Hi can anyone give me some advice please. I’ve having trouble changing my front wheel. I’ve removed the 5 bolts and I thought that was all that was required. There is plenty clearance from ground. Do I need to remove the large nut below the plastic cap in the centre too? Am I missing something obvious? I can’t pull the wheel off

The alloy has corroded to the surface of the brake disc. Nothing else to undo, but may take some brutality to break the corrosion bond.

Make sure the car is safely supported before kicking etc.

I’ve got it on axle stands and the wheels chocked. Is my only option to put on the boots and give it a good kicking? No sprays or anything like that?

Got it thanks. A gentle persuasion with my Adidas trainer

Generally, its best to slightly loosen the nuts prior to lifting anyway. If you know they are stuck (Not been removed for ages) Try loosening a screw threads turn each nut, move the car a metre or sos, then jack up, axles stands/chocks, lets to finish.

 

When refitting, smear the touching faces of the wheel and hub, with a little copper grease, making sure not to let it touch the brake pads and the discs braking area.

2 hours ago, mrgf said:

Generally, its best to slightly loosen the nuts prior to lifting anyway. If you know they are stuck (Not been removed for ages) Try loosening a screw threads turn each nut, move the car a metre or sos, then jack up, axles stands/chocks, lets to finish.

 

When refitting, smear the touching faces of the wheel and hub, with a little copper grease, making sure not to let it touch the brake pads and the discs braking area.

I’ll bear that in mind for next time. Thanks guys

What ever you do dont put copper grease on the wheel bolts. You never want them to work loose.  

3 minutes ago, John Fisher said:

What ever you do dont put copper grease on the wheel bolts. You never want them to work loose.  

 

Errr, I think you're misunderstanding the basic purpose of greasing a bolt.

 

Lubricating a clean bolt prior to tightening ensures that the bolt will tighten more easily and that final torque will be more accurate as a result. Copper grease is just fine because it leaves a residue of copper powder on the threads even if the grease itself is washed out or cooked off by high heat.

 

Only loose bolts come undone.

Skoda torque figures are for dry threads aren't they? So overtightening inevitable if same torque is used on lubed threads.

13 minutes ago, Wino said:

Skoda torque figures are for dry threads aren't they? So overtightening inevitable if same torque is used on lubed threads.

 

All torque settings are for new, dry threads unless stated otherwise, the only exception I've come across are the settings given for high tensile bolts and studs, such as head bolts and flywheel bolts. Theoretically you should reduce the torque by 20% when using lube or threadlock, practically it's not an issue because the threads are no longer new or clean.

 

Dry yes, new no. Wheel bolts are clearly reuseable, so giving a torque figure that only applied to brand new bolts would be non-sensical. 

I always clean the threads of mine thoroughly before refitting (dry).

I agree, I always understood that greasing bolts would alter the torque. 

Starting to split hairs here chaps, I've used copper grease on wheel bolts for forty years and then torqued them and never had one come out or even loosen slightly and that includes van wheel bolts at 240Nm.

Because they're in and out so much it makes sense to protect them from seizing, you can always tell when they've been put in dry and used through the winter because you need the big bar to get them out and they make a horrid screeching sound as they crack off.

common engineering knowledge

 

Never lubricate threads or bolts unless stated by the manufacturer.

 

Its not the fact they "may" come loose, it's that lubricating wheel bolts means you will apply a larger load to the bolt to get the same torque figure as there is less friction on the threads so

there is always a risk of stripping the threads and or stretching / weakening the bolt.

 

You won't notice it when torquing them up as you just wait for the click of the torque wrench, but the damage that "may" occur you simply won't know / see.

Just clean the threads and fit dry.

Edited 10 September, 20205 yr by UrbanPanzer

Do whatever suits you, I shall continue to lightly copaslip my wheel bolts as I have since I was a lad, copper grease is formulated to provide a similar level of friction as a dry bolt which is why it can be used almost anywhere seizing might be an issue.

Using it will certainly NOT make your bolts come loose which is really all I was trying to say.

On 10/09/2020 at 18:58, sepulchrave said:

Do whatever suits you, I shall continue to lightly copaslip my wheel bolts as I have since I was a lad, copper grease is formulated to provide a similar level of friction as a dry bolt which is why it can be used almost anywhere seizing might be an issue.

Using it will certainly NOT make your bolts come loose which is really all I was trying to say.

 

I have always copper greased bolts whether it be a wheel nut, strut bolt, drop link, lower arm etc, Simply for ease of taking them off next time. Particular anything on the underside of the car and with living in Scotland, The winter months & grit isn't too kind on bolts and nuts and there's nothing worse that having to cut/heat nuts & bolts off.

Edited 14 September, 20205 yr by Mickmartin

People need to think about tightening fasteners to the correct torque  settings and if that should be with dry or greased threads.

Before fitting studs, bolts or nuts to hold on wheels and correctly tightening a  wipe with an oily rag is more than sufficient in Scotland for ever to now.

The roads, salt applied, weather etc have not changed that much over the decades. 

The wheels are fitted to Skoda's in the Czech republic which is not unlike Scotland.

Pity that with Skoda Full Main Dealer Servicing a car can go many years and the wheels will never be off the cars since fitted at the factory & until the driver finds that getting them off can be very difficult.

 

The matting faces of wheels and hubs need more attention with a nice grease barrier, especially with dissimilar metals.

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/310443-copper-grease-wheels-hubs-yay-or-nay

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/59906-copper-grease-wheel-nut-bolts

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/348610-releasing-stuck-alloy-wheels

 

 

Edited 14 September, 20205 yr by e-Roottoot

Grandmothers and eggs spring to mind...

 

Should have only been like 3 replies to this thread... unsure why the discussion on grease was needed haha

It is necessary when some more or less say slap it on and lather it all about.

So much on a forum needs a bit of thinking about, & what would granny or grandad have said about it?

Edited 14 September, 20205 yr by e-Roottoot

3 hours ago, e-Roottoot said:

It is necessary when some more or less say slap it on and lather it all about.

Hence my comment about applying a little...The infinitesimal risk of a correctly tightened well coming loose is outweighed by the PITA of a wheel/bolt becoming firmly stuck!

 

Anyway, I digress.

@mrgf

I can not see where you mention the bolts in your post,

only the smearing of the mating faces between the wheel and hub.

🤦‍♂️