How to remove the wheel bolts?

Technical Area Wheels, Tyres & Brakes
2

Hello[:)]

Gosh this is going to sound like a real noob question, but i can’t get any of the bolts to shift on my OEM seven spokes. I’m lucky enough to have the original Mazda toolkit that came with the car and so am using the wheel bolt removal tool that comes with it but none of the wheel nuts are shifting at all? which way do i turn them to unlock them and how do i remove the bolts without moving the wheel?

 

Thanks,

 

Ben

3

G’day Ben

Don’t try to undo the NUTS when the car is on jacks, do it when the car is on the ground, in gear, handbrake hard on. The NUTS turn anti clockwise. You may need to find a bit of long steel tube to lengthen the wheel nut removal tool that Mazda supply.Just loosen them, and then jack the car before removing the nuts, The wheel comes off the STUDS with the nuts removed.

HTH

4

Hi Ben

         When I take my wheels off I loosen the nuts just a little before I jack the car up (DON’T TAKE THE NUTS /BOLT ALL THE WAY OFF BEORE THE CAR IS SUPORTED AND SAFE)  they should undo anticlockwise.

                               John

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

Wheel nuts? - leave wheel on the floor and just “crack” them - i.e. just get them started DO NOT REMOVE THEM!

If you can’t do it with the supplied wheel nut spanner, then get your socket set out / torque wrench (for leverage if needed).

Or, just pop down your friendly tyre fitters and ask them to loosen them for you - tighten by hand with wheel nut spanner to drive home.

 

You’ll have a job getting them off with the wheel in the air!

6

 When you put the nuts back on put a little copper grease on the threads.

7

Thanks for the replies everyone[:)]

Lol i can’t believe i didn’t think of removing the wheels when the car is on the ground! shall try it tomorrow!

Thanks Geoff, yes the Mazda toolkit that came with my car does have a metal tube that did get me thinking ‘what is this for?’ so i’m thinking it fits on to the wheel nut wrench possibly and will give this a try also.

 

Thanks again all for your help,

 

Ben.

8

Just a little precautionary addition to that (As it seems Ben’s VERY new to car maintenance), Try to avoid getting any copper grease on the tapered bit of the nuts, They use the friction between that bit and where it touches the wheel to stop them loosening off. 

9

[quote user=“Mr Reman”]

 

 

He he i did manage to fit the obligatory chrome vent rings to my dash[;)]

 

Thanks for the advice Mr Reman!

 

Happy 5ing to all!!!

 

Ben

 

 

10

 I have the same problem in that one of the wheel nuts is stuck right on (3 came off easy). Tyre fitted by Kwik Fit year ago, but only 3k miles done since.

Also  the supplied Mazda wrench doesn’t seem to fit through the hole in the alloy wheel(any comments?) so had to use socket set  (car on ground with handbrake on).

WD40’d it but still no luck. Any other trick, other than going back to KF?

11

Use a 6 sided socket (12 point ones round the nuts so no one can get them out) and more leverage, like a breaker bar or something.

Plusgas is good to getting stuff undone - better than WD40.

12

 

That would be a spark plug wrench.

13

 Hi ben, if you still cannot move them get a short length of bar with a diameter at least the same as the nut ( a 3/4 in extension ) will do and put the flat end on the nut and a few clouts with a lump hammer will often do the trick, do not tighten with an extension on the wheel spanner, use a torque wrench I believe it is 70 Lbs Ft.

Regards and GL,JJ

14

 Stand on the wheel wrench and jump up and down a little. Never failed with me. ( and I have the scars to prove it)

15

 

Cheers halli, i was wondering how to remove my spark plugs if needs be[:)]

 

Ben.

 

16

If you cannot crack the bolts with the mazda tool kit, it is worth to pay £5 or so from Lidl or Tesco for a wheel nut wrench, gives you so much extra power (bolt size 21mm)

put the spark plug ‘tube’ (yellow goldish colour) onto the wheel nut wrench, it gives extra length to the handle and longer pivot length… physics stuff pretty much common sense
then you should be able to probably double your power

 

If you see 1 nut doesn’t look the same or can’t move at all, it might be a locking wheel nut which you need a special key to undo

If you can’t undo the bolts even if you have tried all tools, go get a stronger mate!

17

Feeling pretty stupid trying to get the wheel nuts off with the plug spanner[:$], but in my defence thats all the tools that was supplied, apart from jack (car bought from new).  What else should be in the blak plastic bag in boot with spare wheel.

Will try jumping on it and then look for better wheel brace in my wheelchair.

18

in the black bag it should be a set of tools of 10(?) pieces including wheel wrench, spark plug wrench, screw drivers and spanners etc

I dont think jumping onto the wrench is a very good idea, to both yourself and the wheel nut… you may end up with a rounded wheel nut then you are screwed

why dont you spend a few quid on a proper wrench? leave it in the car and will be very useful when you need to replace your wheel in the middle of motorway

19

A few good tools in the boot can be a godsend!

I carry a socket set and a multi-point screwdriver as well as oil, water, gaffa tape, cables ties, etc in a small stack-n-store box in the boot.

I have sat on a grass verge waiting for the AA before, it gets boring!!

20

you have a garage in your boot[H]