Strange and slightly worrying that the response times of the RAC can indirectly affect the response times of the ambulance service.

Don't you guys have some sort of priority service with the RAC (broken down ambulance = RAC cat A, numpty run out of petrol = RAC cat Z, etc...). Or someone else you can call out to come and change a tyre in slightly less than 4 hours?

Shouldn't really be a problem. If you tighten by hand as tight as you can then they shouldn't come off; when you tighten them with the air ratchet, if you over tighten them (which may happen) then you find you cannot undo them by hand when you get a flat by the side of the road.

Logically they need to be tight enough not to come off during use, but not so tight they cannot be undone by hand (with a wrench); so if you tighten them by hand with a wrench there shouldn't be a problem.

That's all fine, until the wheel drops off during a particularly tight turn.

Then The Firm realises that I fixed the problem myself.

This means no compensation.

Oh I appreciate that over regulation and compensation culture mean you could never change a wheel (for the Firm).

Facts however are facts, and the fact is the wheel and the nuts (which on most cars now are actually bolts) on a road car, race cars may be different, are designed to be changed at the roadside by hand. Now if the spare provided by the manufacturer is a proper spare wheel (not one of those silly thin things) then once you change it (correctly) by hand it will perform just as well as the ordinary wheel and as if it has been tightend by an air wrench, consequently there is no danger of it falling off.

If you look at the manufacturers spec / service manual and find the torque setting and tighten the nut/bolt with a torque wrench you'll be surprised at how little tightness is needed. If you look at the length of the bolt, one of the reasons it's that long is so that if it works loose (which it won't provided, you use a wrench with the wheel on the ground) you'll get a lot of uncomfortable (and noisy) driving before the wheel comes off.

That being said, wheels do come off for other reasons.

You should tighten them up as far as you can - stand on the wheelbrace if need be. Then - and this is the bit that people forget - check them again 50 miles later.

I saw you! Was it about 9.30am ish... You were standing with some bloke looking at a map on the bonnet. I thought "hm, if it is Reynolds, he's unlikely to be lost, so it's probably not him".
Don't think I'd have had the balls to go up to you anyway, in case it wasn't you and some highly embarrassing confusion resulted. Pah.
Pinkle

Yes, that was me, and the bloke was asking directions (I normally get used as an information booth - perhaps I should charge?). Actually he was the third person that morning to ask me directions.

And come and say hello, I don't bite (often), and if it wasn't me, no-one else on the car bites (apart from the bloke who's missing some of his fingers - he will bite if he's hungry enough).

I'll probably be there tomorrow, tucking into my McDonalds bagels...

I wasn't sure, didn't want to just amble over and interrupt. I'm not in again until next week now. I want to pour scorn on your predilection for McD's but I have a thing about their milkshakes. There's a smashing Italian cafe called Mondo's across the street from it though, down a side road. Worth a look if you have time. If I see you again I will spend some of my luncheon vouchers on you. :D

This damn heat is affecting my ability to form coherent sentences, sorry.

I wasn't sure, didn't want to just amble over and interrupt. I'm not in again until next week now. I want to pour scorn on your predilection for McD's but I have a thing about their milkshakes. There's a smashing Italian cafe called Mondo's across the street from it though, down a side road. Worth a look if you have time. If I see you again I will spend some of my luncheon vouchers on you. :D

This damn heat is affecting my ability to form coherent sentences, sorry.