how much do you torque your wheels?
11-12-2014, 03:11 PM
#21
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: DE
Posts: 546
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.
It sounds like having the peace of mind provided to you by a $40 tool is well worth the investment. One more tip for storing a torque wrench. After use, ALWAYS turn the dial back down to '0' on the handle. This will leave the spring inside stored in a relaxed position which means that the torque settings will be within tolerance for years to come when you are actually using it. Storing the wrench dialed up to a torque value such as 100 ft-lbs will slowly stretch the spring and reduce the applied torque when in use.
11-12-2014, 05:04 PM
#22
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: NH
Posts: 154
I really fail to see a valid argument for not properly torquing your lug nuts. Sure, the chance of something failing catastrophically is pretty small, but the cost of such a failure is going to be pretty large, and the cost of just doing it right is pretty damn small as well.
11-12-2014, 05:53 PM
#23
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Clermont, FL
Posts: 2,952
Torque wrenches are more for when an exact torque setting is needed, ie headbolt stretch.
11-12-2014, 10:27 PM
#24
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Redding, CA
Posts: 4,552
I tighten with my impact, then torque with the rest at 110lbs.
But you probably will not snap a stud. I replaced the leaky seal on my impact wrench and the first lug nut I tightened was completely stripped. The stud was just fine.
And the studs are easy to replace. Not easy to source though. Have to be ordered.
But you probably will not snap a stud. I replaced the leaky seal on my impact wrench and the first lug nut I tightened was completely stripped. The stud was just fine.
And the studs are easy to replace. Not easy to source though. Have to be ordered.
11-13-2014, 12:12 AM
#25
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: California
Posts: 1,495
The stories I could tell--and I will tell a couple.
I usually re-torque the lug nuts when I get the car back from a shop, even if they supposedly were not touching the wheels.
After a trip to an AAA Diagnostic Clinic, when I knew they had removed the wheels, I checked the lug nuts. I broke a Craftsman socket on the first lug nut I tried to remove. (Now I use a Snap-on socket that is designed for impact wrenches, even though I torque by hand.) Fortunately, I had a monster X-lug nut wrench with a forged center. I was sweating (not perspiring) like a pig by the time I got all the lug nuts loosened. It's not good when your socket breaks and then the process of loosening the lug nuts is accompanied by a rather loud creaking sound. I don't know what they torqued them to. They used a torque stick in their impact wrench, but it obviously failed. I spoke to the manager of the facility and he said he would check the impact wrench against their manual Snap-on hand torque wrench.
Another time I had my car in for service and within a few blocks I heard a rattling sound. All of the lug nuts on one wheel were loose. The shop swore they never touched the lug nuts, because the work they performed did not require removing the wheels. I found other shops to use.
Now, on the matter of torque wrenches vs. regular wrenches--Just because a torque wrench gives a specific reading doesn't mean it's accurate. If it doesn't "feel" right, it probably isn't. After a while you can do a good job on lug nuts without a torque wrench. Tighten them until they feel reasonably snug. Then tighten a bit more. And after driving for about 500 miles, check to see that each lug nut is still tight.
Here's a tip I read somewhere (maybe on this forum). If the car is on the ground, do not loosen all the lug nuts on the wheels at the same time if you are checking them. This could cause the wheels to move around. Loosen one lug nut a bit, tighten it snugly, then move on to each of the other lug nuts on that wheel and do the same thing. Then you can give them all the little extra tightening or bring them up to proper torque if you are using a torque wrench. Then move on to the other wheels.
I usually re-torque the lug nuts when I get the car back from a shop, even if they supposedly were not touching the wheels.
After a trip to an AAA Diagnostic Clinic, when I knew they had removed the wheels, I checked the lug nuts. I broke a Craftsman socket on the first lug nut I tried to remove. (Now I use a Snap-on socket that is designed for impact wrenches, even though I torque by hand.) Fortunately, I had a monster X-lug nut wrench with a forged center. I was sweating (not perspiring) like a pig by the time I got all the lug nuts loosened. It's not good when your socket breaks and then the process of loosening the lug nuts is accompanied by a rather loud creaking sound. I don't know what they torqued them to. They used a torque stick in their impact wrench, but it obviously failed. I spoke to the manager of the facility and he said he would check the impact wrench against their manual Snap-on hand torque wrench.
Another time I had my car in for service and within a few blocks I heard a rattling sound. All of the lug nuts on one wheel were loose. The shop swore they never touched the lug nuts, because the work they performed did not require removing the wheels. I found other shops to use.
