Asking Mechanic to Torque Lug Nuts

[Cobalt]

Originally Posted by WhereStream

Manual says to torque after 10, 25 and 100 miles. Do people really do this?

We do, at the start of a trip.

I then check the torque every now and then.

Isn’t that when you accept a new AS? And after that they r3commend before each “trip.” I do it every couple of weeks if I haven’t and before a trip. That’s why you need to do it yourself.

[SilverWind]

I believe the 10, 25, 100 mile torque is for new aluminum wheels. Aluminum will compress and lug nuts can loosen a bit when wheels are new.

I normally torque before a trip and every two weeks into the journey.

[Omega Man]

After reading 61 post on wheel torque and techniques. No mention on how the trailers are being jacked up. I would never leave my trailer with a mechanic assuming the correct jacking points will be used. Personally I would stay with in eye site of the trailer and make sure the mechanic does it according to my manual.

[Tony Lee]

You still need to watch the torque wrench "fakers" who haven't a clue what they are doing and why.
They rattle away at the nuts with the same rattle gun they use on truck wheels and then make a big show of digging the torque wrench out from under years of junk piled up under the bench in the far corner.
Then, without asking what torque you need they make a big show of fitting the socket to each nut, groaning mightily as they lean on the handle until it clicks and then a big grin as they give you a "told you our rattle gun was calibrated" look. Trouble is, not once has any nut rotated a single degree using the torque wrench, showing quite clearly that the rattle gun way over tightened all the nuts.

Torque sticks certainly do limit the potential overtorque but leaving it chugging away at the nut for more than a couple of seconds must still result in a degree of overtightening.

The other BIG fault is slopping a heap of antisieze all over the studs and face of the rim. If the specification is clean dry threads, then this common malpractice can easily result in double the specified stud strain

[rmkrum]

Sigh. Seen this too many times. That’s why I do it myself.

[Moflash]

I carry a torque wrench and proper socket and torque my own every 4 fuel fill stops.Peace of mind....

[Alumineer]

Originally Posted by Life is a Highway

Aluminum rims do need more torque than steel.

I agreed with everything else that you wrote but as a point of fact, Toyota specifies 154 foot-pounds on my 2013 Tundra for steel wheels, but only 97 for aluminum wheels. That is with 14 mm studs.

Best advice is to read the manual for your specific setup, and know how to use your tools.

[Bob662]

Originally Posted by Tony Lee

The other BIG fault is slopping a heap of antisieze all over the studs and face of the rim. If the specification is clean dry threads, then this common malpractice can easily result in double the specified stud strain

Absolutely right. BUT, I prefer to grease my wheel studs, then reduce specified torque values by 30%. I like lubing the studs because the wheel nuts are easier to remove (they don't rust together).

Here are the rules:
If lubed with oil, reduce specified torque values by 20%
If grease, reduce by 30%
If nevr seize or similar, reduce by 40%

It's critical to know which wheel studs are lubed, or not, and with what. That's why I lube all of mine only with grease, on all trailers, so there's no confusion about whether to use the manufacturer's specified torque values, or a lesser value as per above.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by Bob662

Absolutely right. BUT, I prefer to grease my wheel studs, then reduce specified torque values by 30%. I like lubing the studs because the wheel nuts are easier to remove (they don't rust together).

Here are the rules:
If lubed with oil, reduce specified torque values by 20%
If grease, reduce by 30%
If nevr seize or similar, reduce by 40%

The problem is that it isn’t a rule, it is a guess.

The reduction in required torque to achieve a specified clamping force has been shown to vary with lube application, torque spec, thread design, and so on, not just lube spec. There are studies reporting from 10% to 70% reductions.

A significant point is that a dry torque spec is the most repeatable. Others show a scatter, and can be non-linear over a range of torques.

Keep them dry, and trust the torque spec. Or lube them and don’t bother to measure the torque, unless the torque spec is for a specific lube, and validated with a load cell or measure of fastener elongation.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by Tony Lee

.
Torque sticks certainly do limit the potential overtorque but leaving it chugging away at the nut for more than a couple of seconds must still result in a degree of overtightening.

Not so.

I know it seems counterintuitive, but the way an impact actually works on fasteners, when that torque stick starts flexing, the fastener is done getting tight.

[farafield]

Originally Posted by Moflash

I carry a torque wrench and proper socket and torque my own every 4 fuel fill stops.Peace of mind....

So are you loosening and re-torquing or just checking without loosing first?

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by farafield

So are you loosening and re-torquing or just checking without loosing first?

If a person loosened the nuts every time before retorquing, wouldn't this set up an endless cycle where retorquing is required every 25 miles?

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

If a person loosened the nuts every time before retorquing, wouldn't this set up an endless cycle where retorquing is required every 25 miles?

I would never loosen then re-torque a bolt or nut. I have a clicker wrench and when it clicks I know the nut is tight. I also have a 2' "breaker bar" for removing lug nuts on the road and air impact at home, again for removing the nuts. Tightening is always by hand.


I use to race "showroom stock" sports car endurance events ( 2, 6, 12 & 24-hour races) lots of wheel changes and even brake changes Every year there were a few cars that had to be towed in after losing a wheel.

