When you get the tires changed or rotated, do you let them use an air tool to remove the lug nuts? I am concerned that the can/will either over tighten them, put them on so they are impossible to remove, mar the lug nuts, or strip it out.
I have had two of these problems with my other cars. Do you tell them to losen them by hand then use the air tool, put it on with the air tool and then do the final work with the air tool?
I know this may sound ****, but when you are out in BFE at 2 am and you have one lug that just turns and will not come off.....well it just sucks.

REHUTCH

 

Impact is ok for removal. Tighten the wheels with a torque wrench. Spec is 90 ft/lbs.

 

Whenever a shop remounts a wheel for me I always retorque it when I get home.

 

Also if you change wheels you will have to reset the runflat tire sensor-read your manual.
And if you autocross or do track events check your lugnut tightness in between sessions.

 

I recently had brake service at a MINI dealership and was irritated that when I got home and changed my wheels, I found they had overtorqued the lugs with an impact wrench.

Factory trained mechanics who should KNOW factory torque specs should NOT cut corners like that.

 

You should also re-check them after 50-100 miles.

 

All you guys and gals realize that the MINI has (in true BMW style) lug bolts rather than lug nuts, not that it matters for torque specs, but some of you may be suprised the first time you go to change your tire !

 

Since the MINI uses lug bolts instead of the more common studs and lug nuts it can be a little difficult to remount a wheel, especially in the dark and rain. Strong-Strut sells a set of two wheelpins for US$25 which makes wheel mounting much easier.

I bought a set a long time ago for my Z3. The MINI and the Z3 have many common BMW parts, and the wheel lug bolts fall into this group.


Wheelpins

 

Also if you change wheels, you may need to get longer or shorter lugs. I know my Kosei wheels use a lug some 3 or 4 mm shorter than stock. Always use a torque wrench when changing wheels.

 

>>Since the MINI uses lug bolts instead of the more common studs and lug nuts it can be a little difficult to remount a wheel, especially in the dark and rain. Strong-Strut sells a set of two wheelpins for US$25 which makes wheel mounting much easier.

Hey Nick,

thanks for that tip. I just checked out that site, and sent off an email about ordering a pair. It's $25 which includes S/H.

 

Those wheel pins look cool. I'd sure like to try them once and see if I think they are worth it in saved time/effort.

I always like it when someone comes up with a clever and simple solution to a problem. . .





CAll me cheap, but I'll probably take a lug bolt with me next time I need to go to an industrial fastener shop and buy a couple long bolts with the same threading and then saw off its head. I'd be surprised if two such bolts cost more than $5. . . .

In fact, I'm almost certain that these pins are simply a bolt with the head cut off, tip rounded, and a hole drilled into it. . . .



_________________

SE Regional, BAMA Club Moderator: PM me

 

Hey Yucca,

Yep, that thought crossed my mind as well, but as simple as it is, someone went through the effort of making them, and I'd like to support that idea. Now if they were $25 EACH, that'd be a different story.


>>CAll me cheap, but I'll probably take a lug bolt with me next time I need to go to an industrial fastener shop and buy a couple long bolts with the same threading and then saw off its head. I'd be surprised if two such bolts cost more than $5. . . .
>>
>>In fact, I'm almost certain that these pins are simply a bolt with the head cut off, tip rounded, and a hole drilled into it. . . .

 

No need to use the screwdriver to mount the pins - finger tight is enough - but it's nice to have the hole in case they are hard to remove.

 

YuccaPatrol said:
HA! Air'ing on bolts is how the MORONs at Motor City MINI broke a bolt off my intake manifold. They used a 400lb-ft air gun to tighten a 15lb-ft spec screw!
:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

I can't express enough how representative this example is of their incompetence!

 

As long as you are gonna buy something, how about a set of wheel studs and nuts insted. About an hours's worth of toil and sweat. I thin $60.00 and you have studs, forever.......I hate lug bolts!

 

>> Strong-Strut sells a set of two wheelpins for US$25 which makes wheel mounting much easier.

A less expensive solution is to stick a long screwdriver through the bolt hole on the wheel, grab the screwdriver in one hand and the wheel in the other, stick the end of the screwdriver into the bolt hole in the hub, and then slide the wheel onto the hub.

