VW Group cars don't have in the tool kit, ie these double ended screwdrivers the end of which can also be used to spin in the wheel bolts while the wheel is located in the correct position by the threaded pin.

Edit:- just to add, I've been using these plastic versions in my garage since May 2000, the alloy one was bought a few years later after I became aware that they existed, they are very cheap even ordered in via an Audi dealership.

 

[mty12345]

Had this one for years. Perfect.

Pardon our interruption...

 

[RUM4MO]

One thing or aspect of the VW Group supplied ones is, they both have a slight lead-in at the end and are smooth so the paint finish on the alloys does not get damaged when you use them, which I kind of like as it means that corrosion never gets started at that area.

Edit:- okay the lack of knurling at the end of the VW Group pins does mean that they could be harder to screw in/out, but they have a cross drilled hole to assist in that if needed, although I tend to clean up the threads male and female every year, so not really an issue for me.

 

[martin j.]

Think I’d only be screwing in the guide bolt finger tight and then removing it after two regular bolts were fitted, using things like this many jobs when working as an engineer in the mining industry.

 

[RUM4MO]

Yes, I'd think that the cross drilled hole is only to assist in removing it - if needed - maybe it is only the alloy version that has a cross drilled hole, I've forgotten.

As a "bonus", I only ever screw these locater pins into where the security bolt came out of - which is either opposite the wheel valve or at the wheel valve depending on which wheels I'm removing/fitting.

When all 4 of the plain bolts have been hand spun down, there will be clearance round the bolt hole and so the plastic wheel locator pin - so it remains extremely easy to remove, only possible hinderance being crap in the car's wheel fixing threaded holes - which should always get cleaned out anyway - just common sense in my world.

 

[Walone]

Yes, I'd think that the cross drilled hole is only to assist in removing it - if needed - maybe it is only the alloy version that has a cross drilled hole, I've forgotten.

As a "bonus", I only ever screw these locater pins into where the security bolt came out of - which is either opposite the wheel valve or at the wheel valve depending on which wheels I'm removing/fitting.

When all 4 of the plain bolts have been hand spun down, there will be clearance round the bolt hole and so the plastic wheel locator pin - so it remains extremely easy to remove, only possible hinderance being crap in the car's wheel fixing threaded holes - which should always get cleaned out anyway - just common sense in my world.

The plastic one also has cross driiled hole.

 

[SuperV8]

As a "bonus", I only ever screw these locater pins into where the security bolt came out of - which is either opposite the wheel valve or at the wheel valve depending on which wheels I'm removing/fitting.

So you fit your locking wheel bolts in specific locations? Why?

 

[Walone]

So you fit your locking wheel bolts in specific locations? Why?

I do the same, I think I do it so that I can easily find that bolt first and loosen it before the others.

 

[RUM4MO]

So you fit your locking wheel bolts in specific locations? Why?

Just my way of doing things, it means that while a wheel/tyre combo remain together and on a specific location on the cars, it gets refitted in the same way always.
Plus, I know which bolt is the locking one before I take the cap off.

But, some manufacturers define where the locking bolt should be fitted, and it tends not to be where I fit them.

When parked in a carpark waiting for my wife to come back to the car, I tend to glance across at the car next to me - and when I notice that the front locking bolt is "at" or "opposite" the the valve I think that someone else is likeminded - then I look at the rear wheel, and the locking bolt is "elsewhere" !

 

[martin j.]

I too fit the locker opposite the valve, I know lots of folk do the same, easy location to find in the dark maybe?