The wheel nuts on my P38 have a sort of shiny metal shell on them and after trips to the tyre repair/change place I find this outer casing distorted and my supplied wheel wrench doesn't fit !! I think the tyre people are using the wrong size socket with extreme force which buggers up the hexagonal shape of the nut. Anyone else had this ? Also, I notice that the wheel nuts on my Classic look the same nut - can they be interchanged ?
On all of the nuts? I think you're describing the security nuts, you need to remove the cover first.
No only two on this wheel at this time. I did away with the security nuts because they were more trouble than worth. All my nuts have a loose casing on the outside and I have replaced on another wheel a couple that were damaged after a visit to the bloody tyre idiots, I'm sure it is their use of a wrong socket OR the socket is not full home and vibrates off when they tighten ! If the ones on my old classic are the same I will use those - if I can get the damaged ones off as no socket will fit now !
This is what they do to my wheel nuts - about 5 or 6 have ended up like this and I usually drive away without looking when they change a wheel ! Now I am going to speak to them first and tell the buggers they pay if damaged ! Has this happened to anyone else ? What exactly causes it ? Actually, looking at the damage it looks as if the tool they use is a sort of multi grip socket with more teeth in than usual - presumably means it fits all sizes ?? Completely buggers the nut and I cant get my normal wrench on.
They've used a standard 12 point socket rather than a 6 point impact socket on them and probably hammered it on. The covers are stainless over the actual nut. Damp gets between the two layers and corrosion distorts the stainless cover making it larger than they should be. They are the same as the nuts used on a Classic with alloy wheels.
The key to getting those off (had the same problem on my Disco 2 with the same nuts) is to remove the cover bit by whatever method you can, once its off, you can get it off with a socket (or just continue using it like that if it doesn't bother you, though the socket doesn't fit as well as it should do if thats the case). I think if i remember correctly drilling a hole in the middle of a couple of them so you had something to stick a screwdriver into was needed. Or you might get a 12 point socket over them well enough to undo them alternatively.
I brought a replacement set for mine as it was cheap enough, but found that the covers on a few of them fell off over time so your classic option might be better as the quality is hopefully better on them.
Believe it or not, the ones from the classic are identical in all respects except that the thread on the inside for the hub bolts is bigger -- so no go ! Used the two security ones that I had exchanged before.
I leave them on and use a regular 12 point socket (1 1/4in IIRC) and they come off fine. Mine don't seem to suffer any damage.
The only one I take off is the cover on the locking wheel nuts because the cover spins.
All my covers/nuts for which I have used the supplied wrench for 15 years or more are perfect. The tyre replace/repair depots are the culprit - it is the tools they use which have caused the problem. And I'm sure they over-tighten them with those automatic socket tools.
Tomorrow I go for two new front tyres and they will use my RR wrench while I stand over them !!!
Went to get two new tyres today and showed the tyre man (who is actually a super guy) the problem with the nuts whereupon he brought out a box of Landrover/Rangerover nuts that he had saved from customers all damaged in the way that I have shown. He suggested that this was a Rover problem but I pointed out that using my wrench and taking care none of mine had suffered with my handling for 15 years or more. I checked his socket and it is one of those with like 12 flats inside (12 point socket) and when his son put it on to remove the nuts it was only half on - not fully home and not a good fit which is the reason they get damaged. We used my wheel wrench from then on and he gave me two spare nuts that were the correct size but without the smart thin casing on the outside. In future all wheel changes will be done with my wrench wherever I am !!
Yep, impact rattle gun, and socket not on fully. Mine are quite good still.
Most places insist on tightening to 140ft/lb when it should be 108-110ft/lb.
According to the owners handbook, they should be torqued to 108 Nm which is 80 ft/lb. This is what causes problems a lot of the time (particularly with things like the head studs) where people overtighten as they use the Nm figure as a ft/lb figure.
Well now we know - as usual all the correct info comes out on here. I will try and tell my friendly tyre guy what the right way is but I have a problem....my Spanish is cra....and his English never left the starting block - but we wave our arms a lot ..........
Gilbertd wrote:
According to the owners handbook, they should be torqued to 108 Nm which is 80 ft/lb. This is what causes problems a lot of the time (particularly with things like the head studs) where people overtighten as they use the Nm figure as a ft/lb figure.
My bad, i meant nm. Sorry :(