306 Wheel nuts, how tight?

mmm...CORNERS

mmm...CORNERS

Active member
Fellow Frogger
Joined
Jan 6, 2004
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573
Location
Epping, Sydney
Just a quick Q. I'm wanting to completely clean and polish my alloys so Im hoping to take them off to do it properly. The thing is I know how to do it, but after 8 yeaars of driving Ive not had a single flat, therfore never a reason to jack the car up and take off the wheels (hope i'm not jinxing myself!) My Mech. normally rotates the tyres for me at services too. I figure they have to be fairly tight but I dont want to damage the thread/nut by overtightening?
Thanks
 
As tight as you can do them by hand, without getting up and jumping on the wheel brace (if you've never used one, you prob won't call it that - the bar thing!)

DO NOT tighten one wheel nut fully, on its own while the others are still loose.

Do them all up by hand first, then nip each one up with the wheel brace. Once they've all pulled up, stand up and use a bit more force working your way around all the wheel nuts. :cool:

Derek :cheers:
 
Tighten them by about a grunt and a half.
It's supposed to be 110nm, but seeing as I don't have a torque wrench...
 
Assuming you're tightening them 'cause they've been taken off the car, make sure you tighten them fully 'once they're back on the ground' so that you're tightening actions don't knock the car off the jack / stands, and also so that you're not spinning the wheel trying to tighten them. Tighten them a fair bit without great force whilst they're in the air, drop the car down onto the tyre, and then do the final tighten.

Also tighten them diagonally as well, and not clockwise / anticlockwise, increasing the force applied over 2 / 3 'circuits' of each wheel.
 
And remember it might not be you that has to take them off (your wife, GF or weakling mate for example) .. so don't over tighten them, as it might cause someone else a problem.

- XTC206 -
 
XTC206 said:
And remember it might not be you that has to take them off (your wife, GF or weakling mate for example) .. so don't over tighten them, as it might cause someone else a problem.

- XTC206 -
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Hehehe... I do that all the time with the handbrake which really ticks off the female drivers (friends/sister/mum...).
Did it to myself once, returned to the car after a three hour rockclimbing session and had to use both hands to release the handbrake, but I digress...
 
GTI124 said:
Go down to Kennards and hire an air gun and compressor. :D
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I'm liking the air compressor idea, I spent way too much time mucking around with the stupid weak wheel brace that i had so i gave up for another w/end! And now the wheels are only half clean :mad:
 
The reason Peugeot give you that lousy short wheel brace is so that nuts don't get overtightened. I like to clean wheel studs with a wire brush, and stick a little gold grease on the threads.
Just do em up so they can be undone again. Bit at a time, tightening opposite nuts.
 
mmm...CORNERS said:
I'm liking the air compressor idea, I spent way too much time mucking around with the stupid weak wheel brace that i had so i gave up for another w/end! And now the wheels are only half clean :mad:
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I really was joking. If you brace doesn't work, then see if you can borrow a better one off someone.
 
I always use a X type wheelbrace if I can. If you don't have one, get one. They are not that expensive and they can get anything off if it has not been done with an air gun( by the way, if you use an air gun you risk damaging the wheelnut seats).
I like to do then up fingertight, then just lightly with the brace, then tighten up medium, then fairly tight, then let it off the jack and tighten as hard as I can by hand, not jumping on the brace, or using a pipe on it or anything like that. On no account tighten one up fully first, I have seen too many oval holes from that. And ALWAYS tighten them in a pattern Suppose you go around clockwise numbering them 1, 2, 3, 4. You would tighten 1, then 3, then 2, then 4. If it is a5 stud car you just skip one each time, eg. 1, 3, 5, 2, 4.
 
Yeah, I had one of those X things, but gave it to the new owner of the Micra. They work well.
 
GTI124 said:
Yeah, I had one of those X things, but gave it to the new owner of the Micra. They work well.
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yeah we have one of those as well for the 604 as it doesn't have standard wheel nuts on the non standard wheels

i normally use a 19mm socket and 'T' bar

i have never had a wheel come loose yet but i have had a rear axle nut come loose on a 504 once

that reminds me i should go and obtain a 36mm socket
 
Pugnut403 said:
I always use a X type wheelbrace if I can. If you don't have one, get one. They are not that expensive and they can get anything off if it has not been done with an air gun( by the way, if you use an air gun you risk damaging the wheelnut seats).
Click to expand...

Yep, I always carry my X-brace on whichever car I drive.
Great leverage on gorilla-tightened wheelnuts, and you can spin them off really quickly once loosened :D

Also great for removing steering column nuts to get at the steering wheel/instrument panel, as my 22mm socket is too big. Now if only they made one that can fold up into a more practical shape and size....
 
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