Check Your Lug Nut Torque!!!!!

[Tim Chavez]

Hey Gents.
This afternoon I watched a friendly reminder to always check your torque when you get wheels installed. I was driving north on Rt 49 just outside of Casey Illinois when I had to give my little 2015 Nissan a emergency steering test.... I watched the rear set of 22.5 duals come off a flatbed trailer and bounce off the road violently into the air. Ultimately coming to a stop in a ditch and adjacent field. Luckily for me and the other 5 vehicles around there was no damage to life or property. Me Being in the large truck tire industry I’ve heard of these things happening. I’ve gone one roadside service calls to replace tires and wheels for vehicles this has happened to. I’ve even written a tech up for improper install( we were lucky our customer caught the loose lugs before the wheels came off on the road). But seeing it happen 200 yards infront if me definitely makes you take a second and think. Remember you can’t Safely measure torque in “Ugga Duggas” and it’s only an extra 30 seconds per wheel to make sure you, your family and everyone else sharing The road are safe!
Im not sure how they didn’t notice but they didn’t stop so I flipped around to try to follow but ended up losing them before Getting back to Casey so the only pics I got were the lonely wheels left behind

 

[Tim Chavez]

Pics

 

[Richard Cranium]

I check my nuts daily.

 

[beanhead]

I check my nuts daily.

 

[67RT]

I torque mine to German specs.

 

[bm02tj]

I do all my own re-torques including my motor home with 22.5's torqued to 495 lb
It is a lot of work to do 60 nuts 10x6

 

[Tim Chavez]

I do all my own re-torques including my motor home with 22.5's torqued to 495 lb
It is a lot of work to do 60 nuts 10x6

I let my techs two man it when they torque for those situations. Haha the next key is make sure your torque wrench is calibrated. We send ours off every 6 months. They are usually pretty close but we have had a few report back 50-70 lb differences from the setting

 

[PurpleBeeper]

I check my nuts daily.

My wife checks mine....but to each his own

I'm thinking that truck driver was doing a little of this -->

 

[bm02tj]

One of our local tire shops has a tester and I check mine yearly
and store with the tension off it is Chinese so I test and test

 

[Richard Cranium]

My wife checks mine....but to each his own

I'm thinking that truck driver was doing a little of this -->

Someone's got to check mine every once in a while. Sadly, more often than not. that someone is me.

 

[Dibbons]

Walked out to my hand-me-down pick-up truck during a family gathering to find a front tire flat. I thought I was real smart changing the tire correctly, doing it the "right way", by final tightening of the lug nuts with the tire/wheel back on the ground.

Some days/weeks later, my brother was driving the vehicle when the front tire passed him by. I guess I must have gotten distracted/side-tracked during the process that I was so sure was being performed properly.

 

[dual fours]

Someone's got to check mine every once in a while. Sadly, more often than not. that someone is me.

Well, you know the saying, "If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.''

 

[mopar 3 B]

I use the jump up and down method on the one tons 350 ft lbs. Thats on the end of its 3 foot long lug wrench. Is that 3\4 or 1 inch torque wrench range.

 

[Tim Chavez]

I use the jump up and down method on the one tons 350 ft lbs. Thats on the end of its 3 foot long lug wrench. Is that 3\4 or 1 inch torque wrench range.

Lol according to the torque multiplayer your torquing 9/16 in studs to over 900 ftlbs! That’s how studs break! Even semi 22.5s only torque to 475. Heck Average for a passenger car/light trucks (yes a 1ton is considered a light truck) is 85-150 ft lbs (all vehicles have their own specs) I’d run to harbor freight if I were you and pick up a cheapy just to be on the safe side

 

[bm02tj]

I go 495 as the spec is 450 to 500 and most times the tire tech does not put the drop of oil he is suppose to so I go closer to high end

 

[Tim Chavez]

I go 495 as the spec is 450 to 500 and most times the tire tech does not put the drop of oil he is suppose to so I go closer to high end

The oil is the most important part!

 

[Dibbons]

Are we talking about oil on the wheel studs? I always thought that was a no-no for some reason.

 

[Tim Chavez]

Are we talking about oil on the wheel studs? I always thought that was a no-no for some reason.

It’s the most overlooked step! The only time oil not used is in friction mounting situations like Dayton or split rims. The oil makes sure torque actually matches clamping force.

 

[Tim Chavez]

It’s the most overlooked step! The only time oil not used is in friction mounting situations like Dayton or split rims. The oil makes sure torque actually matches clamping force.

For example if a nut binds from an unlubricated stud, your torque will read correct but the nut will not be creating the right clamping force on the wheels mating surface.

 

[Dibbons]

We definitely have two opposite trains of thought on the benefit/danger of lubricating the studs. It seems manufacturer never mention a recommended procedure. Might be a good feature experiment for the show "Myth Busters".