Wheel Lugs

[Woodscrapper]

I just finished placing new shocks on the steer axle and I thought it would be much easier to do the job if the wheels were removed. And while removed, I could check for myself the brake pads and disc. Also it would be a good time to patch up the insulation and undercoating on the wheel wells. Now I don't have one of those fancy and pricey torque multiplier wrenches so I proceeded with a 3/4" drive socket with a 6' cheater bar (galvanized pipe purchased at Lowes). With much grunting, I managed to remove the curb side front wheel and, thanks to Jon's recommended tool, moved the wheel out of the way with Northern Tool's $50 wheel dolly. In tackling the road side wheel, no matter how much the grunting and cussing, I could not budge a single lug nut - even with a three foot extension on the cheater bar. As it turns out, I ended up bending the cheater bar. All of this brings me to the question of how tight should lug nuts be torqued (450 ftlbs ?) and what are the inherent risks of tightening too tight? Also, I'm curious as to how other POG'ers handle this task?

As a side note, I carefully inspected the threads on both the studs and the nuts for any evidence of stripping and found a couple of lugs that were border line - they got replaced.

Merry Christmas to all!

[Pete]

Could thread direction come into play?

[Woodscrapper]

Pete,

Good question but I try to keep my hat on straight and use the right hand rule.

[truk4u]

Good job Tom, you were just kidding about the right hand rule, correct? The driver side is left hand threads just in case. I don't have a torque wrench big enough, but I just run them on with the big impact that took them off and call it a day.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Note the letter "L" in the center of the stud, that indicates (left hand thread).

A torque wrench with the proper range 450 '# has a 42" long handle, that is all you will need for a plain wrench, NOT 6'.

[Kenneth Brewer]

Use the 'X12' torque multiplier, I think many, if not most of us, have this tool. Sooner or later, you will want/need it. There are times (often) when the truck tire shops cannot loosen lug nuts with their impact wrenches, and have to go get this tool from the tool crib. You can use standard torque wrenches, you'll only need 50-60 ft lbs or so to tighten. No problem. I would never use a large impact wrench to tighten lug nuts, because it isn't tightening that's the problem. With an impact wrench I would use a torque stick. Perhaps you can find the thread archived here. An average 10 year old can loosen or tighten using the X12. But it is expensive. Here is a link: times12.com/wrench.htm

[Woodscrapper]

Tom,

Yes of course I am kidding. When I had new tires put on the front I did not observe the installation. I'm pretty sure the tire company used an air wrench instead of a torque wrench to tighten the lugs.

[Woodscrapper]

Jim,

Thanks for your input and yes I noted the L & R turn on the threads. As I indicated to Tom, in having new tires placed on the steer axle, I believe the local tire shop used an air wrench to tighten the lugs and evidently ran them up hard. My set-up was too limber with the galvanized pipe so I need to come up with something different. Due to a weak back, I could only handle the set-up with the pipe parallel to the ground and once I applied my weight the pipe flexed almost to the ground. As Ken suggests, the X12 would handily handle the job but the price of it is too rich for my pocket book.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Tom,

Whenever you need to tackle jobs like that give me a call. I have an X-12 you can use.

If you overtorque the nuts it can crack the aluminum wheels around the lug nut hole. I have NEVER seen a tire shop torque a wheel. But then again a tire shop usually sticks the low man on the totem pole with the heaviest jobs and usually with little or no training.

I buy my tires unmounted and I demount and mount my own tires and torque them myself. Less painful than watching someone beat up my aluminum wheels even though I grunt a lot.

[Kenneth Brewer]

Tom,

Whenever you need to tackle jobs like that give me a call. I have an X-12 you can use.

If you overtorque the nuts it can crack the aluminum wheels around the lug nut hole. I have NEVER seen a tire shop torque a wheel. But then again a tire shop usually sticks the low man on the totem pole with the heaviest jobs and usually with little or no training.

I buy my tires unmounted and I demount and mount my own tires and torque them myself. Less painful than watching someone beat up my aluminum wheels even though I grunt a lot.

I have never experienced a shop torque lug nuts either - until I moved to Texas (hint). ONE shop, in my experience, W&W Tire here in Boerne, torques all lug nuts, whether buying tires or having them rotated. But they are not really an inventory truck tire stocking shop (and their Michelin distributor doesn't handle the 365). And Jon is right, overtightening is a problem; what I meant was, tightening isn't the task on side of the road that requires a long cheater.