Now, on the matter of torque wrenches vs. regular wrenches--Just because a torque wrench gives a specific reading doesn't mean it's accurate. If it doesn't "feel" right, it probably isn't. After a while you can do a good job on lug nuts without a torque wrench. Tighten them until they feel reasonably snug. Then tighten a bit more. And after driving for about 500 miles, check to see that each lug nut is still tight.
Here's a tip I read somewhere (maybe on this forum). If the car is on the ground, do not loosen all the lug nuts on the wheels at the same time if you are checking them. This could cause the wheels to move around. Loosen one lug nut a bit, tighten it snugly, then move on to each of the other lug nuts on that wheel and do the same thing. Then you can give them all the little extra tightening or bring them up to proper torque if you are using a torque wrench. Then move on to the other wheels.
11-13-2014, 08:27 AM
#26
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.
If you're just looking to use it when taking your wheels on and off, you don't need an expensive one.
Last edited by 05 Mustang; 11-13-2014 at 08:31 AM.
11-13-2014, 09:19 AM
#27
Banned
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: North
Posts: 130
turns out my friend has a craftsman torque wrench and a socket set and let me borrow it 
however I noticed that whoever used it last, did not torque it back to the minimum setting, it was still at 90lbs...hoping it will be ok.
when im done ill do the usual i guess, torque it down to 0 (@20lb cus thats the minimum setting) then buy him a case of diet coke (he doesn't drink alchohol regularly)
also i was wondering how should i store my rims? i had em stacked before but thought it would be bad so now i layed them out, should they be ok this way?
btw i gotta say this forum is super helpful. i cringe every time i see justin dugan say in his videos "if you get stuck, give our experts a call and they will sort you right out" because I can't even count how many times I have received bad advice from AM reps
but overall their products are great and the customer courtesy is great too!
however I noticed that whoever used it last, did not torque it back to the minimum setting, it was still at 90lbs...hoping it will be ok.when im done ill do the usual i guess, torque it down to 0 (@20lb cus thats the minimum setting) then buy him a case of diet coke (he doesn't drink alchohol regularly)
also i was wondering how should i store my rims? i had em stacked before but thought it would be bad so now i layed them out, should they be ok this way?
btw i gotta say this forum is super helpful. i cringe every time i see justin dugan say in his videos "if you get stuck, give our experts a call and they will sort you right out" because I can't even count how many times I have received bad advice from AM reps
but overall their products are great and the customer courtesy is great too!
Last edited by RenGen; 11-13-2014 at 09:26 AM.
11-13-2014, 12:23 PM
#29
I have personally been passenger in a car when a wheel came off while we were driving. It happened due to shop negligence and they did not tighten lug nuts at all. It was in an infinity g35 and a front wheel came off mid turn. The weight of the car fell down on the tire and ruined the wheel, the tire, the front fender, the hood, the A pillar, subframe, A arms, and brake rotor. It was about 10k to fix simply because the lug nuts were not tight.
The one time I had my car in a shop and they took the lugs off and I went to check them at home. I ended up breaking a 1/2" craftsman socket wrench trying to get them off. I got them off with a breaker bar, but what would I have done if I had a flat somewhere? There is no way I would have been able to get them loose.
I do almost all of my own work on my car and i use a torque wrench just to be safe. If I take it to a shop I Specifically ask that they hand tighten the wheels and if they wont agree, then they dont get my business. I do have a really good shop that happily agrees to.
The one time I had my car in a shop and they took the lugs off and I went to check them at home. I ended up breaking a 1/2" craftsman socket wrench trying to get them off. I got them off with a breaker bar, but what would I have done if I had a flat somewhere? There is no way I would have been able to get them loose.
I do almost all of my own work on my car and i use a torque wrench just to be safe. If I take it to a shop I Specifically ask that they hand tighten the wheels and if they wont agree, then they dont get my business. I do have a really good shop that happily agrees to.
11-13-2014, 12:44 PM
#30
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
There are those that understand why there are torque specs and follow them when working on cars or other mechanical items, and there are those that don't understand, or, don't care, or feel their way is good enough.
Just another reason I try to avoid purchasing used cars. At least with a new car there is recourse if something fails due to manufacturer oversight/negligence, etc. Used is just Caveat Emptor.
Just another reason I try to avoid purchasing used cars. At least with a new car there is recourse if something fails due to manufacturer oversight/negligence, etc. Used is just Caveat Emptor.