Posts Tagged wrenches
Tips on How to Install Brand New Alloy Wheels
Posted by in Cars And More on January 27th, 2010
Installing alloy wheels on a vehicle is not as simple as it looks and you need a step by step procedure in order to do it as required. Much as it takes a few minutes, you need to be very careful when installing wheels to avoid any mishaps during the journey. Considering the fact that the wheels will most probably roll more than a million times and might travel over miles before they are changed or modified, it is important to proceed as required.
Before starting out on the installation process, it is important to check out the positions of the tires and match each tire to the correct wheel. When installing the new wheels in pairs, it is important to fix the new ones on the rear end, and the older wheels which are worn out at the front. The reason behind this is the fact that the rear tires play a huge role when it comes to maintaining control of the vehicle — especially on roads that are wet.
It is advisable to find out if the alloy wheels fit before installing the wheels on the tires, and this can be properly done by using the manufacturer’s manual for proper fit. This is done using hand tools specifically. and it is advisable to raise the vehicle to a higher level. It is also advisable to place the hoist; or the jack, on a flat and leveled ground. The nuts and bolts are then removed appropriately. Experts highly condemn the use of wrenches that have been designed to have a powered impact. Using a four-way wretch to remove the lugs is the best option; or better yet, a socket that is on a breaker bar because the impact wretch has a high chance of ruining the lugs.
The next step is to find out the fit of the new wheel on the hub of the vehicle, as some may need to be used with a centering ring. This ensures that the hub fits appropriately on the wheel. Ensure that the wheel’s circle for the bolt is identical to the one on your car, and that the wheel that is being installed comes into contact fully with the surface onto which it is being mounted. If these are not achieved, then you are advised to get in touch with customer support of the manufacturer’s company. A reliable way to figure out if the lug size is the one required is to try and fit them first even without having the alloy wheel in place. The same applies when you want to test the size of the bolt thread.
The next inspection involves the temporary installation of the wheel to clarify the clearance of the caliper used by the brake disc. Next, you should use your fingers to thread the lugs and then tighten them. You should not feel any resistance from the bolt or lug during this practice, and you should not force them to fit either.
After that, you are advised to put the transmission of the vehicle in a neutral state and then rotate the tires one at a time, ensuring that the edge of the caliper is not in contact with the inside of the rim. The final step is to ensure that the lug’s torque fits the specifications of the vehicle. However, it is advisable for you to get a technician to do this.
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Article Source: Tips on How to Install Brand New Alloy Wheels
How to Change Your Oil Filter
Posted by in Cars And More on July 3rd, 2009
Running a car can be a bit of a headache if you are not too technically-minded. There are all too many cars that have specific individual problems, and these problems can create difficulties that affect the running of the car. In order that everything runs smoothly, there is a lot of importance placed on the engine oil, as this keeps moving parts moving. That oil itself is never much use unless you have a good oil filter in the car’s engine. There is all the more importance placed on the quality of the oil filter in a powerful car, as these cars are considered high-performance vehicles and depend on the moving parts’ performance more than ever.
Replacing an engine oil filter is, theoretically, not supposed to be too difficult. In theory, the filter can be changed by hand. In practice this is almost never the case, because of the fact that oil – as most of us will be fully aware – tends to be quite slippery. Your hands will probably not be sufficient for this job, however, and there are wrenches available for this specific task. These wrenches will be quire simply a godsend as unscrewing an oil filter by hand will be virtually impossible even with a pair of gloves on. Latex or general work gloves will make the entire process a lot more manageable even if you are using the aforementioned wrenches.
When you access the oil filter, you may well find that it is screwed on pretty tightly. With the aforementioned oil making for a lack of purchase, you would be well advised to wipe it with a rag before you ever take a wrench to it. After using the wrench to loosen the filter, a few turns should get it to a stage where you can do the rest of the work by hand. As you are doing this, you should ensure that you have a receptacle on hand to catch any oil that drips off the nozzle and the sides of the filter as you take it away.
At this stage, again, it will be worth using a fresh rag to wipe the nozzle and the sides of the new filter for the purposes of ease of handling. You will be well-advised to smear some oil on the rubber surface of the gasket, as this will smooth the twisting of the filter on to the nozzle. A few drips will do, and if you smear them over the whole rubber surface it will create a firm contact point.
Once the filter is on the contact point you should turn it firmly by hand, ensuring that your hands or the gloves which you are using are free of oil or oily substances. It will become clear that the filter has “snagged up” when there is contact between the new filter and its holding plate. At this point you should give it an additional turn in order to tighten it up. Do not use a wrench when attaching the new filter, as this will potentially warp or break the filter.
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Article Source: How to Change Your Oil Filter
