# What tools are needed to make changing tires easier



## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

rwg said:


> *I have a socket wrench that is not a ratchet. It's maybe 18" long and is great for "breaking" bolts loose. I have heard them referred to as torque bars as well. It is much easier than using the tool that came with the car. Also quicker as you can get stuff out of a tool box much faster than out of the trunk. You already have the socket and extension, so you only need one more tool if you want to try it. A battery operated drill and the attachment to fit sockets to it and you are set.
> 
> Changing the wheels at lunch time - that rocks. Yes, it makes the whole "clean" thing make more sense. *


thanks for the info :thumbup:

You just gave me a great idea . . . I'm going to go and buy the attachment for my Dewalt (I love that freaking drill) tomorrow.

about the lunch thing . . . yeah it was kind of funny, everyone thought I was crazy until they saw how much snow we got today.


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## bmw325 (Dec 19, 2001)

rwg said:


> *I have a socket wrench that is not a ratchet. It's maybe 18" long and is great for "breaking" bolts loose. I have heard them referred to as torque bars as well. It is much easier than using the tool that came with the car. Also quicker as you can get stuff out of a tool box much faster than out of the trunk. You already have the socket and extension, so you only need one more tool if you want to try it. A battery operated drill and the attachment to fit sockets to it and you are set.
> 
> Changing the wheels at lunch time - that rocks. Yes, it makes the whole "clean" thing make more sense. *


If you need a breaker bar to loosen the lug bolts on your wheels either you or a mechanic has severly over-tightened them. If they're tightened to BMW spec-- currently 88 ftlbs, the tool that's included in the tool kit is more than adequate-- and requires just a little bit of effort to use. Over-tightenting the lug bolts can lead to premature rotor warpage and is very irritating if you get a flat on the side of the road and can't loosen the bolts (and if you just want to change your tires). Most shops seem to have a bad habit of doing this-- so if I have something done to my car that requires the wheels to be taken off, I try to remember to check the bolts before I leave-- just to make sure they haven't over-tightened them. If they have I make sure to undo them and retorque them to the right spec.

As for the fake quad exhaust on M cars, this makes me lose some respect for recent M cars. A non-performance oriented feature that's only for show and impedes on the car's practicality and safety definitely sucks. It sounds like a small thing, but this would make me seriously consider never buying one-- it makes me call into question other "engineering" decisions as well. WTF was BMW thinking! Pretty stupid. Can't say i'm crazy about the tacky "air intake" vents on the fenders of the M3 either.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

JST said:


> *Well, the Passat has a north/south engine layout using a V (or W) configuration, so that would explain why they use real split pipes (or "true duals" in muscle car parlance) on those vehicles.
> 
> The M3 has a large, common muffler, as do the M coupes/roadsters (IIRC). The M5 uses a true dual arrangement, though the split into four is just for show, I believe. Again, this is likely down to the difference in engine layout; the I6 engines have all the cylinders on the same side. Ironically, of course, even M54 engine cars have true dual exhausts (at least to the muffler); they just run the pipes side by side.
> 
> In any case, the M mufflers are all about show, and the loss of a spare tire for optics is simply stupid. *


M Roadsters and Coupes have to completely separate exhausts. I have the two SuperSprints in the garage as proof. 

I haven't looked into (literally) the M3 muffler, but I reember reading somewhere that it really two separate mufflers in one can.

But even if it one muffler, the advantage of 4 pipes is twice the outlet area for lower back pressure.


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

Pinecone said:


> *M Roadsters and Coupes have to completely separate exhausts. I have the two SuperSprints in the garage as proof.
> 
> I haven't looked into (literally) the M3 muffler, but I reember reading somewhere that it really two separate mufflers in one can.
> 
> But even if it one muffler, the advantage of 4 pipes is twice the outlet area for lower back pressure. *


I stand corrected on the M coupes. But I bet it's a 6-2-4 arrangment, correct? It's hard to imagine the header design that would lead directly into four pipes, not to mention the expense of putting 4 cats on the car.

