I swopped my wheels front-to-back at the weekend (so I can wear out the noisy Continentals quicker) and noticed that the supplied tool kit doesn't seem to include anything to get the centre caps off the alloys?

It does have a screwdriver - but it's a Philips!

Is there something somewhere else?

pearce_jj said:

I swopped my wheels front-to-back at the weekend (so I can wear out the noisy Continentals quicker) and noticed that the supplied tool kit doesn't seem to include anything to get the centre caps off the alloys?

It does have a screwdriver - but it's a Philips!

Is there something somewhere else?

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Yeah a little bit of an oversight. I've put a cheap flathead screwdriver in the boot for this very reason

It's a double screwdriver. Pull the shaft out of the head and put it back in the other way

Although, I didn't realise this when I had a puncture the other week.....

zanes said:

It's a double screwdriver. Pull the shaft out of the head and put it back in the other way

Although, I didn't realise this when I had a puncture the other week.....

Click to expand...

Aha! Thanks

zanes said:

It's a double screwdriver. Pull the shaft out of the head and put it back in the other way

Click to expand...

WOW! Even Dr.Who can't do that

Ah, problem solved then

Thanks!

All Fiats, Lancia's and recent Alfa's have had the "special" screw driver in the tool kit for years (our 80's Panda did, and so did my Delta and Alfa 155, can't remember if the Strada did though).

Think they had it in the original 500s, 600s and 850s. My 124 saloon and 124CC Coupe had it in a small grey box along with the wheel brace and a few spanners.

Dave.

Phew! the RAC man will be okay then whenever I need a wheel changed.................

Those caps are hard to get off. I put copper grease round the wheel's lip to help them pop off. If I have to go to a garage im removing the caps myself beforehand.

A lot of people say continental tyres are loud but on one road surface they are silent and on others they can be loud. So im putting the sound down to this country's road surface.

Adrian Bravo said:

Those caps are hard to get off. I put copper grease round the wheel's lip to help them pop off. If I have to go to a garage im removing the caps myself beforehand.

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Very wise - one of mine was broken and another scratched.

Adrian Bravo said:

A lot of people say continental tyres are loud but on one road surface they are silent and on others they can be loud. So im putting the sound down to this country's road surface.

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This is true, it's that visibly coarse tar that's worst in the 500. However just swapping the fronts from contis to Eagle F1's I measured a 2dB(A) reduction pretty much consistently and the noise level is very noticably reduced.

My covers come off just fine with the supplied twin ended screwdriver, and the wheels are a doddle to change too.