Author Topic: Changing a VW wheel - totally nuts (Read 1855 times)

Spheric · « **on:** November 21, 2011, 02:24:41 pm »

First off, let me start by saying God help me if I ever had to replace a VW flat tire on a dark and rainy night.

Let me explain....

This past weekend I had the dubious pleasure of switching over the all seasons for the winter tires on the Golf. I say dubious because when I take off the all-seasons I’m in for a rather rude shock. Unlike most other cars I’ve driven there is no conventional nut and bolt set up where you just match up the bolts on the wheel drum with the holes in the rim of the tire you are about to mount. Instead, VW makes use of lug bolts – which means you have to manually visually line up the holes, then insert and thread lug bolts one by one while trying to balance a wheel on the hub.

It was a pain to do for all 4 wheels even with the benefit of daylight to visually match up the holes with the lug bolts. At night I would definitely need one of those forehead mounted torches just to keep my arms free. With VW it appears that the car hangs off the wheel and not the other way around. Would love the know the design principle that motivated our German friends to use this set up.

Here are some photos to illustrate:

Pic 1 below: Getting ready to swap tire....so far so good.

Pic 2 below: Shock of shocks - take off wheel. You can see 3 lug bolts on the ground. That's what I have to insert and thread whilst holding the wheel on the centre hub.

Pic 3 below: After much messing about, the job is finally done.

safristi · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2011, 02:34:41 pm »

..why is this ~~Germain~~ German surprise popping Up twice a year.....................agree son's Passat wagon is a whole CIRQUE DE SOLEIL acrobatic act along with many SWEAR WORDS.......

.....

I'd like to get those German OV'r ENGINEERS and TORQUE their NUTS to their EARS...for OCTOBERFEST...and feed them warmed PABST blue ribbon thru a sippy cup for 10 hours straight............

vdk · « **Reply #2 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:00:14 pm »

I've done it. It's stupid yes, but doable.

quadzilla · « **Reply #3 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:02:59 pm »

Its only stupid the first time you do it. After that its a breeze.

Quote from: Spheric on November 21, 2011, 02:24:41 pm

Pic 2 below: Shock of shocks - take off wheel. You can see 3 lug bolts on the ground. That's what I have to insert and thread whilst holding the wheel on the centre hub.

Hope you found the other two bolts.

rrocket · « **Reply #4 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:06:18 pm »

This is one of those things I'm complaining about with the Audi/German engineering. It makes no sense. Needlessly different just to be different. I really don't understand why they do things the way they do. If it was better, I'd understand. But it's not....

I have wheel spacers to remove on my Audi before I swap my OEM rims back on..so a little extra work for me!

wing · « **Reply #5 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:12:23 pm »

And if you strip the threads in the hole, you need a new hub instead of a new nut, nice eh?

safristi · « **Reply #6 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:23:26 pm »

Quote from: wing on November 21, 2011, 03:12:23 pm

And if you strip the threads in the hole, you need a new hub instead of a new nut, nice eh?

.....I'm NOT an Urologist,butt call me in the morning ...I mean seek MECHANIKALL HELP.....

.....Munchen gladbach 0 Manchester United 5......

rrocket · « **Reply #7 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:23:50 pm »

Quote from: wing on November 21, 2011, 03:12:23 pm

And if you strip the threads in the hole, you need a new hub instead of a new nut, nice eh?

So it would seem. As I said, when I see some of their engineering "solutions", I scratch my head and go "WTF?"

Spheric · « **Reply #8 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:32:35 pm »

Quote from: wing on November 21, 2011, 03:12:23 pm

And if you strip the threads in the hole, you need a new hub instead of a new nut, nice eh?

Damn. It's getting better by the minute....

AP · « **Reply #9 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:33:16 pm »

Good luck with a plus sized [read heavy] set of rims and tires. I guess its what you get with a brand that seems to celebrate quirky. Maybe for 2013 they will relocate valve stems to the back side of the rim "for convenience".

safristi · « **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:36:16 pm »

Ya eliminate ze WALVE SHTUM like ze DEEP SHTICK....we will inwade
those weak BMWUBBLE UUU drinks holdsters you sippy cup bastards demand.....

tpl · « **Reply #11 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:40:54 pm »

Buy a long bolt of the correct thread. Cut the head off. When removing the wheel after you have loosened the first bolt, remove it and screw in the long bolt. When you put the wheel back you can hang it on the long bolt to free up hands to get the other bolts in. BMW aftermarket places like Bavarian Motors actually sell a purpose made threaded rod for this purpose.

vdk · « **Reply #12 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:41:47 pm »

Quote from: AP on November 21, 2011, 03:33:16 pm

Good luck with a plus sized [read heavy] set of rims and tires. I guess its what you get with a brand that seems to celebrate quirky. Maybe for 2013 they will relocate valve stems to the back side of the rim "for convenience".

