Steering wheel removal

[HarryMango]

Heed... Biggles1957 's tip... if you don't want a fat lip or at worst broken teeth.

I knocked myself out cold the first time I removed the steering wheel

Rog

[drivewasher]

Thats one of my NoNo's get a proper socket. The reason you have to use a chisel to get it off is probably cos a chisel put it on! You can't tell how tight it is by hitting it wiv a chisel!

Next NoNo ..... Grease on copper gaskets

And a defo big NONO is .......... Grease or oil on wheel bolts or studs!

And while we're at it I'm sick of telling my mate NOT to hit screwdrivers with a hammer or mallet for any reason, use a punch or a drift!

[kennatt]

Have to support Les on this one. Age has bothing to do with it - once a bodger always a bodger and once an engineer always an engineer - probably more to do with being too tight to buy the proper tool.

As for thin flywheel nuts (or any other thin ones), the proper way would be to grind the 'lead-in' taper off the socket or use a good quality box spanner as they don't have a taper.

In all cases it is rather difficult to apply the correct torque (if that is critical) or even to 'feel' how tight/loose a nut is when reassembling with a chisel!!

well we've really started something here .....I think I'll go and bodge my sockets by giving them all a good grind:D oo.err missus
However don't think anyone has suggested using a chisel to put critical nuts and studs back on to a correct torque.Mind I bet you can get somewhere near,might give it a try someday,put it on drive it round and test it .Just to see.

My father was a motor engineer/bodger/garage owner, back in the 50s,and used to say there's always a right tool to do the job ,but if you haven't got it,there's also always a bodge in the bottom of the tool box ,pick that up, get the job done ,the car back on the road.Then put it back where you found it so that it was there for the next time

[bmcecosse]

I totally agree - only bodgers would hit a screwdriver with a hammer -USE A CHISEL !! Years of practice have taught me just how hard to hit it to get the correct tightness...... And you DO need to grease a head gasket (if you want a good seal) , and wheel studs MUST have oil/grease on them... How else will you get the correct torque on them?? You can't set torque accurately on a dry thread (and you think you are 'engineers' ....) .... and this is one place where a chisel definitely won't do......

[drivewasher]

Got to disagree with you there,
As a bus operator we got a letter from VOSA about wheel losses and the dangers.Basically says that more than 90% of wheel losses they attend where the nuts have come off have found to have been oiled or greased!
The letter REMINDED us to NEVER oil or grease wheel studs or bolts. The only exeption was if the nuts or bolts where really rusty and squeaky tight getting off then apply a TINY DROP of light oil to the nut/female threads only.

Any customers vehicles we remove wheels from have a message placed on the invoice warning that the wheel studs etc have grease /copper slip on them. We do try to remove it best we can!

Manufacturers torque figures are for DRY fixings unless otherwise stated.
I have tried to torque (all our wrenches & air gauges are callibrated yearly) greased & oiled wheel nuts and they get WELL OVERTIGHTENED and very often the wrench wont click.

Grease on gaskets is primarily to "stick" them in place onto a mating surface, EG water pump or tappet case when paper or cork gaskets are used. Why put a layer of grease on the surface of a copper gasket that gets very hot and seals very high pressure. The grease gets thinner as it heats up and could allow the high pressures to push a path through it and cause a leak.
Maybe thats why those who grease em need to carry a spare one in the boot!

The only time I use a chisel to remove a nut is when the said nut is going in the scrap box. Oh and don't forget to keep the chisel mushroom end ground off clean and the proper champher on it. I still have a scar down the palme of my hand from a stray shard when I was 19 Yes a long time ago!

[les]

I'm not a great believer in nuts and bolts being absolutely dry, I feel at least a hint of oil should be used, even on wheel nuts, as without it you get that squeeky jerking sound of metal scraping metal. I agree there is dry torque and wet torque. I'm afraid I also put a smear of grease on head gaskets, the theory being it 'spreads' the gasket for want of a better term. But I'm right there with you on the correct tool for the job saga.

[drivewasher]

Yes I'm mainly refering to wheel fixings. The advice to put only oil on really rusy squeaky threads is good. It's copperslip and grease for some reason Oil isn't so bad,

I estimate that on the coppersliped nuts I tried when I stopped as I was putting far more than the 100Nm I set to, I had to reduced the setting to about 75Nm to get the wrench to click. If I'd have carried on I have no doubt the threads would have given way. If a torque wrench wasn't used then I guess the operator would just think they were tight enough!

Engine oil on threads particulry in the engine don't seem to make much difference