Corner Wrench: Ready for driveway tire-change season?

Article content

It seems more and more Canadian drivers are moving to dedicated snow tire and rim packages to keep their road footing sure through the upcoming winter season. Buy winter rims early enough in the ownership cycle, and they can pay for themselves in mounting and balancing fees’ savings — and make a commercial shop-sourced changeover a while-you-wait short affair instead of a day-long no-vehicle inconvenience.

Article content

Today’s consumers love the convenience of never having to touch a tire, even if that comes with a seasonal storage fee. But those storage and install fees are avoidable for experienced home techs, who gain another big benefit: not having to wait days or weeks for a shop appointment when the weather suddenly turns.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Corner Wrench: Ready for driveway tire-change season? Back to video

If you’ve ever pulled wheels for brake inspection or just to get some access to a hard-to-reach spot you’ve likely got the tools and layout to do seasonal tire/rim changeovers. But if you’ve put it off for some reason, here’s a starter list on what you’ll need.

The only safe efficient way to lift a vehicle to change wheels at home is with a properly-rated hydraulic floor jack, a suitably level and smooth surface to roll it on, and of course the knowledge on where to place it under the vehicle. Rounding out the package, axle stands and wheel chocks are a must for safety. Trying to use just the floor jack alone to swap out tire sets in axle pairs is risky, as removing wheels can cause weight shifts and Murphy’s law will almost guarantee that a slip like that will send the jack head tearing through an oil pan.

Article content

It’s hard to imagine vehicle repairs without battery-operated tools, and the latest designs of cordless impact wrenches make tire swaps a breeze without the hassles and expense of air-compressors and air-lines. Milwaukee’s M18 fuel ½” cordless was recently rated best of the bunch by Popular Mechanics, and has the punch to loosen even the toughest nuts with a bolt removal setting that immediately slows the tool speed down to avoid flying hardware once the stubborn fastener has released its rusty grip.

The other power tool you need to have nearby when swapping tires is a power-drill with the appropriate abrasive tool-heads to remove any corrosion on the vehicle’s wheel hubs and the corresponding surfaces on the inside of each rim. 3M Corp brought out a very handy hollow fitting to easily remove any rust on wheel studs and the area at their bases for a perfect job. If this isn’t an option, be sure to spend some time doing a thorough job by hand with a wire brush.

Article content

Once it’s time to put the wheel back on, don’t reach for the impact gun . Start each fastener with your fingers to ensure the threads are as they should be. Going straight for a power tool can cause big headaches here, as you may not feel that a fastener is cross-threaded until it’s too late.

Once the fastener is started and happy, a power tool can be used to snug it up. Do not tighten with a power tool , however: impact guns can easily exceed rated torque specs in a flash, risking damaged hubs or even fractured wheels. Once mostly snug, lower the wheel on to the ground. Final tightening should always be done with an accurate torque wrench to bring them to specification. Torque specs vary between vehicles, so check your owner’s manual or dig online for the correct spec for your vehicle.

Finally, remember to re-check your fasteners after about 100 km of driving following a switch-over (or any wheel removal, for that matter). Slack can develop as dirt compresses and the wheel settles into place, risking wheel damage, loose fasteners, and flyaway wheels. Remember that a lost wheel can endanger the lives of you and other motorists, and is a serious charge if caught by the police.

One extra thing to remember: to avoid torque-wrench spring failure, always return it to its minimum (not zero) setting when returning it to the tool box.