Torque for Wheel Lugnuts

[Jonathan]

Good tip.

Oh, that's up to you. Depends on whether you liked your lunch or not I guess? 10% perhaps if the service was adequate.

[Michael]

So me standing on the end of my lug nut wrench and thinking "meh, good enough" is not scientific enough?

Worked for me for the past 25 years. Never had a wheel come loose or warp. Funny how 70lbs is safe but 90 will warp a wheel...WTF are these wheels made of?
I like to follow maintenance rules but I don't take it overboard. For example you will never see me asking about the torque numbers for the screws that hold the center console in place.

[Mark D]

For example you will never see me asking about the torque numbers for the screws that hold the center console in place.

47 inch-lbs for anyone who's wondering.














Just kidding, I pulled that number out of my ass.

[Jonathan]

...Just kidding, I pulled that number out of my ass.

Limited room to work in that kinda space. I'd suggest a crow's foot extension might help.

[David T]

Overtorquing lug nuts can cause problems. One one car the owner put alloy rims on. While we were driving on a caravan he lost some of his lug nuts. We all took one of each of our wheels to get him rolling again. Alloy wheels can distort from the pressure of the lug nut and actually get looser as the metal flows away from under the lug nut. You can crack the rim from too much pressure too. BTW that owner who lost his lug nuts was ROB GRADY on his green car! So if it can happen to him it can happen to anyone. If the factory went through the trouble of revising a torque it is worth adhering to it. When was the last time you had your torque wrench recalibrated? Just how accurate is it? Could it be off 10lbs? Could your 70 really be 80 or 60? Most torque values are + - 10% anyway.

[Bitsyncmaster]

When was the last time you had your torque wrench recalibrated?

Where did you get yours recalibrated?

[PJ Grady Inc.]

"It does seem low, but so does putting 23 psi of air pressure in the front tires." The front tire pressure spec was later ammended to 25lbs btw.

FWIW I decided early on that 65lb's when done by hand just felt much more secure without going overboard. After torqueing several thousand lug nuts this way I discovered the "torque stick" which allowed my to use a impact gun and still maintain the desired torque setting. It changed my life.....saving me countless extra hours to devote to higher pursuits! I carried over my preferred setting by using the 65lb stick and have never lost a wheel or damaged a lug nut in all the years.
Guess what torque spec I recommend?
Rob

[SS Spoiler]

Coming back from I think Kens first DCS in Cinncinaty? at 11:30 at night
the car suddenly started rattling and clunking badly. Yelling " Mayday Mayday"
in the CB [remember those?] we all pulled over to see what happened. Walking
around the car we couldn't find anything until we heard "aha". My right rear
wheel had only one lug nut showing. Three studs had broken off and the last
one was bent. Flat bedded to the next dinky town to a motel. Next morning
I managed get the brake disk off and pound the old studs out with a rock!
The town of 450 had a NAPA, picked up some studs and we were on the road
by ten. I have always used a torque wrench at 65 lbs. Go figure.....

[Jonathan]

"It does seem low, but so does putting 23 psi of air pressure in the front tires." The front tire pressure spec was later ammended to 25lbs btw.

Hadn't realized that got amended. Did that make it into any of the literature, like a technical bulletin or something similar?

[DMC5180]

Coming back from I think Kens first DCS in Cinncinaty? at 11:30 at night
the car suddenly started rattling and clunking badly. Yelling " Mayday Mayday"
in the CB [remember those?] we all pulled over to see what happened. Walking
around the car we couldn't find anything until we heard "aha". My right rear
wheel had only one lug nut showing. Three studs had broken off and the last
one was bent. Flat bedded to the next dinky town to a motel. Next morning
I managed get the brake disk off and pound the old studs out with a rock!
The town of 450 had a NAPA, picked up some studs and we were on the road
by ten. I have always used a torque wrench at 65 lbs. Go figure.....

Many tire shops recommend you come back a few days later if possible to the lug nuts checked.

It's also possible that human error occurs. I was standing at the service desk of a local tire and brake shop. The shop owner had been working on finishing up truck that he had installed new tires on the rims when I walked in. He left what he was doing to help me. Meanwhile the owner of the truck comes in to to get his vehicle. The truck owner settles his bill and hops in the truck and backs out of the shop and leaves the premises. About 2 minutes went by and the phone rings at the service desk. It was the guy who
had just left. He made it 3/4 mi down the street and both passenger side tires were clunking severely. The shop owner was mortified when he realized he forgot to check the torque on all the wheels. I saw him put all wheels and nuts on by hand . Then I remembered seeing him torque the drivers side. At that point he stopped what he was doing to assist me and never went back and did the other side.

Human error caused by distraction.


I'm glad Rob Grady agrees with me by using 65 ft lbs.


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