Lug Nuts

[herringchoker]

Around here, the tire shops state on their invoices that wheel nuts are to be re-torqued after 100 km (60 miles). I learned about torquing lug nuts years ago when I owned and operated heavy trucks. I had a repair shop (not a tire shop) install dual 24.5" Unimount (hub pilot) wheels on one of my trucks. After about 500 miles, the driver called to say that he heard what he thought to be rifle shot. On checking, he found that one of the studs had sheared off and, of course, the nut was missing. He dropped the trailer and limped to a repair shop about 2 miles away. They found the other 9 lug nuts to be loose and the studs damaged. We replaced all 10 studs. That's when I went out and bought a 3/4" drive torque wrench, and from then on I personally checked the lug nut torque on my trucks and did the re-torque. When I was driving, I carried the torque wrench with me. And yes, over-torquing can be just as dangerous as under-torquing.

 

[goeduck]

On my Massey (no torque wrench used) I must not have eaten my Wheaties last year when I replaced my front left after a flat. I lost some lug bolts while mowing a pasture. Thump, thump, thump.... oh carp. :shocked:

The replacement lug bolts are tight now :thumbsup:

 

[Deere Dude]

A couple years ago my mechanic, me, rotated my dually tires. Air wrenched them. Looks good enough. A couple months later pulling my 15k camper a hundred miles on the interstate we exited for a few miles heading to the campground. I noticed when going across a long bridge something squeaking like gravel between the wheels if it could get picked up in there. But I figured it was the semi next to us making all the racket. When he turned off the noise persisted. Two miles later we pulled into the campground and even going slow on a gravel road the squeaking was noticeable.

Finally I parked on the road and found a screwdriver so I could get my wheel liner covers off and then I noticed that every nut was backed off by 1/2 to 3/4 of the way off. The liner cover must have held the nuts from spinning off. I tightened them up, drove ahead a few feet and re-tightened them up and repeated half a dozen times. No wear on the threads and nothing dinged up. I really dodged the bullet on this one as I usually cruise 72-75 MPH. The squeaking I mentioned before was from the very loose wheel liners rubbing across the stud threads.

PS. I fired my mechanic.

 

[wheelbuilder]

The garage I use had a new guy who put tires on my kids car. He told me I'd need brakes soon, so I got a set of pads to put on myself. When I started loosening the lug nuts to pull the wheels, I broke 3 wheel studs (on different wheels) because they were run up so tight.
That guy didn't last long at the garage.

 

[Haoleguy]

This has probably been talked about before, we are getting ready for a trip so I had my truck serviced which included tire rotation after driving back and forth to work for a week I decided to torque the lugs on the truck and found each wheel had at least one and one wheel had two lugs that were not torqued enough so I moved on to the trailer that I will be pulling and found one lug per wheel moved at least a half a turn each. so friends when you get a chance check your lugs.

I've noticed this twice with my wife's SUV after service with tire rotation. Noticed because of vibration in the steering wheel and a slight noise when front lug nuts not tightened and just noise when rear not tightened. Why can't service folks take the time to double check any time the wheels are taken off?

 

[jaxs]

When I worked at a tire retail store, installers over torqued lugs and lit patch glue ablaze despite repeated lectures to stop. One of our flat repair customers blew a tire, lost control and struck another car. Me,other employees and patch mfgr's rep were the best witnesses plaintiff's lawyer had against the shop. Shop owner was financially ruined and I believe if it had been allowed,he might have got the electric chair for his appearant disregard and negligence. Installers weren't even scolded for their part.

 

[goeduck]

Parked next to this at the grocery store today and thought of this thread. Someone did not tighten down that one lugnut.

 

[zing]

Parked next to this at the grocery store today and thought of this thread. Someone did not tighten down that one lugnut.
View attachment 617128

Looks like it has been that way for a while too.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I understand that lug nuts have to be tight. But 140 pounds? What has changed that now requires such high torque numbers?

One problem that I've encountered was having a flat tire out on the road. There was no way in the world of breaking the lug nuts loose with the little lug wrench that came with my pickup. Heck - I even had a 4-way also, and all it did was twist the 4-way. Makes me wonder - is 100# torque that much better than 140#?

 

[Shaneard]

My dad has a gooseneck trailer that had 3 mobile home axles under it when he bought it. I went to move a tractor for a friend and we were stopping at a stop light (luckily) and one of the tires rolled past us. My friend said you lost your spare, I said I don't have one. One of the axles broke right behind the hub. Chained it up and brought it home without moving the tractor. Dad bought two 8 lug axles and replaced them under it.