Putting the wheels back on

C.J. · Post by **C.J.** » 30 Jun 2008, 22:59

I've just struggled huffed and puffed like a pig putting the wheels back on my Xantia.
Whatever happened to good old fashioned studs to place the wheels on, then placing the nuts over thenm to tighten up. It's all back to front now, and you have to perform a circus act, balancing the heavy wheel in one hand, and TRYING to locate the wheel bolt into the hole in the hub, which you can't see anyway.

Oh it must be a positive joy performing these antics on a cold winters rainy night on the hard shoulder of the motorway, and as for firstly getting the spare wheel and jack out of that damned akward wheel carrier.........GRRRRR.!!!!

No doubt some smart **** is going to tell me the easy way to perform this task now...hopefully.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 30 Jun 2008, 23:27

I take it you have some bl@@dy well looking fancy megahyper super alloys enhancing the looks of your Xantia ?
... as these have absolutely NO, NO, NO way of griping the hub correctly

What you do is to have at least one short screwdriver or any other short pegging tool inserted in one of the bolt holes which must be the downmost when fitting the wheel. The wheel will catch well on the hubcenter and provided you can press on the wheel with the pegging tool locating the hub holes to the wheel holes, you have the other hand free to fit the topmost bolt.

Have the 1.st bolt ready inserted into a 19mm tool.

vince · Post by **vince** » 01 Jul 2008, 07:29

Spray a touch of silver paint on the bolt holes, that way they contrast better over the hole so you can see it through the wheel hole.

As for making it easier, sit on the floor with knees bent and your feet each side of the wheel forming a nice cradle for the wheel to sit in, that way you can move the wheel slightly up,down, and side to side with yoru feet to locate the bolts in your newly visible bolt holes

I tried for ages trying to mount my new alloys which after much struggling i realised that Citroen changed the damn wheel bolt design from tapered bolts to flat seat ones

It had me measuring up the PCD and centre bore measurements before i realised that the bolts were that little bit too short

Wondered why i couldnt get the wheels to catch.

The above cradle method makes things so much easier as they are heavy wheels and the centre doesnt catch well on the hub.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 01 Jul 2008, 07:29

Never tried it but I have seen it suggested that heavy wheels are fitted by putting them on a garden spade or shovel - and maneuvered into place using the handle. Might work - I'll try in one day!

C.J. · Post by **C.J.** » 01 Jul 2008, 22:44

jeremy wrote:Never tried it but I have seen it suggested that heavy wheels are fitted by putting them on a garden spade or shovel - and maneuvered into place using the handle. Might work - I'll try in one day!

I'll put the shovel in the boot then....just in case like.

I tried Vince's suggestion of putting some silver paint over the bolt holes, but it didn't make it much easier tbh.

I notice that there's a little 'blip attached to the rear (only) hub assembly, that matches up with the steel wheel to attach and hang it on whilst locating the bolts. No such luck with the alloys though.

Absolute pig of a job, and as said previously, I really wouldn't want to do THAT on a dark cold wet night on the motorway.
Surely someone must do an accessorie bolt to screw into the hub to help eradicate this problem? I'm sure my Skoda has one for this very purpose. Must check in the morning.

slim123 · Post by **slim123** » 01 Jul 2008, 22:58

There is no easy way, the first car that I came across with the silly wheel bolt idea, was a Fiat, then lots more seemed to follow suit for some realy good reason???

I agree that the old fashioned stud and nut is much better, especialy on a dark night in a country lane trying to change a puncture

The peg in the rear wheel hub is there to stop the wheel hub from spinning when aligning the wheel to the hub, whereas the front can be kept still with the handbrake.

By far the easiest method that I have found of getting the wheels on without any problems at all is.....................

Teach your wife how to do it.

Regards.
Slim.

Tanned and back from the Med

reblack68 · Post by **reblack68** » 01 Jul 2008, 23:03

The easiest way would be to carry two lengths of threaded bar to slide the wheel onto while you put bolts in the other two holes. It's not quite the same thing but that's the technique used to use to put the rear hubs on my Escort and what a difference it made. Finding threaded bar with the correct thread for wheel bolts might be a challenge though, I suppose you could improvise by welding bar onto a butchered wheel bolt.

C.J. · Post by **C.J.** » 01 Jul 2008, 23:06

slim123 wrote:
By far the easiest method that I have found of getting the wheels on without any problems at all is.....................

Teach your wife how to do it.

Regards.
Slim.

Tanned and back from the Med

Now that WAS funny, I mean I just burst out laughing at that, and 'sprayed the screen with coffee' funny.

Must be summat to do with being a male chauvanistic pig.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 02 Jul 2008, 00:29

If you don't mind getting a bit grubby...

Sit down with your legs either side of the hub with the new wheel on your thighs.
Push the wheel towards the hub and use your legs to elevate/rotate it into position and insert the bolts.
Never really had a problem.

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 02 Jul 2008, 01:05

Stating the obvious perhaps but aligning the hub threads at 9 o'clock
and picking up the alloy with the same relative reference point is a good
way to start and removal of the centre cap allows you to align the central
spiggot that effectively is the bearing shoulder for the wheel.

I guess plenty of faffing about is good practice but it's still a rubbish
design! A decent deep reach socket and bar helps too.

Andrew

Ross_K · Post by **Ross_K** » 02 Jul 2008, 10:38

Xac wrote:If you don't mind getting a bit grubby...

Sit down with your legs either side of the hub with the new wheel on your thighs.
Push the wheel towards the hub and use your legs to elevate/rotate it into position and insert the bolts.
Never really had a problem.

Wouldn't fancy that myself - just in case the car came off the jack.

I like my legs where they are.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 02 Jul 2008, 12:29

Ross_K wrote:
Xac wrote:If you don't mind getting a bit grubby...

Sit down with your legs either side of the hub with the new wheel on your thighs.
Push the wheel towards the hub and use your legs to elevate/rotate it into position and insert the bolts.
Never really had a problem.
Wouldn't fancy that myself - just in case the car came off the jack.

I like my legs where they are.

Never rely on just a jack! Halfrauds gave us axle stands, so use them!

If you're caught by the side of the road and have (for some unthinkable reason) left your axle stands out of the boot, then you can do the same as above but cross your legs so they aren't under the car.
Of course this assumes a certain level of agility on the part of the owner which may not be present in all (hmm, did someone mention their wife?).

newmezuk04 · Post by **newmezuk04** » 02 Jul 2008, 14:35

I have to admit I dislike the spare wheel cradle carrier, from memory I dont think I ever managed to get the locking bolt off which the spare wheel tool, it just rusted and spun.

lexi · Post by **lexi** » 04 Jul 2008, 00:36

Funnily enough just did that job today on all four wheels

Brake bleed after Hydraflush and LHM. I find lying on the ground is the only way for me. I have the spare studs and will be getting hacksaw and welder out.

handyman · Post by **handyman** » 04 Jul 2008, 05:53

A short threaded bar or a long bolt with the head cut off is the easiest way to align the wheel and bolt holes. If you want to make up your own, the thread form is M12x1.25 pitch and is an ISO standard so should be available from your local stockist.

I just loosely screw it in one hole, drop on the wheel and offer up the other three, then unscrew the bar and finish the tightening up of all the wheel bolts.

The reason why Citroen, along with other manufacturers, use this method rather than studs and nuts is down to cost. It is cheaper to make one hole and supply a bolts than one hole, stud and nut.

If anybody has trouble getting a locating stud, PM me.

Handyman