[ride365]

I know it's possible to under and over-do anything, but when people speak of the importance of using a torque wrench on your lug-nuts, is it more common to under- or over-tighten. I was taught tightening by hand was fine-- that it was unlikely to over-tighten by hand. Is that wrong, or is undertightening the main concern?

kurt

 

[WRS]

I think it is much more common for people to over torque the lugs, especially if using 1/2" drive tools.

 

[webguy330i]

I'd say it's more common to over-tighten, because most folks who aren't using a torque wrench are having joe blow's auto shop (or the dealership, whichever is your preferred place of car carnage) slap the wheels on with an air gun, which can be cranked up 2-3x higher than it should be for your particular car.

 

[PunchIt]

Yup that's what my dealer did

tried to get wheels of yesterday to re-torque them. They were torqued to at least 150! Had to use a breaker bar to get them loose, and even that was a challenge.

 

[ayn]

Re: Yup that's what my dealer did

tried to get wheels of yesterday to re-torque them. They were torqued to at least 150! Had to use a breaker bar to get them loose, and even that was a challenge.

yup, breaker bars are cool, i got the longest one possible in my garage! i remember when i tried to change brake fluid for my buddy's S4, we couldn't loosen the lugs, we didn't have a breaker bar. we had to go visit a BMW shop (that did my track inspection) and borrow his Snap-On breaker bar. that's a gorgeous piece of hand tool btw...

--Andrew

 

[pps-325xit]

Probably overtighten. especially those grease monkeys with the air wrenches. Had to get the breaker bar out just this past weekend to loosen the lug nuts on my other car... could barely budge them with the regular wrench.

 

[ride365]

ok, but is there a big danger in me overtightening by hand?

 

[WRS]

Now, just imagine being on the side of the road in rush hour traffic with that , so called, lug wrench supplied with your car. You might never get the wheel off!:tsk:

 

[ERK]

What happens if you have over torqued lugs?

I recently swapped out one of my original wheels with my spare due to hitting a curb and putting a rent in the sidewall. Even though I asked the guy changing the tire at my local tire shop to check the chart I saw hanging behind him with all the manufacture's torque specs, he still just grabbed the air gun and fired away. I didn't think it was worth it or I'd get anywhere trying to get him to do it right. Will any damage result or will it effect tire wear?

 

[OJ330i]

ok, but is there a big danger in me overtightening by hand?

The biggest problem with over tightening your lugs is rotor warp. Most people over torque there lugs and wonder why their car shakes and shimmys when the hit the brakes. The good thing is that most rotor warp caused but over torqued lugs is solved by using the proper torque. Then the problem goes away in a few weeks or 200-300 miles.

 

[ride365]

what I mean is... I was told in my youth that it was highly unlikely that I would overtighten if I did it by hand. Now that I'm a strapping hulk of a man, should I go buy a torque wrench?

 

[pps-325xit]

I keep the breaker bar in the car now. Plan on getting another one for the other car. Hmmm, maybe I should re-torque the other two wheels also, since one side was definitely over-torqued.
Guess I'll do that when I get home tonight.

 

[webguy330i]

what I mean is... I was told in my youth that it was highly unlikely that I would overtighten if I did it by hand. Now that I'm a strapping hulk of a man, should I go buy a torque wrench?

Well if you weight over 100lbs you could easily overtorque by simply putting all your weight into it. I'm about a buck 85 so overtorquing with the lug wrench is all too easy.

 

[OJ330i]

what I mean is... I was told in my youth that it was highly unlikely that I would overtighten if I did it by hand. Now that I'm a strapping hulk of a man, should I go buy a torque wrench?

You will be suprised how easy it is to reach 72 ft/lbs. It is no where near as tight as you would think it is. So even if you are half of a "strapping hulk of a man" like me (6', 207lbs.) you can easily over torque

 

[The HACK]

What happens if you have over torqued lugs?

I recently swapped out one of my original wheels with my spare due to hitting a curb and putting a rent in the sidewall. Even though I asked the guy changing the tire at my local tire shop to check the chart I saw hanging behind him with all the manufacture's torque specs, he still just grabbed the air gun and fired away. I didn't think it was worth it or I'd get anywhere trying to get him to do it right. Will any damage result or will it effect tire wear?

If you don't regularly take the wheel on or off, the worst you will do is the lugs will SEIZE to the wheel and will be impossible to take off in the future. Also overtightening the lugs will result in damaged or stretched thread on the bolts or the hub, literally meaning every time in the future you overtighten the nut, you will need to tighten it more and more to get the same effect.

Follow the factory specs +- 10 ft-lbs, don't let the monkeys at shops use an air impact gun while working on your car.

 

[palooka666]

newbie ?, what's the recommended torque?

so is 72ft/lbs the recommended torque for wheels?

I want to install my snowtires/wheels at home so i was wondering what the recommended torque is.

 

[webguy330i]

Re: newbie ?, what's the recommended torque?

so is 72ft/lbs the recommended torque for wheels?

I want to install my snowtires/wheels at home so i was wondering what the recommended torque is.

Why ask us when you could just as easily...

AND you'd be assured the most accurate information!

 

[Alex Baumann]

Re: Re: newbie ?, what's the recommended torque?

Chris, I must get some of those, it'd be the perfect birthday gift

 

[webguy330i]

Re: Re: Re: newbie ?, what's the recommended torque?

Chris, I must get some of those, it'd be the perfect birthday gift

I have the STFU mug proudly perched atop my computer here at work. It keeps the morons from dropping by my cube.

thinkgeek.com

 

[ERK]

Follow the factory specs +- 10 ft-lbs, don't let the monkeys at shops use an air impact gun while working on your car.

I was lucky I got the guy to acknowledge there was a torque specs poster in the garage, let alone get him to actually look at it. We had a little language problem too. (Me No hablo español.) My first service should be soon (I hit 10k over the weekend). Will the dealership retorque to the proper specs if I ask?