Get ready for snow and cold temperatures!  Just swapped the winter wheels to summer wheels and diagonally changed them  to equalise wear. Hopefully here in East Anglia we are passed really cold temperatures and snow (although I am well aware that we have had snow in April). Had previously used copperease on the hubs and the wheels released without a problem.

Changing wheels around means that the most worn fronts are being put on the rear, which is now frowned upon as tyres with most tread should be fitted to rear. Also changing wheels diagonally as you have done means you have changed direction of rotation of each tyre, is this a good idea?

My info / advice by others suggests  fromt to back BUT on same side!

Timely topic.  I just stripped a lock nut trying to remove a winter wheel that had been put on by a tyre outlet following a puncture.  Undoubtedly it was tightened well beyond the 120Nm torque spec.  I had bought myself a torque wrench with my winter wheels, and all the nuts on other wheels were tightened correctly, and were easily removed with one or two hefts on the tyre lever. But the "shop-tightened" ones.  Whoa!  When I hefted the lever on the overtightened locknut, I inadvertently angled the lever with all the effort, and wham, I stripped a couple of the wiggly corners of the lock nut and the nut remover.  It still worked on the other lock nuts, but not something to rely on for ever.

 

Too late now I know stripping the lock nut is not hard to do!

 

The tyre outlet were great, they got the nut off, and at my request replaced all the lock nuts with standard nuts free of charge.  Sort of forgiven for gorilla-tightening in the first place.

 

So here's some thoughts and questions: 

The tyre main said I was stupid to use the tyre lever supplied by Skoda, it was too short.  I chose not to loosen the nuts with my longer torque wrench as the wrench instructions has words about not using a torque wrench to loosen tight nuts. is it ok to use a torque wrench to loosen a nut? Or will it damage the accuracy of the wrench?  Perhaps buy a longer tyre lever for removing nuts?

 

I have replaced all the lock nuts.  My alloys are bog skoda standard - People nick cheap alloys?  I am happier knowing I can get the nuts off if I have a puncture, than worrying about getting the wheels nicked.

 

The tyre outlet say they check their torque wrenches every week.  Do different wheels have higher specs, and is that why mine were over tightened - not changing the setting to 120Nm?   There was a deposit of blacks bits around all the nuts on the overtightened nuts.  Perhaps from a faulty wrench?

lengthen std skoda job with a length of steel tube, not too long because of extra force easily exerted!

I don't use my torque wrench to loosen the wheel bolts; and every time I'm in the tyre fitters I stand there watching the chaps to check they're using a torque wrench, and not just banging away with the compressor. I also loosen the locking nut last, as it's the most vulnerable.  

I have a breaker bar for the initial loosening - I wouldn't use the torque wrench for that job. I think the breaker bar was only about £15 and well worth it - the extra length makes it a very easy job.

Have removed all the locking nuts as more trouble than they are worth.

 

Rather risk having alloys nicked (does that still happen these days?), than not being able to free a lock nut if get a puncture, or loose the locking key.

Yeah, when my Passat was going off to the scrapyard in the sky, I had to pop the alloys with summer tyres back on as the steelies and winters were about two weeks old and went straight on to my Superb.  I totally buggered up one of the locking nuts due to the overtightened nut.

 

I now pay £10 to the garage to swap all 4 as frankly it saves me time and effort and the chances of having to have them drilled off.

 

Also, I am off today to get the summers put back on.  I bought the Superb and within 3 days had the winters on so cannot remember what the alloys even look like!

Was going to change back to summer rubber today but 1:30pm pm bitter cold can't see your hand in front of your face here in the Forest of Dean, has made up my mind to hang on a bit.

Don't think I will be able to try out my Sonax Extreme BSD which has just arrived, due to the damp mist.

Off to Llwyngwril for a few days no doubt it will be 70d in the shade there and we will come back with a glorious tan. LOL

Well it was 13.5 in Aberystwyth this lunchtime, although we had a frost overnight.

Forecast is for it to continue until at least the weekend.

I had a wheel rebalanced at QuackFit, and when they refitted it I watched them do the nuts up in the correct sequence and tighten lightly, then set the correct torque, retighten each nut until the wrench clicked, then add another 15-20 degrees of turn AFTER it had clicked.  I drove home and reset them, and haven't used the place again.

 

Good torque wrench - check;

Correct setting - check;

Correct tightening sequence - check;

Good job?  Rubbish!