Series 3 wheelnuts

Goodmorning,
The wheelnuts on all 4 wheels are very tight. I sprayed them with penetrating oil and tapped them with a hammer. Is it save to heat them up with a torch? no problem with the brakes?
I don't want to break the studs..

The rubber seals for the brake cylinders are right around the studs so I would be careful with the heat, as to get enough heat in to be worthwhile will spread quite quickly especially if you have to do all 4. You can give it a go as it would have to go through the nut, the steel wheel and then the wheel drum but your best bet will be to just get a big breaker bar on there and once they crack it will be plain sailing, Its amazing what difference an extra foot or 2 makes. I wouldn't expect you would sheer them.

When did you last have them off ?

I guess they were not greased/torqued ?

I own the car since januari this year. This is the first time for me to take the wheels off. I have a two feet brakerbar. Hope it will hold my 13 stones. (83 kilo that is
I assume its better to use some coppergrease once I get them off? ALso torque them in stead of using the airtool

Personally I would but only a little, there are folk who say don't use it as it encourages them to loosen off and they should always be clean and dry for the torque. But ceased nuts far outweigh any loosening and the mitigation to any risk is just to check them regularly.

I used heat on mine for the first removal. And a breaker bar. Standing on the brand new brace bent it in half. I was however replacing just about everything in the hub so wasnt overly worried about over heating them. Officially you shouldnt lubricate them but as stated a little copper grease does help.

Get an impact gun, they usually fly off with no heat.

I use a little copper grease on my studs. Providing you torque correctly to 85lb / ft it should put correct stretch into the studs to prevent them coming undone.

Land Raver said:

I use a little copper grease on my studs. Providing you torque correctly to 85lb / ft it should put correct stretch into the studs to prevent them coming undone.

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Is that one squeak or two. I aint gora torque wrench. In fact I have never had one in 30 years of tinkering.

Bobsticle said:

Is that one squeak or two.

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One squeak for sorrow, two squeaks for joy

Raytheman said:

I have a two feet brakerbar. Hope it will hold my 13 stones. (83 kilo that is

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13st is 180lb. On a 2ft bar, that's 360lb/ft.

That's plenty, but not THAT much in the grand scheme of things...

Why would you introduce anything that could potentially encourage your wheel nuts to work lose?!

Do them up FT, and when it's time to lose them use a breaker bar with a decent socket and jump on them.

Check them regularly- it's amazing how tight wheelnuts can work lose.

Its amazing how easily a stud can pull through a hub............

Have you ever seen it happen?!

regular occourence with early hubs the studs where just tapped into hub.
Not pulled in like the later ones.

Seen it!

Ive bleedin done it..............

Pillar said:

Why would you introduce anything that could potentially encourage your wheel nuts to work lose?!

Do them up FT, and when it's time to lose them use a breaker bar with a decent socket and jump on them.

Check them regularly- it's amazing how tight wheelnuts can work lose.

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Wheel nuts do not stay tight by friction. It is the stretch that you place in the stud. This is why different components have different torque ratings. Over tightening is not a good idea.

I remember my first go at undoing the wheels, ended up jacking it up and dropping it on the breaker bar resting on the floor to crack em whilst ****ting the back with an FBH. Impact air gun didn't do anything