There is a saying in Endurance racing "To Finish First...First, you have to Finish.
I decided to require the use of torque wrench after every wheel change for the final tightening. We had 4 wrenches on hand. In 20 years of racing including winning 6 consecutive class wins at 24-hour events, we never lost a wheel or had any problems with lug nuts.
We did prepare all our lug nuts before each event with a "spritz" of WD-40 so they worked on and off without any problems, even with red hot brakes heating the hubs.

[Halford1]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Good call, Kim, thanks for starting this thread.

In addition to the standard cross bar referenced earlier, to "break" lug nuts loose, your toolbox should also include a 1/2" drive breaker bar, some 6"/9" extensions, and a deep/thin wall socket to fit your lug nuts. A complete 1/2" drive socket set is advisable, as well as 1/4" and 3/8" drive socket sets IMO.

Happy Trails!

Peter

I just bought torque wrench, long rachet, but have not bought the socket. I plan to buy a deep socket but anyone know the exact size for 2017 sport Bambi 16RB?

[Tony Lee]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

Not so.

I know it seems counterintuitive, but the way an impact actually works on fasteners, when that torque stick starts flexing, the fastener is done getting tight.

Not in all cases.
Or maybe never

https://youtu.be/6ccxHCwnQPY

[farafield]

Originally Posted by Halford1

I just bought torque wrench, long rachet, but have not bought the socket. I plan to buy a deep socket but anyone know the exact size for 2017 sport Bambi 16RB?

My 2018 16 uses 13/16 lug nuts. I wish I could remember how I found that out -- it took some digging!

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

If a person loosened the nuts every time before retorquing, wouldn't this set up an endless cycle where retorquing is required every 25 miles?

Hi

..... all this chat about torque wrenches in the thread seems to have now attracted some crazy looking advertising from Home Depot ... weird ....

As mentioned above, the thread has split into multiple different topics. Welcome to a very normal thread a few pages in .

Topic 1 = putting the right torque on a bolt when you first tighten it down.

Topic 2 = checking you bolts for tightness as you roll down the road.

(there are topics as well).

Both 1 and 2 above use a torque wrench and get referred to as "torquing a bolt". The gotcha is that you do each of the above differently to do it right. Indeed, for the first pass you want to start with the bolt loose. For the "check" passes, you just use the wrench. In the first case you are pulling the bolt down to the required level. In the second case you simply are making sure it's tight without breaking the bolt.

Bob

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

..... all this chat about torque wrenches in the thread seems to have now attracted some crazy looking advertising from Home Depot ... weird ....

As mentioned above, the thread has split into multiple different topics. Welcome to a very normal thread a few pages in .

Topic 1 = putting the right torque on a bolt when you first tighten it down.

Topic 2 = checking you bolts for tightness as you roll down the road.

(there are topics as well).

Both 1 and 2 above use a torque wrench and get referred to as "torquing a bolt". The gotcha is that you do each of the above differently to do it right. Indeed, for the first pass you want to start with the bolt loose. For the "check" passes, you just use the wrench. In the first case you are pulling the bolt down to the required level. In the second case you simply are making sure it's tight without breaking the bolt.

Bob

^
Yep...Torque once at the start.

By "check" you mean...waiting until the wheel reaches ambient temp, and checking tightness with your breaker bar.... Correct?

If folks are 'checking' by loosening and 're-torqueing' it would require stopping again and again until you reach your destination.

You do NOT use the torque wench to check tightness...One of the reasons I use a + wheel wrench on the road. It has a 1.5ft long up breaker bar and 1.5ft long down breaker bar, easy loosey, tiddy tighty.
Plus it also works on the Burb with it's larger lug nuts.

In my experience...Corrosion and rust on mating surfaces has been the most common reason for wheels loosening after new tires have been installed....the wheel & flange MUST be smooth & rust free....rust smoosh's.

Bob

[DavidsonOverlander]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

^
Yep...Torque once at the start.

By "check" you mean...waiting until the wheel reaches ambient temp, and checking tightness with your breaker bar.... Correct?

If folks are 'checking' by loosening and 're-torqueing' it would require stopping again and again until you reach your destination.

You do NOT use the torque wench to check tightness...One of the reasons I use a + wheel wrench on the road. It has a 1.5ft long up breaker bar and 1.5ft long down breaker bar, easy loosey, tiddy tighty.
Plus it also works on the Burb with it's larger lug nuts.

In my experience...Corrosion and rust on mating surfaces has been the most common reason for wheels loosening after new tires have been installed....the wheel & flange MUST smooth rust free....rust smoosh's.

Bob

Yes, don't use a torque wench, it's not worth the bother to hire someone else to do this job!

I do, however, use a torque wrench to check tightness after I've driven a bit. Is there a reason I shouldn't be using a torque wrench for that? I'm not loosening and re-torquing.

[azflycaster]

I also use a torque wrench to verify the tightness of the lug nts. I do not loosen them, I just crank the wrench until it clicks. The nut almost never moves meaning the nut was tight.

I would think that using a breaker bar could cause the nut to be over tightened which could cause a lug to fail.