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[newbieman78]

please forgive my ignorance and stupidity. this may seem simple for some. i need to remove my wheels to place some spacers, however my 2007 335i did not come with any tools or a torque wrench. Also there is a cylindrical locking lug on each wheel....i dont have anything that will fit that, so how do i remove it?

so my questions really are, where do i get a torque wrench that will fit my 335i lug nuts? is it only at BMW dealership or can i get somwthing that will work at the auto store. Also how do i remove the locking lug?

Also people are always talking about torquing your lug nuts to desired specifications so as not to overtighten or undertighten. well how do i know how much i have torqued my wheels? do i need to turn the wrench a certain amout of times or what?

thanx ahead of time.

[Express]

get a torque wrench to measure how many ft lbs your lugs are at. and then set them to spec.

[TofuTurkey]

Originally Posted by newbieman78

please forgive my ignorance and stupidity. this may seem simple for some. i need to remove my wheels to place some spacers, however my 2007 335i did not come with any tools or a torque wrench. Also there is a cylindrical locking lug on each wheel....i dont have anything that will fit that, so how do i remove it?

so my questions really are, where do i get a torque wrench that will fit my 335i lug nuts? is it only at BMW dealership or can i get somwthing that will work at the auto store. Also how do i remove the locking lug?

Also people are always talking about torquing your lug nuts to desired specifications so as not to overtighten or undertighten. well how do i know how much i have torqued my wheels? do i need to turn the wrench a certain amout of times or what?

thanx ahead of time.

The locking lug is a wheel lock, you should have the key. It functions like an adapter between the lug and the wrench. If you don't find one in your tool kit (in the boot), you need to ask your Client Advisor for it. Usually people get two of them (one spare).

Any torque wrench will work, you need to get a socket that fits the lugs. I forgot what the dimension is though... If you search a bit (link is at top right of website) you can find that.

[newbieman78]

this is the only thing in my trunk minus the screwdriver. only that weird tool on the right. should i go to the BMW dealership and ask for a lug nut key?

[Mrbangis]

Is that all it came with??

[Nikolas]

Check your glove box. Sometimes dealers put the key in there. That thing on the right is a tow hook.

[newbieman78]

i found the key. it was in a box with spear wheel lugs. i bought a jack and a nice torque wrench. already put spacers on all 4 wheels. 12 mm in front and 15mm in back. looks really nice. wish i'd got 18s or 20s in back, but still great. 12mm are just perfect for front. its dark in vegas right now. will have to wait til daylight tomorrow to see how it really looks. thanx everyone

[TofuTurkey]

Originally Posted by newbieman78

i found the key. it was in a box with spear wheel lugs. i bought a jack and a nice torque wrench. already put spacers on all 4 wheels. 12 mm in front and 15mm in back. looks really nice. wish i'd got 18s or 20s in back, but still great. 12mm are just perfect for front. its dark in vegas right now. will have to wait til daylight tomorrow to see how it really looks. thanx everyone

Just to be sure... you got longer lugs to match the spacers, right? Sorry if you've already done this...

[Budgie]

most important.///dont fit new alloys and then find out the nuts are short lol.

[doggiedog]

I did my tool shopping this weekend.

I got a long 17MM 6 sided socket for a 3/8 wrench ($3), a 3/8 to 1/2 adapter ($3), 1/2 150 ft-lb torque wrench that can handle 150lbs ($29) and a 3/8 adapter for my cordless drill ($3). The reason why I got 3/8 was because I could not find a 1/2 adapter for my cordless drill and I could not find a 3/8 torque wrench.

I broke loose the lug nuts with the torque wrench and finished the loosening with the cordless drill then reversed the process the when putting the tires back on.

Edit: I purchased the torque wrench and socket at Sears, the drill adapter at Home Depot and the 3/8-1/2 adapter at Harbor Freight.

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by doggiedog

I did my tool shopping this weekend.

I got a long 17MM 6 sided socket for a 3/8 wrench ($3), a 3/8 to 1/2 adapter ($3), 1/2 150 ft-lb torque wrench that can handle 150lbs ($29) and a 3/8 adapter for my cordless drill ($3). The reason why I got 3/8 was because I could not find a 1/2 adapter for my cordless drill and I could not find a 3/8 torque wrench.

I broke loose the lug nuts with the torque wrench and finished the loosening with the cordless drill then reversed the process the when putting the tires back on.

Edit: I purchased the torque wrench and socket at Sears, the drill adapter at Home Depot and the 3/8-1/2 adapter at Harbor Freight.

For wheel work, every thing should be 1/2 drive. Second, NEVER use a torque wrench to loosen wheel bolts. If you keep with this practice you will damage the torque wrench and take it out of spec. Torque wrenches are only used to set the torque on fasteners, never to break the torque on a fastener. Get a nice 1/2 breaker bar from Sears to loosen the bolts.

In case you don't know, the wheel bolt torque for BMWs is 88 lb/ft. If you use use an extension bar, increase the torque a few pounds to compensate for the twist in the extension bar.

[doggiedog]

I was going to get a breaker bar but the Sears sales guy told me I wouldn't need it. It's not too much so I'll pick one up for the next time.

Thanks again Eninty!

[VMRWheels]

Originally Posted by ENINTY

Torque wrenches are only used to set the torque on fasteners, never to break the torque on a fastener. Get a nice 1/2 breaker bar from Sears to loosen the bolts.

In case you don't know, the wheel bolt torque for BMWs is 88 lb/ft. If you use use an extension bar, increase the torque a few pounds to compensate for the twist in the extension bar.

I agree what was said above. I would also like to add, after driving 50 miles i would come back and re-torque the wheels once again since sometimes the lug bolt will get loose with new lug seats.

-Charles@VMRWheels

[newbieman78]

yes i used longer lugs with the new spacers. i had the torque wrench set at about 88. you have to kinda eyeball it because you just get a range like 80-90, etc. another thing i wonder is, once you set the range on the torque wrench, and you start tightening the bolts, how do you know when you've reached the torque range? i mean, some guys are stronger than others and can turn that torque wrench more. How do you know when to stop? is it when you just can't go no more?

[ctgazer]

the trq wrench will start to click when you are passed your trq limit. the clicking means that it is not tightening anymore and you are just wasting energy.

[newbieman78]

cool. thanx. thats what i thought. i heard the clicking and then stopped tightening. just wanted to make sure though.

[madman]

Originally Posted by newbieman78

this is the only thing in my trunk minus the screwdriver. only that weird tool on the right. should i go to the BMW dealership and ask for a lug nut key?

I'm not being funny, but holy crap. Have you just been dropped on earth from another planet??

[John 070]

Originally Posted by madman

I'm not being funny, but holy crap. Have you just been dropped on earth from another planet??

One of my wife's uncles (actually 3 are mechanics) works in a garage. He mentioned two weeks ago that many people don't seem to be able to change a tire here in the US. He needed to remove a spare tire from under a pickup's bed, and asked the owner where the tools to access it are. The owner told him that anything to do with tires is handled by the auto club, so he had no clue. That's not unusual for the US, nor is not being able to drive a stick, not producing anything, and not saving money. We're not on another planet, just another continent.