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Newell Gurus
Lug nut torque - Printable Version

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+--- Thread: Lug nut torque (/showthread.php?tid=5827)


Lug nut torque - bikestuff - 12-08-2020

Gurus,

Have you ever seen a recommendation to install wheel lug nuts with a torque wrench?  (Of course!)
Have you ever seen a recommendation to re-torque the wheel lugs after driving 5-50 miles?  Well, to be honest, I have seen the second recommendation but have never followed it.   It seemed to me that it was more like an ideal case and wasn’t needed in the real world.

I WAS WRONG!   

Today I was working with a friend to replace the caliper on my tag axle.   To access the brakes we needed to remove the wheel.   We used a 1” impact wrench to remove the lug nuts but did not measure the existing toques.

Once we got the caliper swapped. We put the wheel back on and tightened the lug nuts back on with a 48” torque wrench.  The process that we followed was:
  1. Mount the wheel onto the coach.
  2. Put the lugs nuts onto the studs and lightly tighten them using an impact wrench.
  3. Lower the wheel so that it just touched the ground (no weight on the wheel).
  4. Tighten the lug nuts using the torque wrench using the Alcoa recommended star pattern to 475 ft-lbs.
  5. Re-tighten each lug nut to 475 ft-lbs using a circular pattern.
At this point we felt great about the wheel mounting and went off for a test drive.   When we got back from the test drive, we re-torqued the lug nuts and were surprised that ALL of the nuts actually moved!   Not much (a few degrees)—-but enough to notice.

In the past I have had service work done that involved removing the wheels.   The service shop used big impact wrenches to re-install the lug nuts, and then pulled out a torque wrench to verify that the wheel was torqued enough.   This process is flawed in that it only ensures that the lug is tight....it does not identify or prevent an over-tightened lug.  

I noticed recently that Newell had checked the torque on my lug nuts during annual service.   I believe this is a great thing to look at before setting out on a long journey. 

So...what is the point?  I humbly submit the following recommendations.
  1. Get yourself a 4’ (48”) torque wrench and carry it with you.  The one we used is rated to around 700 ft lbs.  It has a 3/4” drive.  The lug nut socket was 33mm.  It was not difficult to achieve the 475 ft-lbs we were looking for.  
  2. Whenever anyone removes a wheel, be sure to follow up by re-torquing the lug nuts after a 5-50 mile drive.
  3. Never allow anyone to use an impact wrench to tighten down the lug nuts.  It’s fine to spin on the lug nuts but the final tighten should be done with a torque wrench.
How do you think about this?  Do you carry a torque wrench with you?   Do you use it to re-torque your wheel lug nuts on a regular basis?

RE: Lug nut torque - rheavn - 12-09-2020

As a safety precaution I do retorque my lug nuts after removal, but have never had a loose lug nut.

RE: Lug nut torque - kyleb - 12-09-2020

Yes, I carry everything I need to R & R a tire, I like to have options . . .

After reinstalling my wheels, I take a short trip & re-torque them. Then a bit longer trip & check them - if no movement then, I get lazy & mostly ignore them . . . .