how much do you torque your wheels?
11-12-2014, 10:00 AM
#11
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 337
I hate to rain on your parade, but I am a mechanical engineer for a transit system. We change wheels on a daily basis on a fleet of over 1000 buses.
If the person who checked your wheels just put a torque wrench to your lug nuts and pulled until it clicked, all he verified was that they are 'at least' 100 ft-lbs. Most likely they are all over torqued. The proper way to check them is to loosen each one and re-torque them to 100 ft-lbs.
If they were done this way, there would be no way he would have known if they were done correctly in the first place.
Please do not take this personally. I have seen first hand what can happen when torqueing is not properly done. We had a bus lose a wheel on an interstate with passengers aboard. Fortunately, no one was injured, but a lot of technicians (and engineers) learned the importance of proper torque techniques.
We paid over $25,000 for our cars. We like to work on them, but we also need to follow good shop practices, just as you would expect if you paid a technician to do the work. $100 for a good torque wrench is a cheep investment.
If the person who checked your wheels just put a torque wrench to your lug nuts and pulled until it clicked, all he verified was that they are 'at least' 100 ft-lbs. Most likely they are all over torqued. The proper way to check them is to loosen each one and re-torque them to 100 ft-lbs.
If they were done this way, there would be no way he would have known if they were done correctly in the first place.
Please do not take this personally. I have seen first hand what can happen when torqueing is not properly done. We had a bus lose a wheel on an interstate with passengers aboard. Fortunately, no one was injured, but a lot of technicians (and engineers) learned the importance of proper torque techniques.
We paid over $25,000 for our cars. We like to work on them, but we also need to follow good shop practices, just as you would expect if you paid a technician to do the work. $100 for a good torque wrench is a cheep investment.
11-12-2014, 11:09 AM
#12
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: WV
Posts: 750
I've never torqued a lug nut and never lost a wheel either. Closest I ever came was having one lug nut work its way loose on my old tempo because I forgot to retighten the lugs after 35 miles, it just fell off inside the center cap and I went around and retightened all of them.
Have people actually broken wheel studs while tightening lug nuts? I think you're going a bit overboard there. I tighten mine with a 4-way lug wrench, always have, and will continue to.
Have people actually broken wheel studs while tightening lug nuts? I think you're going a bit overboard there. I tighten mine with a 4-way lug wrench, always have, and will continue to.
11-12-2014, 11:16 AM
#13
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 2,793
I always just use an impact. Never had an issue. Changed probably thousands of wheels and tires like that, of all sorts, truck, pickup, car, trailer, forklift, tractor, basically anything with wheels.
That being said, doesn't hurt a thing to check, especially if you are inexperienced. A thirty dollar torque wrench is cheap insurance.
That being said, doesn't hurt a thing to check, especially if you are inexperienced. A thirty dollar torque wrench is cheap insurance.
11-12-2014, 01:42 PM
#14
Banned
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: North
Posts: 130
I hate to rain on your parade, but I am a mechanical engineer for a transit system. We change wheels on a daily basis on a fleet of over 1000 buses.
If the person who checked your wheels just put a torque wrench to your lug nuts and pulled until it clicked, all he verified was that they are 'at least' 100 ft-lbs. Most likely they are all over torqued. The proper way to check them is to loosen each one and re-torque them to 100 ft-lbs.
If they were done this way, there would be no way he would have known if they were done correctly in the first place.
Please do not take this personally. I have seen first hand what can happen when torqueing is not properly done. We had a bus lose a wheel on an interstate with passengers aboard. Fortunately, no one was injured, but a lot of technicians (and engineers) learned the importance of proper torque techniques.
We paid over $25,000 for our cars. We like to work on them, but we also need to follow good shop practices, just as you would expect if you paid a technician to do the work. $100 for a good torque wrench is a cheep investment.
If the person who checked your wheels just put a torque wrench to your lug nuts and pulled until it clicked, all he verified was that they are 'at least' 100 ft-lbs. Most likely they are all over torqued. The proper way to check them is to loosen each one and re-torque them to 100 ft-lbs.
