Torque value-HELP

[5030]

To everyone:

All is well with the Ranger. My wife went shopping this morning. She came back and reported that all the vibration and shimmy in the steering wheel had disappeared.

I guess the re-torque to 110 foot pounds worked. She is happy and I am happy. Will probably get a nice dinner tonight, I hope!!

The 110 was a shot in the dark. I think I'll paint mark a wheel so I can remember.

 

[RoyJackson]

"I guess the re-torque to 110 foot pounds worked. "

I think that torque is a bit high for that sized fastener, but have no alternative value to give you. Do watch for cracks propagating from the bolt holes as time goes by.

 

[5030]

Roy:

I actually do to. But, as I have stated, I can't find a value anywhere.

I am thinking maybe I should back them off to 75 lbft or so. The wheels are cast, not forged.

Obviously, the vibration was caused by too much or improper torquing of the stud nuts. Most likely by the old impact gun!!!

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I am thinking maybe I should back them off to 75 lbft or so )</font>

I don't think so. I didn't trust my memory from my first alloy wheels over 20 years ago, but was thinking maybe 110-120 ft. lbs., and as I said, I couldn't find anything in the manuals for my '01 Windstar, . . . however, I just now went out and opened the storage compartment where the jack and lug wrench are stored and darned if there isn't a plastic sheet of instructions in there which includes tightening the lug nuts to the proper torque of "85-105 ft. lbs.". Incidentally, the Windstar has a GVWR of 5660 lbs. Naturally, I sure ain't gonna tell you what to do, but I think I'd leave them alone at 110 ft. lbs. on that Ranger.

 

[RoyJackson]

Yep, go with what Bird said...at least he found some kind of torque value!

 

[5030]

Bird:

I split the difference and torqued them to 100 foot pounds.

I have a really nice Snap-on dial torque wrench so I can torque them about anywhere I want to. I did apply some never-seize before I torqued them down.

My wife thought 85 was a little light. 100 should do it. Still, no vibration. I paint marked each rim with 100 ft. lbs so if she happens to be at a garage, hopefully they will use a torque wrench too. I won't count on that though!!

 

[Bird]

Sounds good to me, Daryl. The most important thing, of course, is for all of them to be the same and 100 would certainly be within the specs for the 16" alloy wheels on this Windstar.

 

[ronjhall]

As Junkman has stated, when installing Aluminum wheels, never tighten one lug nut down first, Always tighten each nut a little at a time. Similar to tightening down a cylinder head. The mounting face of an Aluminum wheel makes contact with brake face about ½” outside of the bolt circle. The area from the bolt circle into the wheel bore is undercut about .010 to .020”. When one lug nut is tightened with an impact wrench the other lug nuts will not be able to position the wheel properly no matter what torque they are tightened to.

 

[Junkman]

I have never used the torque wrench on the alloy wheels on my cars, but have always used the 1/2" breaker bar and done it by feel..... When alloys came out on Pontiac Firebirds in the very early 1970's it was stressed back then that they didn't need as much torque as a steel wheel. If you over tightened them, they would crack. I guess that things have changed over the past 30 years and I will get out the torque wrench and check to see what I have tightened to. I have never had one come loose and there is no vibration..... Learn something new every day....... the Junkman

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( they didn't need as much torque as a steel wheel. If you over tightened them, they would crack )</font>

Junkman, that's what I thought; just seemed "common sense" to me; however, the first thing I ever owned with alloy wheels was a 1981 Isuzu I-Mark diesel sedan, and the manual was quite specific about the torque values and while I'm not sure now what they were, I am sure that it called for torquing the alloy wheels tighter than the steel wheels. I questioned the possibility of a misprint, and was told that the softer alloy had to be tighter to prevent flexing from loosening them and to prevent wallowing out the softer metal holes. Now I'm no metallurgist, so I can't say anything for sure other than what I've read and been told. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif