I thought my brakes sounded to be grinding louder than usual today - they've always sounded that way unlike other cars - so this evening I thought "I'll pop the wheels off and look at the pads".

Much easier said than done!

I couldn't get the nuts on the front nearside wheel where I started to loosen, before jacking it up. The Skoda spanner, even when jumped on, wouldn't budge them, nor would my torque wrench. In the end I had to use a 4' scaffold pole to lever the Skoda wheelbrace - very carefully since I didn't want to overstress it. Even then it took a really determined slow push to get two of the nuts undone. The wheel was also stuck to the hub but came off with a sharp tap.

The front offside also needed the scaffold pole on all five, though none was as tight as the two on the N/S. The ones at the back weren't quite so bad - though I couldn't get them off with the Skoda spanner - but the torque wrench managed all but one, which I had to use the scaffold pole for.

So if I'd had a flat away from home since the new tyres were fitted last year I'd have had to call the AA out! Time to check yours before it happens to you.

I've refitted them all with copper grease and torqued to 95ftlb...

The brake pads were fine...

Always worth a check. Had you had the car in at a tyre 'specialist' or something?

Just a note, you shouldn't use a torque wrench to remove nuts etc.

Well, maybe like a lot of folk on this forum, I, under normal circumstances, never ever let tyre places jack any of my cars up or change wheels. Wheels do tend to get dropped off and picked up later. Even after I know that the dealership has had to take wheels off, I make it my job to slacken off and retorque the wheels ASAP - my life so my job to protect it!

Just a note, you shouldn't use a torque wrench to remove nuts etc.

I agree, but with quite a lot of torque wrenches getting fitted with ratchets, seems that some people look on them as long handled ratchets - and what makes it worse is when the ratcheting torque wrench also has a "push thro" square drive AND a ratcheting direction changer - now that is a messy mix in the hands of a fool - but very handy for someone who knows how to use it! (yes I know that these tools should only get used by "smart" people, but in industry, even "smarter" people have worked out that by providing a torque wrench, the task has been de-skilled so donkeys can do the job right!

My wheels dont stay on that long to get stuck lol

I was just about to take offence, but then I read your post.

Last time I had trouble removing a wheel nut, the car had been sitting for over two decades. I cant keep my hands off my car, to the wheels come off at least once a month. There is always something to be done...

Always worth a check. Had you had the car in at a tyre 'specialist' or something?

The problem has arisen after the tyres were replaced at Protyre in Gloucester.

And after tyres changed at "jUST TYRE WHO DECIDED THAT 120 meant ,NW/MT rathet than FT /LB proceedered to do just thst .

I was wondering.. I keep seeing these 12v li-ion impact drills about lately, would they do the job of doing/undoing nuts?

Battery guns tend to have alot of torque so should have a problem.

I just keep a cheap torque wrench ( not the ratchet type, simple bendy spring type) in boot, in case of problems. Along with a wooden mallet (alloys can be prone to sticking at times) .