My 80s BMWs came with a tool that seemed designed for this purpose, I forget if the Mini comes with something similar.


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<img src="http://my.athenet.net/~mtr/mini/minirowsm.jpg">
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04 Blk/Blk/Anthraccite MCS

 

FYI, I was always told to re-check torque on lug nuts after about 100 miles or so. I found mine do losen up a bit.

 

No idea why you would need pins on a Mini wheel, they aren't all that heavy and lug bolts are fairly easy to work with once you do it a few times. Maybe if you have rims that are not hub centric it might be an issue. Maybe its just because I am used to working with BMW and Porsche wheels... they make a Mini rim feel like a feather.

As for torque, it is also good to use a bit of anti-seize on the bolts, as it ensures accurate torque and ease of removal later. Especially if you autocross/race and have the rims off fairly often. I normally use an electric impact to remove, and also to spin them back on, but light on the on part. Then torque to spec with a good torque wrench.

 

>>No idea why you would need pins on a Mini wheel, they aren't all that heavy and lug bolts are fairly easy to work with once you do it a few times. Maybe if you have rims that are not hub centric it might be an issue. Maybe its just because I am used to working with BMW and Porsche wheels... they make a Mini rim feel like a feather.
>>
>>As for torque, it is also good to use a bit of anti-seize on the bolts, as it ensures accurate torque and ease of removal later. Especially if you autocross/race and have the rims off fairly often. I normally use an electric impact to remove, and also to spin them back on, but light on the on part. Then torque to spec with a good torque wrench.

Good advice and don't forget to anti-seize the hub for easy wheel removal later.

 

FWIW - be careful with using anti-sieze compund on wheel bolts (or any other fastener). Torque specs are based on threads being lightly oiled (emphasis on the lightly). Anti-sieze is very slippery and can lead to fasteners actually being over-torqued by some amount. I usually spray fasteners with a bit of good old WD-40 and thighten them up. If I notice any binding while torquing them, I remove them and put a light layer of motor oil on the threads and try again. That usually works fine. I generally only use antisieze on fasteners that get hot and that are exposed to the elements (e.g., exhaust system nuts and bolts, caliper mounting bolts, etc.).

 

>>YuccaPatrol said:
>>>>
>>HA! Air'ing on bolts is how the MORONs at Motor City MINI broke a bolt off my intake manifold. They used a 400lb-ft air gun to tighten a 15lb-ft spec screw!
>> :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:
>>
>>I can't express enough how representative this example is of their incompetence!

ouch. I'm going to go hug my MINI mechanics!

Had someone overtorque the MINI's bolts after I had them balance the wheel. I called them on it... oh NO, they'd NEVER use the pneumatic tools on ANY WHEEL!

Riiiiight.. that's why it took two people *jumping* on a 6-foot breaker bar to get the bolts back off. These two people weren't small people.

Had the Audi dealership pull the same crap. I think they're just too lazy to walk over and pick up the correct tool. It's no excuse, of course...

 

"Riiiiight.. that's why it took two people *jumping* on a 6-foot breaker bar to get the bolts back off. These two people weren't small people."

Maaaaan......some pneumatic tool that one....lets see two people at 150 lbs each0 300 times 6 feet WOW that is 1800 Ft. Pounds of torque......Ah wan't one of them babies.......

Of course, we all know all MINI's get their wheels properly torqued by a little guy in a white lab coat at the factory. His name is Herr Ein and he is an expat from the Fatherland living in England......takes him ten minutes per car and calibrates that there torque wrench every 20 cars, which takes another half hour. Pretty busy guy.....

 

>>In fact, I'm almost certain that these pins are simply a bolt with the head cut off, tip rounded, and a hole drilled into it. . . .

I am a tool maker(read fancy machinist), and yes indeedy that's all this is,and as for $25 2 long bolts of the same thread:MAYBE $2.00,1 hack saw blade:$.89,a little yankee ingenuity and frugality:priceless(you really shouldn't even need the holes and if you feel you do,add :1 drill:$1.59).$25! good grief,no wonder so many people are outsourcing work outside the USA.