Topic: DIY seasonal wheel changeover

[Noto]

I'm going to start changing over my own tires this spring.  I am taking the Mazda3 and selling the Corolla (that'll be a whole new thread for buying new winter tires...).

...but the Forester will be $39.99 at best every season for the next 4 years, and I want to start doing it for my dad on the RX400h (it's free, but he has to book an appointment at Green/Ross).  So I'd like to be doing 3 cars every season - the Forester (about 3,450lbs curb), the Mazda3 (about 2,850lbs), and the RX400h (about 4,900lbs).

From my quick Googling, I understand I don't need any new equipment since cars have their own jacks and wrenches; but the job can be made much easier with a proper trolley jack and jack stands (along with a torque wrench).

Canuck Tire has this set on sale - thoughts?
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/certified-jack-and-axle-stand-kit-3-ton-0091055p.html#srp

...while a 2-ton would probably work for the Fozzie and the Mazda3, I'd like to get a 3-ton so I can still do my dad's car(and perhaps my brother's Sienna if I'm feeling nice).

And if anyone has a suggestion for torque wrench/sockets...that'd be swell.

I'd really like to get out of this spending as little as possible (while not totally 'cheaping' out).  I'm not doing this on a commercial basis, but I am a DIY n00b.

Thanks!

[Fobroader]

That jack kit should be more than good enough for what you are doing. As for torque wrenches, I have a pair of in-lb and ft-lb Mastercraft Maximum torque wrenches that have been great for me, they are the click type. For socket sets, Can tire is your friend, right now they have a $700 400pc socket and tool set on for $200, I would be all over that if I was you.

[wing]

You aren't lifting an entire car.  I life my LX570 with a 2ton jack.

[aquadorhj]

that jack and stand kit should be fine.  unless you are planning on working on the car all the time, i think it's little overkill 200$ socket set though.  though you can use it forever so it's ok investment.

mastercraft torque wrench has lifetime warranty so it's a good buy when on sale, but they are weak.  i've had to replace mine once already and i think the new one is starting to break now as well.  not a big deal as they will replace it no questions asked.

You aren't lifting an entire car.  I life my LX570 with a 2ton jack.

yeah, but it's much easier if he's got a heavy duty jack that can lift 1 whole side of the car at a time, not just 1 corner(for tire rotation and stuff) .  though wheel switch over is ok with lifting 1 wheel at a time.


by the way, nosan, get electric impact wrench as well.  at least 9 amp.  (70~130$ depending on brand and whether it's on sale, way more if battery powered.)  if you are gonna do 3 cars.  i think i have the 4 amp one that i paid 50$ on, and it's ok, but not really strong enough to get the lug nuts to spin when taking the wheel off initially.    i think 9 amp or higher   may be able to take the lugs off without having to loosen it by hand.   


i loosen by hand and use electric/battery impact to get it out.  works for me.

[Fobroader]

that jack and stand kit should be fine.  unless you are planning on working on the car all the time, i think it's little overkill 200$ socket set though.  though you can use it forever so it's ok investment.

mastercraft torque wrench has lifetime warranty so it's a good buy when on sale, but they are weak.  i've had to replace mine once already and i think the new one is starting to break now as well.  not a big deal as they will replace it no questions asked.

I wouldn't use one at work, but for home the Mastercraft torque wrenches have never given me an issue.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

that jack and stand kit should be fine.  unless you are planning on working on the car all the time, i think it's little overkill 200$ socket set though.  though you can use it forever so it's ok investment.

mastercraft torque wrench has lifetime warranty so it's a good buy when on sale, but they are weak.  i've had to replace mine once already and i think the new one is starting to break now as well.  not a big deal as they will replace it no questions asked.

Yeah, Crappy Tire is really good about lifetime tool replacement.  You don't need the original packaging, or even the receipt.  As long as it says Mastercraft on the side, they'll replace it.

[tortoise]

Unless you plan to move into other work don't bother with jack stands.   Also, look at the jack points and determine how low the jack needs to be to reach it.

You'll need a breaker bar to remove the lug nuts.

An electric impact gun is handy, but not necessary.

And a 21 mm socket.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000NPR4CE/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1977604522&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B008XMDSJC&pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_r=GF66BMQE4FA049AWA1PX

[aquadorhj]

Unless you plan to move into other work don't bother with jack stands.   Also, look at the jack points and determine how low the jack needs to be to reach it.

