While plowing snow today, I picked up a strange vibration. Not the good type like the Beach Boys sang about either. After a while it got to the point where I was planning which one of our ommercial lots I wanted to break down in. I checked my rear u joints, which I had just replaced 2 months ago. They seemed fine, flanges were still tight. Checked the front u joints, still looked decent, so I tried unlocking hubs and popping it out of 4wd. No change. Figured I'd push it as far as I could. At my next lot, I was looking again, thinking maybe a rock got stuck between my duallues. As I went around the front, I noticed my hub cap was loose. Then I noticed a lug was not even hand tight. Popped out the tire wrench and tightened all 8. Problem solved. 2 hrs later, same vibration. Other side was now loose. I know when I did my brakes 3 months ago, I used an impact and then a socket with a pipe to double check? What would cause this? Now I feel the need to check them every couple lots. They haven't loosened back up, but now I'm nervous! Do I heed to thread lock them? The threads are good, nothing is stripped and they tighten right back up.

 

They do call for 155-165 lbs ft.

 

Well, I'll sock en down again at the shop tomorrow. I used a 3' pipe on a 1/2" ratchet. Never had a problem with it before.

 

You should really use a torque wrench.

I've always been a proponent of the two-step torque method.

Using a torque wrench, with the wheels off the ground, using a star criss-cross pattern, I torque the lug nits to 80ft lbs. After both wheels have been torqued to 80ft lbs, I drop the truck on the ground and torque the lugs to 160ft lbs., using the same criss-cross pattern.

Stewart

 

He is correct. Using a cheater bar on the end of a ratchet won't do it. Even a cheap torque wrench from your local parts store is better than this. I rotate my tires and change oil every 3K miles and do a one step torque process to 150 lb-ft but doing the two step can never hurt.

 

Agreed. With that much torque it is better to do in two, even three steps.

 

A pipe on a ratchet? Seriously?

It's just as easy to do it right the first time, using the right tools.

Maybe even easier!

Pop

 

Sometime in 2002, Ford issued a TSB that revised the original torque spec called out for the wheel lug nuts. The revision was an increase.

Then, in 2003, Ford changed the lug nut studs from metric COARSE thread (1.5 threads per mm) to metric FINE thread (2 threads per mm).

Ford knew.

Confirm that you are using the latest wheel torque spec. The specs printed in the owner's manuals of that era may not reflect the revision in Ford's thinking.

Also, after a dozen years, the wheel studs run the risk of having been stretch about all they can handle. I popped a stud remounting a wheel while checking it with a torque wrench, and promptly ordered 32 new studs.

And if you are ordering all new studs, you might consider switching to the newer fine thread. Of course this would also mean replacing all the lug nuts.

With new nuts and stiff studs, you'll probably have more confidence when plowing.

 

Ok guys, I guess I never thought about wheels getting torqued down. I always thought it was 'get them really really right.' I do have a torque wrench, so il torque them down when I get over my snowplow hangover. I always use the crisscross pattern when I tighten down, but I will torque them from here on out. Thanks for educating me!

 

Hmmm, not to be a downer, but if "get them really really right" has been your mindset, and you've always used a 3' cheater bar to get them really tight, you might have fatigued the threads too much, and some of the studs may not be able to hold torque on the lug nuts anymore.

Stewart

 

Now that I know the torque value is that high, I doubt I had them right enough. I use the pipe, but mostly so my shoulders aren't sore the next day. I was going tight with the ratchet before, and then about another 1/8-1/4 turn with the pipe. I had the tires off in Oct when I did my brakes and a new wheel assembly in Oct. I'll get into the shop in a bit, and check them the correct way before I go out to pre treat for the next storm tomorrow AM. Thanks for all the comments. I have learned so much from this forum, from stuff as big as head gaskets and up pipes, all the way to as trivial as my lug nuts. I was thinking about this yesterday as I was plowing for basically 24 hrs straight. The confidence I have in my trucks as a result of working on them with the knowledge I've gained here, gives me a peace of mind I've never before had. I guess the fact that it's a 7.3 diesel and it just laughs at the snow also helps!

 

The other thing is if they are not torqued equally you run the risk of warping rotors, just saying. That is one of the reasons they give torque specs for wheels.

 

Yeah, that is the whole reason I adopted the two-step torque method. I wanted to completely eliminate any operator error in binding/unevenly torqued rotors.

Stewart

 

Gimme a sec... I'm crawling out and over the lip of the toilet here.

Anyway. I had a recent misfire with the Buck$Zooka... that's to say the round never left the barrel. The whole debate was whether or not I needed front bearings (I don't) and they weren't sure if I had fine or course threads on the hub assembly of my 2000. So... you're saying this wasn't introduced until 2003. I have the course studs on Stinky, and they are still available in the aftermarket. Does Ford still sell the course threads as well as the fine threads?

 

When I purchased all new studs, I did not go to Ford. I would have had to stop at the bank first, and taken out a loan.

I didn't want Dorman either, if I could avoid it, as more than half the products I have seen from Dorman these days are made in China.

So I hunted down these* coarse threaded (1.5 tpm) Made In USA wheel studs from Raybestos...



Very reasonably priced and zinc plated for corrosion resistance, unlike the factory originals. Plus, the new studs had a backing head that was ever so slightly thicker than the factory originals. Compare for yourself...



Note the hourglass tensioning of the old stud. Ka POW! The peak tension point coincides with the location on the stud where the wheel face and the swiveling lug nut interface. The stretching and narrowing of the stud occurs where the wheel hole is covering it up, so checking studs with the wheel mounted will not offer any visual indication of deformity. The wheel must be removed entirely to do a visual inspection, but not even that will offer any clue as to when a stud has yielded, but has not yet reached a tensile failure.

Ford does still carry the older coarse threaded studs, the last time I checked earlier this year. The part number is FOYM-2L84S-CA (Fork Over Your Money - Too Late For Saving - Cash).

Even though I bought all 32 studs, I decided against switching to fine thread, because then I'd also have to buy all new swiveling lug nuts, which are a bit more expensive than the SRW kind. And then I'd also have to buy all new stainless wheel skin mounting nuts, and I already had a second unused set of coarse thread stainless mounting nuts, because when I ordered a 2003 F550 and ordered the same Ford skins to match my 2000 550... surprise, the 2003 came in with fine thread. Which is how I learned about all this in the first place. The hard way. The only way I know how.



*Note: It is strongly suggested that anyone verify their specific vehicle and wheel location application before ordering studs. The studs above are for a chassis cab dually front axle for model year 2000. The front axle studs are different (shorter than) the rear axle wheel studs, due to the number of wheels mounted on the rear. These studs may or may not be applicable to F250/350 models. The box is shown merely to illustrate brand and country of origin, in keeping with a similar theme of parts package photos in another thread.