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Autopapyrus · Opel Zafira (B generation)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/opel/zafira/seasonal-wheel-swap-with-tire-mounting-and-balancing/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Opel Zafira (B generation): Seasonal Wheel Swap with Tire Mounting and Balancing

The Zafira B uses wheel bolts, torqued to 110 N·m (81 lb-ft). A seasonal swap consists of removing the wheels, demounting and mounting the tires on the rims, balancing, and installing the wheels with a two-stage tightening. If you are changing the tires yourself, you can remove the wheels at home and have the tires mounted and balanced on a machine at a tire shop.

Difficulty: Easy Time: 1-1.5 hours (including tire removal from the rims and balancing, 20-40 minutes per set at a tire shop) Steps: 12 Tools: jack (factory or floor jack), two wheel chocks, lug wrench or 17 mm socket, torque wrench (range up to 120-150 N·m (89-111 lb-ft)), tire pressure gauge, chalk or marker, wire brush, thin layer of copper or ceramic anti-seize grease for the hub centering ring

Part

  • 🔩 consumables: balancing weights, valve stems if worn, and wheel bolts if needed. Wheel specs: 5x110 bolt pattern, M12x1.5 wheel bolts (bolts, not nuts), 17 mm head
There's a full repair manual for this car Every system, wiring diagrams and torque specs — not just this job. Haynes and 6 more. See manuals →

Step by step

12 steps
  1. Park the car on a level, hard surface, put it in first gear (or P on an automatic), and apply the parking brake. Place a chock under the diagonally opposite wheel. Before lifting, while the wheel is still on the ground, loosen the bolts half a turn with a 17 mm wrench.
  2. Before removal, mark the position of each wheel (FL, FR, RL, RR). If the tires are directional (arrow on the sidewall) or asymmetric, follow the rotation direction and the "Outside" side when installing.
  3. Place the jack only under the reinforced jacking points of the body (where the sill has vertical stamped ribs/marks). Do not jack up on the plastic sill covers or on suspension parts. Raise the wheel 3-5 cm (1-2 in) off the ground. For work under the car or for leaving it raised for a long time, use jack stands, not just the jack.
  4. Remove the bolts and take off the wheel. Support the wheel as you remove the last bolt.
  5. Inspect the wheels and brakes: tread depth (recommended minimum by manufacturers is 4 mm in winter and 3 mm in summer, legal minimum 1.6 mm), sidewalls (cuts, bulges), and tire age (DOT date; replace tires older than 6-8 years). Check the brake pad thickness and the condition of the discs.
  6. Clean the mounting surfaces of the hub and the wheel with a wire brush to remove rust and dirt. Lightly coat the hub centering ring with a thin layer of grease so the wheel does not seize. Do not lubricate the bolt threads (the torque is specified for clean, dry threads); just clean off any dirt.
  7. At the tire shop: tire demounting, rim check for runout/deformation, valve stem replacement if worn, mounting, and inflation to operating pressure. Then the wheels are balanced on the machine and weights are applied. Ask for balancing of the complete wheel assembly, and for alloy wheels ask for adhesive weights on the inner side of the rim.
  8. Place the wheel on the hub, align the holes, and thread all 5 bolts in by hand until they contact the wheel. Tighten them in a crisscross pattern with the wrench, then lower the car to the ground.
  9. Tighten the bolts with a torque wrench in a crisscross pattern to 110 N·m (81 lb-ft). Do not use an impact wrench for final tightening, only for preliminary tightening at a low setting.
  10. Inflate the tires to the pressure shown on the placard on the door pillar or inside the fuel filler flap (values depend on tire size and load). Check the spare wheel as well.
  11. After 50-100 km (30-60 miles), check the bolt torque again. If the wheels were changed because you are fitting tires of a different size, also verify the size compatibility against the vehicle documentation.
  12. Storing removed wheels: label their positions. Store tires mounted on rims lying flat in a stack or hanging, and tires without rims standing upright, in a cool, dark place away from oil and solvents.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • Under-tightened bolts risk losing a wheel while driving. Over-tightened bolts, or bolts tightened with an impact wrench without control, risk stripped threads and a warped brake disc. Always finish with a torque wrench at 110 N·m (81 lb-ft). Never work under a car supported only by a jack. If the bolts or hub show stripped threads, cracks, or heavy corrosion, replace the part or take the car to a repair shop.