You'll need a breaker bar to remove the lug nuts.

An electric impact gun is handy, but not necessary.

And a 21 mm socket.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000NPR4CE/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1977604522&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B008XMDSJC&pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_r=GF66BMQE4FA049AWA1PX

but he's planning on doing switch overs for 3 (possibly 4) different cars..  all of them have 21 mm?

most common sizes are 17, 18, 19 and 21.    i would just get the whole set. 

[blur911]

That jack kit looks fine, as long as the lift is high enough for the SUV. 
There's also a 2 ton kit on sale that includes some wheel chocks and a creeper.

A cheaper and more reliable beam type torque wrench will do fine for putting on wheels, but don't get the crappy tire ones, they are apparently junk.   

Also, if you do get a clicker type torque wrench, don't use it for removing the wheel nuts, even if it has a ratchet head, don't use it as a long ratchet.  Remember to back off the dial when not in use.
One of these (on sale)  and a breaker bar might be more versatile.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-torque-adaptor-0588900p.html#srp


Also, don't buy Stanley socket sets, the ratchets are crap.

[tortoise]

The Corolla, Mazda and RX all need a 21 mm socket.

But you're right. The Subaru needs a 19mm.

[blur911]

On some wheels the OD of the socket is of concern, some will not fit into the rims to reach the nuts.   I've paid over $20 for a single socket that fits.

I like using 6-pt impact sockets, but you can run into this problem more often with impact sockets.

[tpl]

A decent trolley jack yes of course.  A 2 or 3 tonne jack is plenty.   I prefer to just lift one corner at a time...leaves you with three wheels gripping the ground and for the big SUV there may not be a place to jack up the whole side at once...the body just may not have a strong point like that.

For doing just this sort of job I would get a 1/2" drive torque wrench  a decent 1/2" drive handle at least 12" long perhaps 18" a  6"  1/2" drive extension to get the handle and  torque wrench away from the body and then sockets of appropriate sizes for the cars.   a long 17mm socket may well do many cars.   Why 1/2" ?  because you can always step down to 3/8 in the future if you are going to do more delicate jobs  but for this you want tough stuff.

If there is a Sears that still sells Craftsman tools near you and if they are still made in the USA ( I have not had to buy any for >20 years).  Snap-On if you are feeling rich.

I would not get an impact wrench personally, I have never owned any car that used more than 100 lbs ft on wheel nuts and a foot on the end of the handle has always done it for me.    A small can of anti-seize compound is useful to ensure that the wheels come away from the hubs after the winter.

[tpl]

The Corolla, Mazda and RX all need a 21 mm socket.

But you're right. The Subaru needs a 19mm.

Wow! Are these people trying to get away with 4 bolt wheels and therefore using a bigger bolt?

[Noto]

 

This is seeming to be not such a simple task.  Next someone will say I should get a brush to clear off rust/debris, and then some sort of grease before re-applying the nuts? 

My understanding is that if I get the set for $99 at CT (for example), I could hoist one side of the car at a time, put the two jack stands in place, and then do the other side so I'm not doing 4 separate hoists (just two) per vehicle. 

I didn't know that I needed a separate wrench ("breaker bar"?) to remove the nuts - but I am reading more and more to not use the torque wrench to do it - why is that -- to protect the other wrench?

And yes, I figured out that I'd need two sockets, which isn't a big cost.

Let me rephrase:
What items will I need to do the changeovers with relative ease and without breaking the bank. 

Changeovers will likely be free on both the Mazda and the RX - just the Forester at $80/year.  The purpose of the DIY is to avoid the hassle of having to book appointments, drop off the cars, pick them up, etc.  The $ savings are only relevant if I'm not spending as much to buy the equipment and then doing the work myself. 

It looks like in the torque wrench, breaker bar, and sockets, I'll be spending $97 (amazon), and then another $80-$100 for the lift and stands (unless I buy separate things for 2 ton instead of 3 ton).  Somehow, I'm at $200 and I have to do the work myself.

At this point, it looks like it'll take 2 years to pay off (assuming nothing breaks) from a strictly financial standpoint.

[tortoise]

tpl, The Mazda's are 5 bolt.

[tortoise]

And my Mazda5 has jack points in the front and rear so I can lift each end of the car up.  Makes it super easy and WAY easier than putting it on jack stands.

