I am starting my ball joint replacement on my 2003 F-250 4WD. I was checking some torque values in the Ford shop manual, and there is some conflicting info. In the torque chart it says that the nuts on the 4 wheel bearing studs get tightened to 55 foot pounds, but in one of the pictures, the value is given as 133 foot pounds. I checked my Ford DVD, and it's the same in there-2 different values. I know that those studs are decent size, but can the threads take 133 foot pounds ???


RON

 

133 seems really high. I don't remember... Is that a 1/2-inch stud, or is it bigger than that?

 

I don't think it's that big--it's metric and maybe it's a 10 mm stud---that's about a 7/16" in standard size---I think 133 foot pounds is too much for that.


RON

 

Well, I've been banging my left front rotor for 5 hours now, and it has moved out about an inch. There is so much rust built up inside the rotor hat, that it won't move. I've used a full can of Kroil and a half a can of PB Blaster on it so far. I'm using a 2 pound ball peen hammer. I have a 2" pile of rust chunks on the ground already. I own an auto repair shop, and I have never come across one that is stuck this bad. One of the techs from the Ford dealer across the street stopped by, and he says that he usually smacks it until it breaks into 2 pieces. He told me to get a bigger FH. I'll get one tomorrow. My right hand has 3 blisters on it already. I'm worried that I am going to destroy the wheel bearing assembly with all the banging. I don't care about the rotor--I have new ones.


RON

 

i have found that a 4lb hammer is just the right weight...

keep at it, she'll come loose.

I think i tightened to 55lbs when i did my ball joints last year. Wheels haven't fallen off yet!

 

I can't imagine putting 133 ft-lbs on a 10mm bolt, unless it's made of some pretty special material. I think the 55 ft-lb spec is more in line with what a 10mm bolt can take. Here's a couple of general torque tables by bolt size. 133 ft-lbs would get you up into the 14mm size range.

Of course, you can always follow the advice my dad gave me. "Just tighten it 'till the head breaks off and loosen it up a half a turn." But, my experience indicates that that may have been pretty poor advice.

 

I like your dad, thats pretty good advise and it made me laugh. i had the opposite feeling about the 55 FT LBS. i kind of thought that it was a very low number. you are suppose to torque the caliper assembly to 135ish and the lug nuts to 160 but the wheel bearing is only 55.... it just seemed strange to me that what holds the wheel on is lower than the wheel.