Changing a van Tire?

[Guest]

I decided to change my own tire on the Step van and save some money LOL. I bough a 1 5/16 socket and already owned a 5 ft breaker bar. I had my son 160 lb stand on the bar and I 6'3 225# cranked on it and the nut wouldn't budge, im guessing about 400 lbs pressing on the outside edge of bar. Air impact seems the only way this jobs gonna get done? Maybe a piece of pvc over the 5ft bar? The reality of the situation is that when I do pop a tire who has the best towing insurance? Lots of variables but would have to be in all the States,like a tow boats US, type club 140 dollars and free boat towing for the year regardless of distance. My rig is a step van and not sure it would be covered by a rv insurance club?  What are your thoughts?  When a blow out occurs who do you use?

 

[highdesertranger]

wow 5' bar and couldn't break it loose.  something is not right are you sure they are not reverse thread?  if you couldn't do it with a 5' bar what's the tow service going to do? I myself would look into this a little more and see if I could figure out how to do this myself.  highdesertranger

 

[Spirituallifetime]

This is why you don't see commercial truck drivers changing their tires as the trucks get bigger and larger load capacity the tork specks get higher. Truck drivers call the tire store and they send out a guy with all the tools needed to change the tire or fix a flat tire on the spot. Usually it takes a 3/4" to 1" impact wrench to get those lug nuts loose.

 

[MrNoodly]

You might need to shoot the nuts with WD-40 or penetrating oil and let it soak for a while.<br><br>By the way, I watched as the shop mounted my new wheels. They used an air wrench to just snug up the nuts, then they used a three foot long torque wrench to tighten the nuts to spec. So if they can be tightened by hand, then they <em>should</em> loosen by hand. Yours might have been overtightened.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

You didn't say anything about how long the wheel has been on (you may not know) or how rusty the nuts looked.

I always put a thin coat of anti-seize compound on all of my wheel studs when I change wheels. It keeps the nuts from rusting solidly to the studs.

I realize this doesn't solve your current problem, but it could be a big help in the future.

Regards
John

 

[Guest]

I bought the step van used and the tires could have been on there for years?<br>I will buy some anti seize compound if I get them off!!!

 

[Zil]

Many tire shops don't torque the lugs. I have always redone my lugs after getting new tires unless I saw the tech tighten with a torque wrench.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

If you have some time, spray all of them with a good penetrating oil. PBblaster is, IMNPHO, far better than WD-40. Let it sit for a day or so.

If all else fails, I would take it to a truck garage and pay them to break the nuts loose with their super-heavy-duty impact wrench. I would then put the nuts back on, as tight as I could, with my breaker bar and socket and drive it home to finish working on it.

In a worst-case scenario, they may end up snapping some of the studs off, in which case you'll probably have to pay them to put new studs in.

But look on the bright side. Far better to have it happen there than in the middle of Death Valley!

Regards
John

 

[Guest]

I just found a shop that will lift the monster and change the tire for 15 dollars even if its 30 its a bargain!!! &nbsp;I go Friday am, we will see?

 

[Zil]

Somethings are better left to the shops.

 

[caseyc]

I personally have never changed a flat tire in my life, that's why I pay AAA roadside service, and have my mechanic fix things.&nbsp; However, I do realize that if I get stuck in the mountain somewhere in a remote campsite, then I'd be scr@wed. So what I did was&nbsp;to make preparations to&nbsp;have all the right equipment in my van in case of a flat tire, hopefully a park ranger nearby can help out.&nbsp; I have not one by two full size and identical spare tires for my van.&nbsp; Plus I have a full size jack, and those metal things that can hold up a vehicle.&nbsp; Plus have those tools to loosen the lugnuts and such.&nbsp; I don't even freakin know the proper names of these tools, but I do know that I have all the right stuff contained in my van in order to change a flat tire if the need arises! <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif">&nbsp; I did make some printouts of instructions from a Ford van manual on how to fix a flat tire for reference just in case I have to do this myself, haha! <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif">

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

True story. Back in the late sixties - you know, when dinosaurs still walked the earth - I worked in a gas station. There was a married couple who spoke english with a decided german accent. They were from West Germany, and they became regular customers.

They told me that when they got their drivers license in Germany, part of the drivers test was they had to jack the car up, remove one of their wheels, and replace it with the spare! If you couldn't do it, you failed the drivers test!

BTW, gas back then was around 30 cents a gallon. I got called a thief one time when we were charging 32 cents, and our competitor across the street was charging 29 cents!

Regards
John

 

[rokguy]

<EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">DonutRoller was thinking the same thing as Highdesert, reverse thread on LH side wheels on trucks your size.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Spiritual, truckers can't get those pesky Alcoa's off them steers but usually make it somewhere on a flatted rear.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Always good to know how to change a front steer tyre, you never know where your gunna blow one. Big wheels and tyres get real hot quickly in summer.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Geoff</SPAN></STRONG></EM>

 

[Lostinspace]

Take a quick picture of the stud from above. From that we can tell if the stud is 'right' or 'left' hand threads.

I remember Chrysler products had left hand threads for a while on the driver side wheels.

Also a 4' length of pipe over the breaker bar will give you enough leverage to usually break the nut loose.

Be careful.

 

[Guest]

Ok just had tires replaced 8R 19.5 &nbsp;1 5/16 Nut Reverse thread. Gun was a Northern tool 1 inch drive &nbsp;with 1 1/2 inch air line!!!! Tire came off like butter, Tech used 2 4 ft tire rods and got tire off rim and new back on with dawn dish as lube. Tire would not fill with air so they used a bead blaster to seat on rim. They had constant 175 psi air going in tire and put tank up to rim and opened valve and wham slamed on. I think as an emergency one could use liter fluid and a match. I have done that in the past and has always worked. So im thinking lifting the step van will require 10-20 ton jack on small 2x6 as base if on soft material, socket, Prybar jumbo with 4-6 ft pvc for extra leverage,2 pro tire tools 4 ft. lighter fluid or gas,you must be strong or its not gonna happen and a strong buddy wouldn't hurt.

 

[Guest]

Ok just had tires replaced 8R 19.5 &nbsp;1 5/16 Nut Reverse thread. Gun was a Northern tool 1 inch drive &nbsp;with 1 1/2 inch air line!!!! Tire came off like butter, Tech used 2 4 ft tire rods and got tire off rim and new back on with dawn dish as lube. Tire would not fill with air so they used a bead blaster to seat on rim. They had constant 175 psi air going in tire and put tank up to rim and opened valve and wham slamed on. I think as an emergency one could use liter fluid and a match. I have done that in the past and has always worked. So im thinking lifting the step van will require 10-20 ton jack on small 2x6 as base if on soft material, socket, Prybar jumbo with 4-6 ft pvc for extra leverage,2 pro tire tools 4 ft. lighter fluid or gas,you must be strong or its not gonna happen and a strong buddy wouldn't hurt. I guy didn't spin balance and said it wasn't necessary? I drove home and didn't feel any imbalance?