I'm no expert in exhaust system design, but ISTM that if you have two main pipes running from the header, through the cats, to the muffler, splitting those pipes at the end isn't going to materially reduce back pressure. Even if it does, is the 5 or so hp that you get from this reduction really worth a spare tire? BMW thinks the answer is yes. I disagree, and as stupid as it sounds, it's one of the main things that keeps me from buying a new M car. I *will not* sit by the side of the road in my new 50K+ dollar car waiting for some idiot to flatbed my car to the dealer because I got a flat.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

It all depends on all the pipe diameters throughout the system. Also even though as the gases run through the system they cool and contract, for best performance once past the header you want the system to get bigger for lower velocity, higher flow. Also the muffler adds a LOT of turbulance to the flow, and the larger tips will help move that turbulant flow.

Yes, the M Roadsater/Coupe is a 6 - 2 - 4 arrangement. But the 2 are separate all the way to the back of the car. The 2 - 4 occurs in the muffler.

It is not the 4 pipes that cost the space, it is the larger muffler for more flow, but still meet German TUV noice limits.

As for not having a spare, I have used my spare twice in over 30 years of driving. Once I was driving to town for new tires due to the tires on the car developing bubbles. The problem was "town" was 3 hours away, so a tire blew on the way.

The one time I did not expect it, it wasn't a flat actually, just a leak that was faster than I had air available. And the M kit has a compressor, so that would have been solved.

My wife has had two flats, but both were at the same time, so a spare wouldn't have helped. 

You do have the M Mobility kit that will seal and inflate the tire to get you home or to a repair center. Yes, the tire can't be patched after its use, but I do not believe in patching high performance tires anyway.

Of course, tires have changed over the years. 20 - 30 years ago flats were not common, but they happened every so often. 50+ years ago, flats were expected., Everyone carried both a couple of spares AND a patch kit.

To each his own, but to deprive yourself of one of these great toys just worrying about flats is curious.


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

Pinecone said:


> *It all depends on all the pipe diameters throughout the system. Also even though as the gases run through the system they cool and contract, for best performance once past the header you want the system to get bigger for lower velocity, higher flow. Also the muffler adds a LOT of turbulance to the flow, and the larger tips will help move that turbulant flow.
> 
> Yes, the M Roadsater/Coupe is a 6 - 2 - 4 arrangement. But the 2 are separate all the way to the back of the car. The 2 - 4 occurs in the muffler.
> 
> ...


We've had this discussion before, I think.  My experience with flat tires has been less fortunate than yours, and there have been a number of occasions where I would have been sidelined had I not had a spare.

FWIW, just recently I had a persistent vibration at freeway speeds. With a spare, it was easy to swap out tires and isolate the problem. Without a spare...

In any case, if I thought that the E46 M3 materially advanced the ball over my current car, I'd ignore the spare issue (and likely get a temp from a 330Cic for longer trips). But since I don't feel a burning desire to spend all that money anyway, the spare issue is just another nail in the coffin.


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## DrBimmer (Dec 23, 2001)

JST said:


> *We've had this discussion before, I think.  My experience with flat tires has been less fortunate than yours, and there have been a number of occasions where I would have been sidelined had I not had a spare.
> 
> FWIW, just recently I had a persistent vibration at freeway speeds. With a spare, it was easy to swap out tires and isolate the problem. Without a spare...
> 
> In any case, if I thought that the E46 M3 materially advanced the ball over my current car, I'd ignore the spare issue (and likely get a temp from a 330Cic for longer trips). But since I don't feel a burning desire to spend all that money anyway, the spare issue is just another nail in the coffin. *


Don't get me wrong... I love the current M cars, and would love to have one. The lack of a spare tire wouldn't keep me from getting one. I do alot of local driving, so I am never far away. In the event I had an unrepairable flat, I could always get help from AAA or BMW roadside to tow me home or to the dealer. It would be a pain in the ass, but I wouldn't have to worry about being stuck in the wilderness. This is RI afterall, we don't really have many secluded places to worry about being stranded in.

