Wheels / Tires: Always Torque Your Lug Nuts

[DEEPNHOCK]

Don't take a chance on messing up a good wheel, or get stranded, or worse.
Use a torque wrench. Use the proper torque (Vehicle mfr, or wheel mfr.)

[JoeHall]

Agree, but I just guestimate with a 4-way lug wrench. However, I use a torque wrench on both of my motorcycles. One thing I NEVER do is use an impact wrench, other than just to lightly bottom the nut, or spin it off if removing the wheel. An impact wrench with 900 ft lbs of break away torque will twist the stud off before you can even let go of the trigger, and lighter duty ones will still make them so tight it's impossible to remove them roadside, with only a lug wrench.

OTOH, if I had the expensive, beautiful wheels you have I'd probably use a torque wrench too. On our brand X vehicles with aluminum wheels, I find the biggest danger is tightening them too tight, even with only a lug wrench. They may "feel" ok, but later nearly frozen in place when there's a need to remove them. Are those wheels the repro magnesium ones. If so, I am guessing they are not made of magnesium? Perhaps aluminum?

[Dwight FitzSimons]

All of the reproduction Halibrand wheels are aluminum.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Also agree, for whatever that's worth.
Always use the proper torque values, presented by your Stude manual.

Despite possibly "feeling" tight a year down the road, DON'T lighten the torque. Stick with the book.


Mike

[Colgate Studebaker]

Yup, I also 100% agree with torquing the lug nuts. I also make sure to use a criss-cross pattern, not just tightening in a circle pattern. I also check and re-torque after a few miles of driving, especially with aluminum wheels. Bill

[bezhawk]

how many uga-dugas is that?

[Mark L]

Not only torque the nuts to the correct value in a criss-cross pattern the first time, but re-torque them again after driving 10-20 miles.

I can't remember the number of times I found one or two nuts that had loosened slightly and needed to be re-torqued after torquing them to the correct value the first time. On my vehicles with hub caps, I always leave the hub caps off until after I've completed a drive and re-torqued the nuts.

[altair]

There is another component to this equation all the torquing ways means and procedures may not be fool proof. I was travelling at 70 mph when I felt a slight vibration, slowed down to about 30 mph and my rear wheel came off. Just two days prior that wheel was torqued to 100 lbs by a tire shop. The rim was magnesium and between the brake drum and the magnesium wheel was a dusting of corrosion, that corrosion cushioned the torque and therefore there was no torque on the wheel lugs it just compressed the corrosion. It is imperative that the inside of the wheel is clean and free of any corrosion.

[altair]

I had a set of new tires installed on the front both wheels torqued to 100 lbs and went on a 2000 mile trip when I had returned two of the front lugs were finger tight. I returned to the shop that did the work and the owner did not want to touch them, I forced the issue a little and made him touch them. We then discussed the probable cause for every body's sake and determined it was corrosion. He now buffs or cleans the inside of these wheels. Just torquing alone is not good enough.

[Andy R.]

^Interesting notes on corrosion. Should I give my iron drums a good wire brushing? Or is this primarily softer, lighter alloys.

In the paddock at a recent vintage race, I joked that hubcaps of any size were a necessary alarm for lost lugs…several laughs…British racers just nodded LOL.

Those Halibrands look good on my photoshopped Hawk, but not sure $$ better than stock.

[altair]

After loosing a wheel and two lugs coming loose buffing is always a good policy for me.

[Dick LeRoux]

So what is the torque spec for Halibrand re-pops on a '63 Avanti R2? Is it different from the spec in the manual?

[fh4ever]

the old VWs had the lug bolt. These would nearly break your wrist "popping them loose". So about 30 years ago, I had the bright idea of antiseize on the conical surface of the bolt. It worked great getting the bolts off. However, months later, a wheel did come off. I later checked all of the lug bolts on the car and they were all loose. So I never lubricate the cone and only occasional squirt a little bit of WD40 on the threads if needed. I also never trust the tire dealer with their torque sticks.
Anyone else lubricates the threads or the cone?

[Warren Webb]

I put my spare on my 2001 Tahoe only to have a week later the lugs worked loose. Because the spare is held underneath the rear floor it gets all the dust & mud. I learned to clean the lug nut area on the wheel first, then install the lug nuts & torque, then retorque when you get home. My failure to do this cost me getting another chrome wheel.