[uhaulball]

I plan on changing out all the bulbs in my e90 that require access from the wheel wells.

What are all the things i need to lift my car and remove the wheels. I understand there is a specific "torque" to all the wheel lug nuts, do i need some sort of mechanical tool or what. What is everything i need to know basically. I've never done something like this before

Thanks. i look forward to a response probably from HRC lol.

[SoYank]

Originally Posted by uhaulball

I plan on changing out all the bulbs in my e90 that require access from the wheel wells.

What are all the things i need to lift my car and remove the wheels. I understand there is a specific "torque" to all the wheel lug nuts, do i need some sort of mechanical tool or what. What is everything i need to know basically. I've never done something like this before

Thanks. i look forward to a response probably from HRC lol.

First, you need some means of lifting the body of the car and the wheels off the ground in a manner that allows the wheel to spin freely.

Next, you need jack stands. Never, ever, should you work under or around a car while it sits on a jack. We all want you to be safe and continue contributing to the forum.

Next, you need a lug wrench. I haven't looked in the "tool kit" in the trunk in a while but I don't think there is one in there because of the RFT. So, you need to acquire one that fits the lugbolts.

This is all you need for removing the wheels.

If you're dead set on torquing to a specific value, you will need a torque wrench. But you need to know how to use it properly in order to get the full benefits. Some wrenched have a handle that pivots to give you feedback that the force you're applying is exactly 90° to the shaft. Other, more expensive wrenches have a dial that you set the required torque and turn the bolt until the wrench "snaps".

I have never torqued mine down with a wrench in 34 years of driving. I give the wrench a good body weight push at the outset and repeat after ten miles or so of driving. Impact wrenches at auto shops are usually out of adjustment and will over torque the bolts which can damage the threads.

[uhaulball]

thanks dude.

have u actually jacked up an e90 before?
i heard there is like some controversy over which kind of jack to use? whats the difference between regular and scissor. and there was a bmw kit too or something.

but about the torque, thanks. i think ill get one of them that snaps. do u know the specific torque of the lugs cuz im at college and i didnt bring my manual with me this time when i left. thanks again

[SoYank]

There are three types of jack: bumper, hydraulic, and scissor.

I haven't seen a bumper jack in many, many years. They've pretty much gone the way of the dodo since not many cars have the old style chrome bumpers the jacks were designed to fit. Basically they had four parts: a foot, a bar, a cradle and ratchet, and a pump arm. The pump arm dealt double duty as the lug wrench and hubcap remover. The cradle and ratchet and bar were kept together as a single assembly. The bar fit vertically in the foot and the cradle-ratchet assembly moved up and down the bar. The cradle had a small hook that would fit under the bumper. The pump arm would fit into a receptacle in the ratchet assembly. Moving the arm up and down would cause the ratchet to walk its way up the bar taking the cradle with it and lifting the car. To lower the car you would flip a lever on the ratchet frame and then pump the arm until the cradle released from the bumper. If you had the jack's foot misaligned and wheels not chocked properly, you could easily find yourself pinned underneath the car when the jack slipped and collapsed. The jack bar had to be long, a yard give or take, because the jack lifted the frame of the car and the wheel would stay in contact with the ground until the springs were unsprung. It was actually kinda fun to try to get the jack to lower itself by flipping the lug wrench lightly to get it to operate the mechanism by momentum but I think this would only work when there wasn't as much weight being lifted.

The hydraulic type works by pumping hydraulic fluid from a reservoir into a cylinder that pushes on a piston that pushes on the item you wish to move. Turning a valve allows the fluid to move back from the cylinder into the reservoir to, in the instance of discussion, lower the car.

A scissor jack has a pivoting frame that, from the side, looks like a flat diamond, <>. There is a screw with left- and right-hand threads that goes from the left and right points. Turning the screw, usually clockwise, will draw the two points towards each other. This changes the geometry of the jack from a short and long, compact shape to a tall and narrow shape. In doing so, the jack pushes up on the frame of the car (or whatever you're moving). Scissor jacks have a flat foot on which they sit and a shallow U-shape frame opposite the foot.

Each type of jack has advantages and disadvantages. The latter two can be compact which is advantageous for inclusion in an automobile; the former was bulky and complicated but functional. The hydraulic's main disadvantage is it can leak fluid. But it can lift a heavier load. The scissor jack has no fluid to leak but tends to twist if not perfectly vertical when used. They also have limited lifting capacity.

Floor jacks, like you see in garages, are hydraulic with elements of the scissor but without the screw. These can have heavier load capacity, three or four or five ton, but need a beefier frame and casters for moving around. Not something you need or want in the trunk.

I don't know the recommended torque for the lug bolts. It should be in the manual and the manual should be kept with the car. As you are finding out, a manual that is at home isn't doing you much good at school.