If they were done this way, there would be no way he would have known if they were done correctly in the first place.
Please do not take this personally. I have seen first hand what can happen when torqueing is not properly done. We had a bus lose a wheel on an interstate with passengers aboard. Fortunately, no one was injured, but a lot of technicians (and engineers) learned the importance of proper torque techniques.
We paid over $25,000 for our cars. We like to work on them, but we also need to follow good shop practices, just as you would expect if you paid a technician to do the work. $100 for a good torque wrench is a cheep investment.
is this torins a good one? my local walmar thas it in stock
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Torin-Jack...rench/14560054
so if i get this will i also have to buy a socket thing to be able to connect the torque wrench to my lug nuts? what size socket would i need and where can i get one?
i never used a torque wrench before and it looks kinda confusing. whats the diff between all the 1-2" and 3/4" and stuff? does it matter or can i just set it to 100lb ft/lb?
11-12-2014, 01:58 PM
#15
Banned
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: North
Posts: 130
UPDATE: local auto parts store has "performance tool" brand 1/2" torque wrench with 13/16 socket, about 40$ for both...is it a good buy? the guy kept trying to get me to spend 100$ for another wrench but honestly 1 hour ago i didnt want to get any of these things 
11-12-2014, 02:13 PM
#16
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 917
If the person who checked your wheels just put a torque wrench to your lug nuts and pulled until it clicked, all he verified was that they are 'at least' 100 ft-lbs. Most likely they are all over torqued. The proper way to check them is to loosen each one and re-torque them to 100 ft-lbs.
The wrench you are looking at sounds fine.
11-12-2014, 02:17 PM
#17
Banned
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: North
Posts: 130
GTJoe is correct. Btw, there are some things where you can be right 10,000 times and nothing bad happens-but you only need to be wrong once. Having a wheel fall off is dangerous and embarrassing, it's the kinda thing you only do once! I found out you can't get a jack under your car when the wheel is totally off! And the studs can get bent where the wheel cannot go back on.
The wrench you are looking at sounds fine.
The wrench you are looking at sounds fine.
11-12-2014, 02:18 PM
#18
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Clermont, FL
Posts: 2,952
so if i get this will i also have to buy a socket thing to be able to connect the torque wrench to my lug nuts? what size socket would i need and where can i get one?
i never used a torque wrench before and it looks kinda confusing. whats the diff between all the 1-2" and 3/4" and stuff? does it matter or can i just set it to 100lb ft/lb?
i never used a torque wrench before and it looks kinda confusing. whats the diff between all the 1-2" and 3/4" and stuff? does it matter or can i just set it to 100lb ft/lb?
You should have at least a set of 1/4" and 1/2" drive sockets from both 5/32"-1" and 5mm-27mm anyway.
Just go to harbor freight and get their $19.99 1/2" drive torque wrench. It will work fine for the occasional use it sounds like you will use it. There is no reason to spend anymore than that unless you use it everyday multiple times per day.
Last edited by PNYXPRESS; 11-12-2014 at 02:20 PM.
11-12-2014, 02:23 PM
#19
Banned
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: North
Posts: 130
Yes you will need a socket with the matching drive. Torque wrenches don't use special sockets so if you have a1/2" drive socket set you will be fine.
You should have at least a set of 1/4" and 1/2" drive sockets from both 5/32"-1" and 5mm-27mm anyway.
Just go to harbor freight and get their $19.99 1/2" drive torque wrench. It will work fine for the occasional use it sounds like you will use it. There is no reason to spend anymore than that unless you use it everyday multiple times per day.
You should have at least a set of 1/4" and 1/2" drive sockets from both 5/32"-1" and 5mm-27mm anyway.
Just go to harbor freight and get their $19.99 1/2" drive torque wrench. It will work fine for the occasional use it sounds like you will use it. There is no reason to spend anymore than that unless you use it everyday multiple times per day.