Summer rims: 18"
Winter rims: 17"

I've done it.. the 16' are light compared to the 18" huffs. And I'm far from a buffed guy..

Cord · « **Reply #13 on:** November 21, 2011, 03:42:18 pm »

Just like on my '78 Fiesta S back in the day

. I saw one wheel only had 3 nuts on it but bought it anyway thinking, "how much could a new wheel nut cost?" Turned out the nuts were bolts and one hole was stripped.

AP · « **Reply #14 on:** November 21, 2011, 04:10:18 pm »

Quote from: tpl on November 21, 2011, 03:40:54 pm

Buy a long bolt of the correct thread. Cut the head off. When removing the wheel after you have loosened the first bolt, remove it and screw in the long bolt. When you put the wheel back you can hang it on the long bolt to free up hands to get the other bolts in. BMW aftermarket places like Bavarian Motors actually sell a purpose made threaded rod for this purpose.

Hmmm...so mimic a permanent stud to facilitate the installation of a rim on a studless hub. The engineering enhancement now makes perfect sense.

rrocket · « **Reply #15 on:** November 21, 2011, 04:52:29 pm »

Quote from: AP on November 21, 2011, 04:10:18 pm

Quote from: tpl on November 21, 2011, 03:40:54 pm
Buy a long bolt of the correct thread. Cut the head off. When removing the wheel after you have loosened the first bolt, remove it and screw in the long bolt. When you put the wheel back you can hang it on the long bolt to free up hands to get the other bolts in. BMW aftermarket places like Bavarian Motors actually sell a purpose made threaded rod for this purpose.

Hmmm...so mimic a permanent stud to facilitate the installation of a rim on a studless hub. The engineering enhancement now makes perfect sense.

EXACTLY my thoughts! They make the process needlessly complicated to the point where an aftermarket tool might be needed? Because there was soooo much trouble with lug nuts??

articsteve · « **Reply #16 on:** November 21, 2011, 05:00:08 pm »

Lug bolts offer a superior mounting dynamic when mounting a non or imperfect hub centric wheel to a hub. I prefer bolts. They always hang on the hub anyways.

First experience with lug bolts is always puzzling if you're used to the domestic stuff.

rrocket · « **Reply #17 on:** November 21, 2011, 05:10:48 pm »

Quote from: articsteve on November 21, 2011, 05:00:08 pm

Lug bolts offer a superior mounting dynamic when mounting a non or imperfect hub centric wheel to a hub. I prefer bolts. They always hang on the hub anyways.

First experience with German engineering ~~with lug bolts~~ is always puzzling if you're used to ~~the domestic~~ sensibly engineered stuff.

My OEM wheels are hubcentric. So what's the point again??

ktm525 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 21, 2011, 05:26:13 pm »

I have had a few recent vehicles (Passat and Volvo V70R) with bolts and don't find them any harder than wheels with regular lug nuts. The bolts are superior for one reason that I can see:

When putting wheels on the regular studs tend to get marred by a lazy installer (me) pushing the wheel onto the hub riding on the stud. This mars the thread on the studs. FWIW I never had to replace a hub due to marred theads?

For the original poster: Check your VW lug wrench bag carefully. You should find a plastic tube with threads on one end. Guess what? The tube threads into the hub and is designed to line up the wheel to the hub. Next time RYFM

Tube looks like this aftermarket version

http://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen-Golf_V--2.0T/Wheels/Tools/ES4135/

rrocket · « **Reply #19 on:** November 21, 2011, 05:52:09 pm »

^^But IF you mar the threads on a stud, you can replace just the stud. 1) Remove hub 2)pound out old stud 3) pound in new stud. For about $5.00. On the VW, if the threads get marred, you replace the hub. For $50.

Now I don't see that happening, but I'm just saying.

I see no advantage to the VW/Audi way.