Lugnuts - yes or no?
Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 455
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From: Alaska
The 'retorque in 100 miles' speil for the most part is CYA on the part of the tire/wheel shop, most wheels do not loosen up if installed correctly, but it does happen, it is a good idea to check them once in a while anyway.
New User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 22
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From: Sulphur Springs, TX
I have a friend that got a new set of rims and tires a while back and within a mile of the shop, one of the front tires came off as he tried to make a turn. The tire just sort of tucked itself under the vehicle at an angle but didn't come completely off the studs or break any of them. I think it's a good idea to always check the lugnuts before getting on the road and rechecking them periodically.
Gone but not forgotten.
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,521
Likes: 2
Many cars have their wheels torqued on by a machine at the factory and are not touched until the tires are replaced. Years ago, I was getting the tires replaced on my wife's Escort when the service manager told me they could not get 2 lug nuts off with their impact wrench and advised me they might break them. I told him to go ahead and they brought out a large impact wrench they called "Jaws" which proceeded to snap off both the nuts. They replaced the nuts under warranty and said it happened from time to time.
Dono
Dono
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,782
Likes: 15
From: Lower Mainland B.C.
I thought I would add something that happened to me a while ago:
I was having brake issues with my 77 F250 3/4 ton, one of the front rotors was getting hot(I thought I could smell warm metal one day and felt the chrome rim). I took it to a brake shop to have it inspected and they told me the rotor was warped - the cause? - the last person to tighten the lugnuts probably torqued them out of order and over time that is what caused the rotor to warp.
It was a neighbor that did my brakes, that was the last time he ever touched them. That was before I decided to do more for myself and get interested in maintennance of my vehicles.
So even if the lugnuts are torqued to spec, they might not have been torqued in the right SEQUENCE. Since then, when I get home I get out my bar and my torque wrench, loosen all of them and re-torque all of them for my peace of mind, and then re-torque after a 100 or so...
I was having brake issues with my 77 F250 3/4 ton, one of the front rotors was getting hot(I thought I could smell warm metal one day and felt the chrome rim). I took it to a brake shop to have it inspected and they told me the rotor was warped - the cause? - the last person to tighten the lugnuts probably torqued them out of order and over time that is what caused the rotor to warp.
It was a neighbor that did my brakes, that was the last time he ever touched them. That was before I decided to do more for myself and get interested in maintennance of my vehicles.
So even if the lugnuts are torqued to spec, they might not have been torqued in the right SEQUENCE. Since then, when I get home I get out my bar and my torque wrench, loosen all of them and re-torque all of them for my peace of mind, and then re-torque after a 100 or so...
Hotshot
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 12,358
Likes: 4,392
From: SW VA
I have never heard of the "re-torque after a certian distance" thing. I've only had my wheels off twice in the year I've owned my truck. Once for a rotation, and once for new tires. (the right front has been off 4 times total due to caliper troubles though).
My friend works at a Firestone shop, and he used the torque wrench set at 120ft-lbs, and torqued them in the cris-cross pattern...
My friend works at a Firestone shop, and he used the torque wrench set at 120ft-lbs, and torqued them in the cris-cross pattern...
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,561
Likes: 423
From: Long Island USA
Conical or not, almost EVERY time I've removed and replaced a rim on a vehicle, or brought it to a tire place, EVERY TIME, I've had to retorque the lugnuts after 50-100 miles or so.
Hub-centric Superduty, conical lugnuts on t-bird/cougar, hub-centric on Triumph TR7, EVERYTHING.
I always leave the hub-cover off for a few days and leave the lugwrench within easy reach.
Hub-centric Superduty, conical lugnuts on t-bird/cougar, hub-centric on Triumph TR7, EVERYTHING.
I always leave the hub-cover off for a few days and leave the lugwrench within easy reach.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,054
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From: Salmon Arm
the shop we deal with says to have them re-torqued any time that you loosen them after i believe 100kms. if it is done in their shop you can go to any of their many locations and have it done free of charge.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 14
From: West Cornwall, CT
Properly torquing wheel lugnuts is cheap insurance. As others have mentioned, many of the folk doing wheel installations don't use a torque wrench at all. Some might not recognize a torque wrench if they tripped over one.
If a wheel or (any flanged fastening system) is properly torqued, it does not need to be retorqued later. The best method is to start with all fasteners hand tight and then torquing to about 50% of final torque with a forward star pattern. Repeat this with a 75% torque, a 90% torque and then 100% torque. When finished, torque all fasteners to 100% torque with a reverse star pattern. This method will properly stretch each fastener so that each one provides it's share of clamping force.
This sort of torque sequence is overkill (perhaps **** also), but it works. We used this method when we had to torque critical flanged sytems on an Attack Submarine. None of the flanged systems ever required a retorque.
Lou Braun
If a wheel or (any flanged fastening system) is properly torqued, it does not need to be retorqued later. The best method is to start with all fasteners hand tight and then torquing to about 50% of final torque with a forward star pattern. Repeat this with a 75% torque, a 90% torque and then 100% torque. When finished, torque all fasteners to 100% torque with a reverse star pattern. This method will properly stretch each fastener so that each one provides it's share of clamping force.
This sort of torque sequence is overkill (perhaps **** also), but it works. We used this method when we had to torque critical flanged sytems on an Attack Submarine. None of the flanged systems ever required a retorque.
Lou Braun
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FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,561
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From: Long Island USA
Lou, the only problem is your submarine had perfectly clean flanges 
The typical vehicle has all sorts of crud between the rotor and the hub flange.
Loosen it, fiddle with it, tighten it back up. A little while later all the crud that moved around got compacted. Soon enough, the lugnuts need to be retorqued.
The typical vehicle has all sorts of crud between the rotor and the hub flange.
Loosen it, fiddle with it, tighten it back up. A little while later all the crud that moved around got compacted. Soon enough, the lugnuts need to be retorqued.
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