Rotor Warpage
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
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Rotor Warpage
Guys,
I have a maybe stupid question, but I just cannot figure it out.
I know you have to torque the EX's lugnuts to around 160ftlbs of torque. If oyu do not do this, your rotors will warp.
My question is this: Why does it matter how loose or tight you get the wheel onto the lugs??? Maybe I do not know what I am talking about but the rotor warpage is from the brakes overheating and warping the rotors, isn't it??
I see no correlation at all with how tight or loose you install the lug nuts..
Plz Educate me....
Clueless....Big Rig
I have a maybe stupid question, but I just cannot figure it out.
I know you have to torque the EX's lugnuts to around 160ftlbs of torque. If oyu do not do this, your rotors will warp.
My question is this: Why does it matter how loose or tight you get the wheel onto the lugs??? Maybe I do not know what I am talking about but the rotor warpage is from the brakes overheating and warping the rotors, isn't it??
I see no correlation at all with how tight or loose you install the lug nuts..
Plz Educate me....
Clueless....Big Rig
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,561
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From: Long Island USA
What's important is not so much HOW MUCH torque on the bolts, but that they are done in a criss-cross pattern, like you would torque down a cylinder head.
I torque them down to like 50ft/lbs just to get everything lined up, using a criss-cross pattern, like the following, where lug #1 is at the 12 o-clock position, and numbered clockwise:
1-5-3-7-2-6-4-8
I torque them to 30-40, then around 90, then as hard as I can get them on, which is around 160 ft/lbs or so
Tire places buzz them on with an air-gun, usually one lug at a time, all the way to max torque, one at a time. That will certainly warp the rotor. I had the tires replaced on my '01 SD, took it home, and re-torqued everything. Of course, they had some lugs really tight, and others would probably have fallen off in 5K miles... nice.
The basis of this is that the rotor slips on over the lugs, and not pressed onto the hub with the lug studs. If the wheel is not torqued down slowly and easily, problems arise.
I torque them down to like 50ft/lbs just to get everything lined up, using a criss-cross pattern, like the following, where lug #1 is at the 12 o-clock position, and numbered clockwise:
1-5-3-7-2-6-4-8
I torque them to 30-40, then around 90, then as hard as I can get them on, which is around 160 ft/lbs or so
Tire places buzz them on with an air-gun, usually one lug at a time, all the way to max torque, one at a time. That will certainly warp the rotor. I had the tires replaced on my '01 SD, took it home, and re-torqued everything. Of course, they had some lugs really tight, and others would probably have fallen off in 5K miles... nice.
The basis of this is that the rotor slips on over the lugs, and not pressed onto the hub with the lug studs. If the wheel is not torqued down slowly and easily, problems arise.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 425
Likes: 8
From: Park Ridge, Illinois
The problem is that there is uneven pressure placed on the rotor if lug nuts are tighted all the way one at a time, especially with an air gun and / or if a a crossing pattern is not used. Sometimes the flexing doesn't cause a problem, other times the rotor does not flex back.
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 29
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Even pressure is important as is running all the lugnuts down all the way first, then going back and using a torque wrench. Also keep in mind that its not recommended using an extension with a torque wrench. Keep in mind that the weight of your vehicle alone and alot of use can still warp your rotors and its not uncommon on the Excursions and larger vehicles to go through rotors at the same speed as front pads. Turning the rotors only makes them thinner and less resistant to heat so your almost better off just tossing them and buying new.
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