165 IS the spec. Do what u want but op asked what was the spec. I torque them to that spec all day long on a fleet of superduty trucks. If they break at that rating, there was something wrong with them already. I have never broken one. There is actually a very boring video that goes into all that and the reasons behind that spec. In addition, if u have a dual wheel (f350-550) vehicle with that has the lug nut with the spinning washer made to it,you are supposed to add a drop of 30 wt motor oil between the washer and the nut. It goes on to specify 30 wt only, and no other grade or type of lubricant in order to obtain the correct clamping force once the wheel is torqued to 165 ft lb.

150 is the spec for the f150
165 for the f250-550
I think the 100 ft lbs comes in on the e series van. I do not do many of those so I am not sure but I do know it is a lower than the truck torques though I am not sure why.

Should there ever be a fatal accident that may be the result of a wheel loss, you can bet that the DOT investigator will check all the other wheels for proper torque and will come looking for the person responsible for the mainteance on that vehicle. I have seeen it done.

 

I do a two-stage torque on mine too. And as far as tire pressure, ambient air temp also makes a difference. Comparing torque specs to tire pressure is apples to oranges....

 

You both are correct. The max tire pressure is set by the tire manufacturer and listed on the sidewall.
The door sticker has a recommended tire pressure and that figure is determined by Ford.

The difference is the max tire pressure (listed on the sidewall) is the pressure required for maximum weight capacity. For LT265/75-R16E tires, that max capacity is 3415 lbs at 80 psi.

On the other hand, the tire pressure on the door sticker has nothing to do with the tires. It's all about what axle rating (in lbs) Ford wants for that particular truck. If Ford wants a 4670 lb axle rating, then they list 50 psi on the door sticker. If they want 5200 lbs, then they list 55 psi etc etc. For the higher ratings, Ford will usually go with an additional helper spring on the rear spring pack (SRW) and/or stiffer spring codes for the front axle. DRW trucks have a few more variables but Ford still uses psi to regulate the axle ratings for these trucks as well.

Of course the tires do matter since they are the limiting factor (in most cases) and it's impossible to have an axle rating that exceeds the total capacity of the tires, so the max axle rating is 6830 lbs at 80psi of tire pressure (assuming SRW).

For SRW trucks with LT265/75-R16E tires, it breaks down like this:
4670 lbs on the axle requires 50 psi minimum.
5200 lbs on the axle requires 55 psi minimum.
6084 lbs on the axle requires 70 psi minimum.
6830 lbs on the axle requires 80 psi minimum.

For SRW trucks with LT235/85-R16E tires, the figures look like this:
4400 lbs on the axle requires 60 psi minimum
5200 lbs on the axle requires 65 psi minimum
6084 lbs on the axle requires 80 psi minimum

 

les shawab will always toqure them to 150 ft/Lbs and dont forget to retorque them after like 50 miles of driveing.

 

Thanks for the info you posted Greg.

While the information is interesting in how it relates to what axle is on the truck, the point I was making (regarding tire pressures) was that it was a terribly poor analogy to use, regarding lug nut torque specs.

Stewart

 

I agree with Stewart. Torquing wheel lugs is very important. I have factory aluminum wheels and I remember getting a Ford Updated Wheel Label in the mail around 2002 highlighting the 165ft lb. spec. I always follow the owners manual torque sequence and go up just as Stewart does. Avoid warped rotors & wheels falling off.....torque to specs.

 

I've read a few different specs for the lugs. Its like they changed number depending on model years or just because they updated the numbers. My truck with aluminum rims is torqued to 148ft lbs. Thats what I read in the Ford factory spec manual.

 

My manual says 150-165 ft/lbs. It also talks about the drop of oil thing...

Here is the page.

 

Great info. Greg.... How about the weight per lb. on a 37x13.50x18?

I think torque specs. would vary on the aftermarket rims?

 

Sorry Tom, I don't have any info on aftermarket sizes. I was able to compile the info for stock size tires by looking at dozens of door stickers and comparing the numbers. This all started when I was shopping for a second SRW 7.3 truck and noticed that axle ratings on the door sticker varied quite a bit from truck to truck. This came as a surprise to me because the axles themselves appeared to be identical and in most cases the spring packs were the same as well. Upon further investigation, I noticed the recommended psi was the only difference between these trucks. I then posted a thread asking FTE members to submit their door stickers and it basically confirmed the fact that axle ratings on the door sticker is directly related to the recommended tire pressure.

So, if you have a SRW truck, and you tell me the stock tire size and psi on the door sticker...then I can tell you your axle rating (and if you should have a helper spring on the rear axle).

You might be able to contact the manufacturer for your brand of tire and see what the load capacity is for different pressures.

 

Hey guys sorry for not responding earlier I have been crazy with work. Thanks for all the info and I didnt mean to get everyone argueing haha. Just wanted to make sure it wasnt a typo on alldata. The reason I asked was because I got new tires a while back and have wanted to loosen the lugs up and retorque them since I know the shop I went to uses an impact alot and tighten them way way too much.