Aloha all,
On the bottom of the rear hatch =
of my '89
Wolfsburg, next to the latch, is a yellow warning sticker in five
languages. The English version reads
"CAUTION When changing =
wheels use
only approved tyres and wheels and the specified wheel bolts/nuts. =
Fit wheel fasteners without lubrication. Contact =
your
VW/Audi dealer."
Since Volkswagen felt strong enough =
to go
through the trouble of attaching such a specific sticker, and printed
the no lubrication part in bolt print, I feel they must have a =
good
reason.
Where they placed the sticker would =
make
sense on my old bus model, with the spare in the rear, but not =
on the
vanagon. Would have made more sense to put the sticker on the bag =
that the
jack is in, or on the jack itself.
I use an eighteen inch breaker bar =
and socket
with my wheels, since the provided lug wrench is too difficult to =
use.
Funny that the owner's manual gives =
torque
specifications, and a highlighted warning that "accumulated road dirt =
must be
removed from inside and outside of the wheel nut/bolt holes to assure a =
secure
mount...", but does not mention anything about not lubricating the
fasteners. Could be something VW discovered later.
By the way, this winter, the surf =
got
high enough to wash over the road in some areas. We can =
honestly
say the we also have road salt in the winter in Hawaii.
Aloha,
Alan
"89 Wolfsburg
Honolulu, Hawaii