Going Nuts

The other day I had posted a question on the HVK forum about my Duster's spare wheel. My question was - does the same bolt work for the steel wheel as well as the alloy wheel when you put it in the cradle? Someone said yes but it requires a different set of lug nuts.

I got one of the biggest jolts of my Duster ownership life. Now where the hell are those different nuts for the steel wheels? I was never explained this during delivery, some 30 months ago. I cannot remember this at all. I have to buy these before leaving the city. Not only that I have to use them at least once to see if they fit. So many thoughts were racing through my mind. Like where do I buy them from? Chandni or Maheshtala workshop?

Somehow, I thought let me give the boot a try !! I mean I literally gave it a boot !! And sure enough I found a small plastic blister pack with five lug nuts neatly tucked in a corner of the boot for the last 30 months. Made in Italy !! And I never knew anything about it. Come to think of it.

In this period I have done umpteen Katwa-Kolkata trips. One trip to Delhi and Bharatpur and another to Jagdalpur!!! I had no idea that the spare wheel uses a different set of lug nuts. I just cannot imagine this.

These lug nuts are a little different from the type I had for my Esteem. They were just four fat nuts. Perhaps a little cylindrical. These are like hex nuts on top of a fat screw. More like a bolt. I don't know what they are or should be called. Perhaps lug bolt.

I have to change the wheel at least once before I start off on the journey to Ranthambore on 6th October. I guess I will do it tomorrow (Mahalaya holiday) at the Deshapriya Park petrol pump, after filling in air in the spare wheel.

I intend to replicate an exact puncture situation without the puncture. That is take out the spare wheel. Take off the alloy wheel after jacking the car up. Put the spare on. Put the alloy on the cradle and drive off.

This will answer a lot of unanswered questions like is the jack strong enough? Is the spanner good enough? Or do I get some after market solution from Chandni?

As of now, I have another unanswered question. Is there any notch where you place the jack? My Peugeot had them. Does the Duster have them too? Have to find it out.