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safari05-25 · 10-21-2006, 08:04 PM

I beg to differ with the manuals specs to torque the alum wheels to 110 - 120 ft lbs on a Safari. It's about all I could do to get 80 ft lbs with the lugs greased up, and I checked them since...seem plenty tight to me.
You people buying a new rig that think that the dealer is going to pull the wheels, check your wheel bearings for grease and what have ya.. better pull your wheels when you get it home. Because... I could not even break the lug nuts lose with a breaker bar, because all 24 lugs were corroded white between the lugs and wheels sitting down by the ocean for 2 yrs..
Had to use a heavy duty air impact to do the job, yet the dealer swore to me checking the wheel bearings was part of their dealer prep. That's part of $495 we pay...

overlander63 · 10-22-2006, 07:19 AM

The spc's are 110-125 lb/ft on your lug nuts. Maybe either your torque wrench needs to be recalibrated, or you need to find an 800 pound gorilla in your neighborhood to cinch the lugs up for you.
Also, grease is not a good idea for the lugs, as over time it can contribute to the lugs working loose. Try removing the lug nuts, and running a thread chaser down the studs, and through the lug nuts so they are clear, then re-torque them to spec. It is very important, especially with aluminum wheels, to get them properly torqued.

balrgn · 10-22-2006, 07:37 AM

]That is correct, Grease is bad gor that aplication!

Anti Seize Never Seize if anything...

Excella CM · 10-22-2006, 10:26 AM

Torque is an indirect way to determine the amount of stretch when bolting things together. The object is to stretch the bolt by a certain amount(about 1/2 of its elastic modulus) as if it were a giant rubberband. Too little and it will work loose-too tight and the bolt will loose its elasticity and/or possibly break. Torgue measurement is resistance to turning generated by friction on the threads and the nut touching the wheel, as a result, the kind and amount of lubrication on the threads is crucial to getting the right value. Proper torque specifications always denote whether the threads are dry, oiled, anti-seized, etc. For example, if torque values are based on dry threads and you use oil, the extra lubrication will lead to over-torquing. Wheel lugs, in my experience, are usually torqued dry.

Steel wheels are springy and compress when the lugs are tightened helping keep the nuts tight. Alloy wheels don't have any "give" and must be torqued tighter.

Wabbiteer · 10-22-2006, 10:28 AM

Fact of fastening - there are dry & wet torque specifacations to consider.

Search these forums for "wet torque" - if the studs or lug nuts are greased or anti-seized there is usually a 15% or 20% or greater reduction in desired foot/pounds torque to achieve the same fastener 'stretch' that provides the clamping force.

Don't subscribe to what I am saying without researching it for yourself.

dwightdi · 10-22-2006, 03:45 PM

Read your manual. Torque is spec. out as dry torque. If you are an average size guy, you will likely need a 1/2 inch drive torque wrench to achieve the required torque. The smaller drive wrenches have too short a lever arm and require considerably more force.

scottanlily · 10-24-2006, 12:48 AM

Went to the Nor Cal ralley this past weekend and some real nice people with an argosy lost their aluminum wheel ,all the studs sheared off .I think they had it worked on recently ,a tire or somthing ,so here we go again with
lugs shearing .The coach had some substantial damage done so thats really
a bummer .i haven't heard as yet of any steel wheel coming off ,and im
pretty sure its due to the wheels ability to compress at the lug as Excella CM
has said .It s the aluminum wheels that are having the studs damaged .
sounds like too much torque again on those studs .Maybe we all need to
be at the tire shop watching to ensure a torque wrench is being used and
used correctly .

Scott of scottanlily

ticki2 · 10-24-2006, 03:52 AM

It's a sad note but I have yet to see a tire shop or dealership or repair shop use a torque wrench on wheels, and I have been watching for several decades .

steelbird312 · 10-24-2006, 05:20 AM

Ticki2 has spoken more truth than we realize. It is OUR responsibility to ensure the safety of those we meet on the highway, as well as the safety of our aluminum panels from wayward wheels. The people doing tire work on our units are normally minimum wage, high school educated or less, using 450 lbs ft air wrenches, who never heard of lug stretch!
Buy, and religiously use a GOOD torque wrench. All 24 lugs can be checked and torqued in 10 minutes or less. Do the math. An aluminum wheel from Airstream is over $300. A tire is over $100. A side panel installed is over $4500. A torque wrench is less than $100, and our time is virtually free....free time? What Airstreamers love!

jimmickle · 10-24-2006, 10:25 AM

Sears currently has their torque wrenches on sale.

overlander63 · 10-24-2006, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ticki2

It's a sad note but I have yet to see a tire shop or dealership or repair shop use a torque wrench on wheels, and I have been watching for several decades .

I use torque sticks every time I put a wheel on a vehicle. A torque stick is an extension that has a predetermined "give", or "rebound" when using an impact wrench, there are different torques available. The ones for 100 pounds/foot are grey (3/4" hex) or brown (13/16" hex). I am the only one to use them in the shop I work in, the other guys just blast them on with an impact gun, no matter how much I preach about it. Torque sticks may not be perfect, but they are vastly better than just hammering away until the nut won't turn any more.

Frank S · 10-24-2006, 11:29 AM

Hi--Within the past year every shop I was in that mounted tires used a torque wrench: 2-Firestone, 3-WalMart ( 1 guy torques, and the 2nd guy rechecks the torque), 1-Dexter Axle where I had new axles installed ( 2 torques same as WalMart).--Frank S

Aerowood · 10-26-2006, 07:56 AM

Be sure to watch. I have made dealers lossen and retorque because they were running the lug nuts down with an impact wrench and then grabbing a torque wrench and checking. I pointed out to the dealer that the lugs were over torqued and putting a torque wrench on after useing an impact only proved that the lugs were AT LEAST the torque value. I also asked how often they had their torque wrenches calibrated and got a blank stare. I always Recheck torque after I get home and have found dealers torque to be off as much as 20flbs. I have to have my Torque wrenches recalabrated once a year and every time its dropped, this is a FAA requirment.

overlander63 · 10-26-2006, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerowood

I have to have my Torque wrenches recalabrated once a year and every time its dropped, this is a FAA requirment.

I get mine calibrated yearly, and repaired and calibrated if it is dropped. I am very hard of hearing, and can't hear the little "click" a standard torque wrench makes. Mine is electronic, and vibrates the handle when proper torque is reached.

ajanib · 10-26-2006, 12:54 PM

I'm the guy who lost a wheel last week, and all I can say is I'll be watching carefully in the future to ensure that my new wheels are torqued properly.

Coastalview · 10-26-2006, 01:04 PM

Next time I'll be a better neighbor and remind you

InsideOut · 10-26-2006, 03:42 PM

Terry, do you realize that last post was your 5,000th?!

Crazy ~

Shari

overlander63 · 10-26-2006, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InsideOut

Terry, do you realize that last post was your 5,000th?!

Crazy ~

Shari

Yup. No countdown to 5,000 here--just quietly posting away, it sneaks up on you. There are many others not that far behind, post-wise. We'll have to start a club, or something...