Lug Nut Torque

[DFord79]

There is a basic rule for wheel torgue I learned from My local Les Swab dealer. If you don't have a manaul or instuctions on the wheel, lugs etc as to torgue. All Car type aluminum wheels (ie Airstream) should be torqued at 90 lbs. Truck tires on heavy duty pickups should be torqued at 110 lbs. duallys should be torqued at 125 lbs. Don't use an air wrench to tighten up the lugs on Anything. If you do.....warped rotors are soon to follow. check the torque of a newly installed wheel at 50 miles. After this....once a month for torque and air. BUT....WALK AROUND YOUR VEHICLE EVERY DAY WITH A TIRE THUMPER AND USE IT AND YOUR EYES.

[jimmickle]

Based on the fact that Airstream doesn't even know within two inches what the coupler height on my 2002 Safari is, or the weight within 500#, why would I expect them to know the proper lug torque. I believe what DFord79 just posted is very good advice.

I always use a CP 734 air impact with the proper torque stick to install wheels on my TV, cars and trailer. Never have found one loose when checked.

Always try to thump and feel temp at each stop.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

[quote=Cracker]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi,Cracker. First off, 450 lbs is way too much torque while useing a cresent wrench and a cheater bar. Best to find a socket or a boxed end wrench. Rather than buying a 600 lb torque wrench try useing a torque multiplier for these high torques.

Bob [/quot

Robert:

I hope that I won't have to change the ball again anytime soon - but your advice is appreciated! Since torque multipliers, sockets large enough for the ball nut, and the related breaker bar or, better yet, the box end wrench you mentioned, are all expensive tools - to only be used on rare occasions - what about using a large pipe wrench in combination with the cheater pipe??? Are your concerns those of a first class mechanic who doesn't want to damage the equipment - or more along the lines of safety? I can see where either the cresent wrench or the pipe wrench could create a false torque due to "squeezing" the nut - but would that be significant on such a large nut??? It's hard to change the "make do" habits of an old shade tree Model A Ford mechanic - but I'm listening!

Hi, Cracker. I suggest useing the right tools more for your saftey. A "fits all" Crecent wrench with an adjustable jaw usually has a sloppy fit and can spread under pressure. Not the best choice, but a pipe wrench, adjusted properly will not slip. The pipe wrench digs in. U-haul and other trailer hitch installers will usually take an impact wrench to your ball nut for free. Takes only a few seconds and they would like to know it's on tight in case you ever want to rent one of their trailers.

Bob

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by DFord79

There is a basic rule for wheel torgue I learned from My local Les Swab dealer. If you don't have a manaul or instuctions on the wheel, lugs etc as to torgue. All Car type aluminum wheels (ie Airstream) should be torqued at 90 lbs. Truck tires on heavy duty pickups should be torqued at 110 lbs. duallys should be torqued at 125 lbs. Don't use an air wrench to tighten up the lugs on Anything. If you do.....warped rotors are soon to follow. check the torque of a newly installed wheel at 50 miles. After this....once a month for torque and air. BUT....WALK AROUND YOUR VEHICLE EVERY DAY WITH A TIRE THUMPER AND USE IT AND YOUR EYES.

Hi, you can toss your basic rules out the window. [Les Swab] My trailer is torqued at 120 lbs. 90 lbs won't work. My tow vehicle is torqued at 150 lbs. 110 lbs won't work. And Ford duallies are around 165 lbs. 125 lbs won't work. Some smaller cars and trailers, this basic rule, would break the lug studs or lug bolts. Therefore I strongly disagree with the basic rule.

Bob

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

[quote=jimmickle]Based on the fact that Airstream doesn't even know within two inches what the coupler height on my 2002 Safari is, or the weight within 500#, why would I expect them to know the proper lug torque. I believe what DFord79 just posted is very good advice.

Hi, I don't know how your trailer got to be two inches off at the coupler, mine is dead on. And all late model trailers have the actual weight listed on the certificate of origin and your weights label inside of your trailer. If you can't trust the company who built your trailer, who would know better?

Bob

[scottanlily]

i went online to www.tirerack.com and much was said concerning hubcentric
wheels ,and many many pages of websites involved with this issue .I see that
tire rack doesn't install any wheels they say that are not hubcentric do to
lug failures and vibration .I also found that hub centric spacers are made for
many types of cars and can be special made also ,some are plastic centering devices and then there are metal types .The four wheel drive site talks about
the lug failure and issues with non hubcentric wheels .anyone who wants to look into this further as i am can go online ,google hubcentric wheels and look
into it .the plastic spacer type for centering initially would not be the right
part for load bearing on the hub ,go for the metal ones .they go by wheel
center hole size and the hub size for the right part .This 4 wheeler magazine
site talked about the issues of not having hubcentric wheels and related troubles .more food for thought on this issue .

scott

[scottanlily]

Hello everyone,
ARP fasteners is here in Ventura California .They are the world leader in all
types of fasteners from racing to industrial .I had a chance to discuss the stud breakage on these trailers with the aluminum wheels with Ron over at ARP. the catalouge they have shows the exact picture of the studs as sheared ,different photos and reasons .Impact shear was the one that looked the most like the ones seen on these trailers .Under torqueing seemed to be one of the reasons ,rather than over torqued as has been called as the reason for breakage .If you go to ARP at www.arp-bolts.com you can go to the portion of the site (recognizing common failures),there will be the photo
pictorial of the most common types of failures up close .torsional shear and
impact sheer were the most telling pics 2 and 3 .the impact sheer #3
give a good description of what is happening with the wheel studs .pic #1
which is stretched tensile overload does not look like the wheel studs that
have sheered off .ARP does offer wheel studs for many applications ,and
they offer them with 190,000 tensile strength and gauranteed not to shear
period .No automotive wheel stud can come near the strength of the ARP
wheel studs .I thought I would put up this info for anyone wanting to go
further into the stud breakage issue and find solid solutions for it .Ive used ARP head bolt and rod bolts in many engines ,results were fantastic ,excellent
torque retention and excellent quality .A note to say that the impact sheer is due to the studs being expose to stress or force againts them ,no hub support and the studs carrying all the weight of the trailer .

Scott