[Noto]

And my Mazda5 has jack points in the front and rear so I can lift each end of the car up.  Makes it super easy and WAY easier than putting it on jack stands.

So that's what I want to do - basically lift half the car at a time.  Is that not doable on all cars?  Do I need special equipment to do it?  I would still prefer to use jack stands for safety...

[aquadorhj]

bare minimum :
jack  (no stands, if it's SWITCH OVER.   if it's tire ROTATION, then + stands)
breaker bar *  (if you have really long handle or can extend handle on existing ratchet, no need)
sockets (long socket desired)
torque wrench.


just lift one wheel at a time, take it off, bring over the summer/all seasons and put it on, lower, go to next corner, repeat.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

And my Mazda5 has jack points in the front and rear so I can lift each end of the car up.  Makes it super easy and WAY easier than putting it on jack stands.

So that's what I want to do - basically lift half the car at a time.  Is that not doable on all cars?  Do I need special equipment to do it?  I would still prefer to use jack stands for safety...

Never lift the sides of the car in the middle of the car, especially a unitbody car.  A unitbody car has jackpoints at each corner, usually just ahead of the rear wheels, and just behind the front wheels.  It will be a thick piece of metal that juts out from the structural lip of the unitbody.  SOMETIMES you'll be able to jack up the entire front or entire rear of the car by placing a floor jack under an axle or a solid piece of frame, but unless you know for sure that such a point is meant for jacking the car up, don't risk it. 




Jacking a car and changing wheels over is probably the most simple task you can do aside from filling up the washer fluid, but you do need some basic knowledge on how to lift a car, and you need to follow some simple safety procedures.  The safest thing you can do is to read the owners manual and follow the procedure for changing a flat tire.  You just have to do it four times.  It's a pain in the ass, but really quite easy.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

This is seeming to be not such a simple task.  Next someone will say I should get a brush to clear off rust/debris, and then some sort of grease before re-applying the nuts? 

My understanding is that if I get the set for $99 at CT (for example), I could hoist one side of the car at a time, put the two jack stands in place, and then do the other side so I'm not doing 4 separate hoists (just two) per vehicle. 

I didn't know that I needed a separate wrench ("breaker bar"?) to remove the nuts - but I am reading more and more to not use the torque wrench to do it - why is that -- to protect the other wrench?

And yes, I figured out that I'd need two sockets, which isn't a big cost.

Let me rephrase:
What items will I need to do the changeovers with relative ease and without breaking the bank. 

Changeovers will likely be free on both the Mazda and the RX - just the Forester at $80/year.  The purpose of the DIY is to avoid the hassle of having to book appointments, drop off the cars, pick them up, etc.  The $ savings are only relevant if I'm not spending as much to buy the equipment and then doing the work myself. 

It looks like in the torque wrench, breaker bar, and sockets, I'll be spending $97 (amazon), and then another $80-$100 for the lift and stands (unless I buy separate things for 2 ton instead of 3 ton).  Somehow, I'm at $200 and I have to do the work myself.

At this point, it looks like it'll take 2 years to pay off (assuming nothing breaks) from a strictly financial standpoint.

Tools are a lifetime investment.  You can't look at the price of a tool and say 'this tool costs $35, or I could get a shop to do it for $30'.  Tools have almost infinite re-useability.  The jack and jackstands you buy now to change your tires can be used in the future to do more tire changes.  Or to change your oil.  Or to do a brake job.  Or a coolant flush.  Same goes for the socket.  Buy a nice socket set, and all of a sudden you'll find yourself using it all the time.  Thinking of buying a house?  Guess what, that socket set comes in handy when doing your yearly lawnmower maintenance.  Or when trying to diagnose why your weed trimmer doesn't work (turns out having a hole in the engine casing is what prevents a two-stroke from running...who knew?)

Let me rephrase:
What items will I need to do the changeovers with relative ease and without breaking the bank.

Technically, you can do the job with the jack and the lug-wrench that comes with the car.  Zero outlay.  It's a pain in the ass, but possible.  A torque wrench is definitely advisable as over-torqueing your lug-nuts can damage components, and under-torqueing them can be dangerous.  That being said, I tighten mine by feel with a crossbar lugwrench, but I'm also fairly experienced at doing this sort of thing.  Eventually you get a 'feel' for it.