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Wheel Wrenches

About Wheel Wrenches

All of us had to change the wheels of our cars at one point or the other. Be it for an occasional checkup or when we got stuck on the road with a flat tyre. Wheel wrenches are like emergency kits. If you own a car, you will need them.

When you shop for wheel wrenches, it can be confusing to decide which one of them to buy. To add more complications, a lot of them look similar even though they have vastly different functions. It will be easier to decide if you have a basic understanding of the common types of wheel wrenches. Even though they all just turn the screws, some of them have special features to simplify the work. Our guide lists the most common wheel wrenches you will find to help you decide on the right one you need.

Different types of wheel wrenches

In simple terms, they are the tools used for turning the screws. As most cars and large trucks have hexagonal lug nuts, wouldn’t a hexagonal socket and a crowbar to turn it will suffice? If you get stranded in a deserted place and have nothing better to work with, the answer is yes. But if you want to do the work with a little less effort and without damaging the lug nuts, you should go for the proper wrench for each purpose. Here are the five main types of wrenches used in cars.

Breaker bar

This is the simplest wheel wrench out there. This is, basically, a lever and socket combination. The wrench socket varies depending on the vehicle. The lever will have a simple mechanism at the end that can attach to the wrench socket. To use it on the nuts, you have to fix them both together. With the right wrench socket, you can use a breaker bar combination on any vehicle from large trucks to small cars. But for nuts that require higher torque, the lever has to be longer. So, you might not be able to use a breaker bar that comes with the car on a large truck.

Torque wrenches

These wrenches are similar to breaker bars in look and feel. At first sight, you might not even be able to tell a breaker bar apart from a torque wrench. The difference between the both is that a torque wrench is used to apply a specific amount of torque to the bolt. Their application is mainly in tightening the bolt than unscrewing. Torque wrenches prevent the overtightening of the lug nuts. When the lug nut is tight, the wrench gives an audible click. You can stop tightening when you hear the click. Torque wrenches are always the preferred tool for tightening the nuts. But they might not work well when it comes to unfastening.

Lug wrenches

You will recognise them from the tool kit that comes in default with the cars. In-car toolkits, come fitted with the socket that works on those specific cars. And these are usually L-shaped wrenches. There is another type of lug wrench that looks like a cross with four different sizes of sockets at each end. These four legs also function as levers. The advantage of a lug wrench is that they are very cheap and durable. They can take a lot of beating and still works fine without any issue. No wonder they are the default tool in every car. They do not tell you when the screws are tightened enough, though. So, if you are not careful, you will damage the nuts.

Ratcheting wrench set

These are unidirectional wrenches. They only apply torque when you turn them in one direction. And if you rotate them in the opposite direction, they turn freely without any resistance. The advantage of a ratcheting wrench is the speed. You don’t have to take the socket off the nut and reattach it every time you complete a turn. Instead, you can rotate it back and tighten the screw again. Like the torque wrenches and breaker bars, these also come in two parts — a socket and a lever. It is the lever that houses the ratcheting mechanism. The sockets are the same as any other and are interchangeable.

Electric impact wrench

These days, professional car mechanics use electrical impact wrenches. They come with a slew of advantages that are essential for effective and efficient work. In these wrenches, you can dial in the torque you need when you tighten the bolt. And if the nuts are stuck, you can dial up the torque and loosen any unforgiving nut. As you might have guessed, they are not cheap. They operate using the air pressure from a compressor. A tube leading from one end of the tool connects to the air compressor. They let you do the task that would take at least five minutes in a matter of seconds. If you have a full set of impact sockets, you can literally use them on any vehicle. No matter how large or small.

Tips on how to buy Wheel Wrenches

Wheel wrenches are among the car tools you never wish to use when you are travelling. But having the right kind of wrenches can save you from difficult situations. So, when you need them, they better work well. All-wheel wrenches, except the high-end professional ones, are designed such that anyone can use them. They require minimal effort and are generally user-friendly. Here are a few tips to help you buy the right wheel wrenches for your car.

  • Buy the right socket types – There are a few different types of lug nuts found in cars. Even the hexagonal bolts differ from each other in the shape of their heads. They can be spherical, conical, flat seat, tuner style, etc. If you do not want the specific type of socket, you can go for the universal wheel wrench socket that can work on all of these bolts.
  • Buy the right socket size – Although most cars have hexagonal lug nuts, they vary from each other in size, as well. The best way to know the size of your car’s lug nuts is to refer to the user manual. But you can also measure them yourself. You can do this by measuring the outside diameter of the nuts and, in some cases, the shank depth.
  • Know the torque before buying the torque wrench – A torque wrench is better than a lug wrench to tighten the bolts. Using a torque wrench will help you avoid damaging the bolt threads. But before you buy them, look for the torque rating of the bolts and the wrench. If you are going for a variable torque wrench, you should make sure that the bolt torque falls inside the torque range of the wrench.
  • Consider the portability – The reason why a basic car tool kit has an L shaped lug wrench instead of a more efficient four-way wrench is the portability. A 4-way lug wrench is difficult to store in the boot of a car. Not that it is impossible, but it will take up a lot of space. So, when you choose the wrench, think about how you want to use them. Are you going to store it in your garage? Or, are you keeping it in your car trunk?

Now that you have the right wrenches for the wheel, you are good to change the wheels of your car anywhere. But when you do, make sure to tighten the nuts. Although cars are designed to self-tighten the nuts as the wheels turn, driving with loose nuts is a severe safety hazard. Also, don’t over tighten them. If you do, they can be extremely difficult to remove the next time.  Finally, don’t forget to check out all the other amazing products in the car supplies category. Here on our retail search engine, you can explore more than 500+ shops offering brands, such as Sunex, Halfords, ABM tools, Jimslimstools, and Grainger.

Question & Answer

How to use a torque wrench on the wheel?

Torque wrenches work similarly to a breaker bar. The only difference is that they have the added ability to apply a fixed torque. To use a torque wrench, you have to attach the handle to the socket that fits your car’s wheel nuts. Then you can turn the nuts with them exactly like a breaker bar. When you hear a click from the wrench, that indicates that you have to stop tightening the bolts. If you turn again, you will end up over tightening them. Also, when you use a torque wrench, make sure to use the correct torque rating. You will find the torque rating of your car in the manual.

Are wheel wrenches expensive?

There are expensive wheel wrenches that cost thousands of dirhams. For example, an electric impact wrench can cost around 2000 dirhams, if you count the cost of the compressor. But the simplest breaker bar can be as cheap as 50 Dirhams. A ratcheting wheel wrench can cost three times more than that. So, it all comes down to what type of car wheel wrenches you want to buy. But as a general rule, wheel wrenches are cheap. They are probably the least expensive item in your car toolbox. But at Shops.ae you can find many cheaper items without compromising the quality of the product.

How do I loosen a stuck lug nut?

A stuck lug nut can be a result of rusting or overtightening. If you think the former is the reason, you can try some rust removing sprays like WD-40. You can also clean the bolts with a wire brush and hit them gently with a hammer to loosen them up. In most cases doing these will solve the issue. If it is still not giving away, you will have to use an impact wrench on the bolts. Gradually increase the pressure of the impact wrench until the bolt comes off. For more assistance either consult a professional for help or look at the user manual assistance.