If I was going to regularly go on long trips or drive in secluded areas where I would be out in the wilderness all day if I broke down, I would probably buy a temp spare from a 330Cic like JST suggested.

Still, all that being said, it would be better if BMW could come up with a way to get a mini spare in there somewhere. Look at it this way, if the only thing I can find to complain about is the spare (or lack thereof), the car can't be that bad!


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

JST said:


> *We've had this discussion before, I think.  My experience with flat tires has been less fortunate than yours, and there have been a number of occasions where I would have been sidelined had I not had a spare.
> 
> FWIW, just recently I had a persistent vibration at freeway speeds. With a spare, it was easy to swap out tires and isolate the problem. Without a spare...
> 
> In any case, if I thought that the E46 M3 materially advanced the ball over my current car, I'd ignore the spare issue (and likely get a temp from a 330Cic for longer trips). But since I don't feel a burning desire to spend all that money anyway, the spare issue is just another nail in the coffin. *


Yeah, we have talked about the spare issue.

As for swapping tires to find a vibration, I can do that. I have a whole spare set of wheels with tires on them, soon to be at least 1 more and maybe 2 more sets. 

But I have had that problem with other cars and never used the spare. I can normally tell which one it is, and a quick look at that point normally confirms it.

And several people have bought the spare setup and carry it if it bothers you that much. 

As for raising the bar over your car, it does. It doesn't FEEL like it does, but it does when you run it head to head. The flat torque curve is very deceiving.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

DrBimmer said:


> *Look at it this way, if the only thing I can find to complain about is the spare (or lack thereof), the car can't be that bad!  *


Exactly. :thumbup:

Oh, I do have a couple of other minor gripes.  Let's see, the speedo is optimistic, the brake pads are dusty, but those apply to all BMWs.


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

Pinecone said:


> *
> 
> As for raising the bar over your car, it does. It doesn't FEEL like it does, but it does when you run it head to head. The flat torque curve is very deceiving.  *


We agree on this. But since I essentially never have an opportunity to use that extra performance, I do not consider the bar raised (when judging by my own personal criteria). What good is a fast car if it feels slow?


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

JST said:


> *We agree on this. But since I essentially never have an opportunity to use that extra performance, I do not consider the bar raised (when judging by my own personal criteria). What good is a fast car if it feels slow? *


Well, you could just drive faster. 

Actually it is getting to the point that some new cars are SO good, that they are no fun to drive on the street. Back in the old days  you could push your car to the limits on public streets, and no one would notice since you were going so slow. :rofl:

And considering your SIG picture, you DO have some occasion to use the extra power.

Actually a very good friend has a '95 E36 M3. Great car. I would love to add a M3 LTW to my garage, along with a E30 M3.


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## rwg (May 10, 2002)

robg said:


> *If you need a breaker bar to loosen the lug bolts on your wheels either you or a mechanic has severly over-tightened them. If they're tightened to BMW spec-- currently 88 ftlbs, the tool that's included in the tool kit is more than adequate-- and requires just a little bit of effort to use*


I happen to disagree on several levels. It's quicker and easier to use the tool with more leverage that is also more convenient to grab. "Need" is not part of the equation - the bolts are not over torqued. Convenience is. Obviously, there is no harm in using a tool that is capable of exerting more force than you use.

My original dealer must use an impact wrench though - I had a bolt on so tight after they took the wheels off, the breaker bar wasn't enough until it was extended. The impact wrench made now headway at all. I was more than a little pissed.


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## daddy2kids (Jan 13, 2017)

The ones I had with the car was stolen. I bought one but they weren't good as they bent a couple of months after use. I"m thinking of using battery powertool so it won't be a hassle changing the tires.


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## Our BMW (Dec 6, 2016)

Do you know you just raised a thread that was 14 years old.


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## crazy4trains (Mar 30, 2011)

Our BMW said:


> Do you know you just raised a thread that was 14 years old.


And you replied to it, as did I. :dunno:


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