torque wheel after market, how many foot lbs.

[waynekarnes]

when one removes the factory steel wheels, replaces em with after market aluminum wheels, what is the proper amount of torque ( ft lbs ) to tighten the lug nuts ( to ) ?

 

i know on my nissan p.u. it shows higher torque specs ( tighter ) for the aluminum wheels than the steel wheels.

 

i haven't seen torque specs on new wheels.

 

there certainly aren't any specs with used wheels.

 

how tight is safe without warping the rotors. how loose is unsafe at any speed.

 

yes, unless i am changing a flat on the side of the road, i use a torque wrench when tightening lug nuts. i will then, later check those lugs when i get home.

 

have used a torque wrench on lug nuts since 1972.

 

thanks, wayne

[Synlubes]

80 foot pounds is what I use for all, track or street.

[jt1]

I use 75 ft-# with anti-sieze on the studs, which is roughly equivalent to 90 or so dry. It's not unusual for aluminum wheels to loosen up a little after they have been run some, so recheck them till they settle down.

 

John

[bjhines]

Mark Cooper of hubcap Heaven and Wheels says... 90ftlbs... unless the manufacturer say less for the stock wheels... then use stock specs...this covers a lot of bases... so use common sense and the experience of others...there are special wheels with special considerations out there.

 

Most people use grease... or thin film "anti sieze" on their track hubs... this just makes everything easier... including self loosening... so the RULE IS... check your lugs after periods of spirited driving...of course jt1 knows this... he runs a monster/streetable track car.

 

I think anti sieze has it's best use on bolts that do not get loosened for years at a time... or get wet regularly... I have seen thin films of dry anti sieze used/sprayed on some high dollar lug studs.... but most laypeople end up slopping it in clumps...

 

Stock steel wheels had some "spring" in the lug holes... it acted like a super-duper lockwasher... when manufacturers started using aluminum wheels they had to raise the torque specs to get some spring/locking action on the studs... If you overtighten a lug stud... you remove most of it's springyness...you get loose lugs on yielded studs

[Mike C]

Wheel torque should be based on the fastener size. As examples: 7/16 is about 65 ft lbs. 1/2" about 110 ft lbs, and 9/16"(14mm) 145 ft lbs. (this is from my GM books on my Camaro, my Jimmy, and my 2500HD) The wheel BOLTS on our BMW are torqued to 75 lb/ft. You should NOT use lubricant on wheel studs, but I must confess to using antiseize on my boat trailer wheels for obvious reasons. (learned the hard way as usual) Using the OEM rated torque is the way to go. Most have a range, and if it makes you feel better, torque to the higher end.

[CruxGNZ]

You should NOT use lubricant on wheel studs...

Why is this?

 

Every bolt/nut I take off of any vehicle gets some anti-sieze (or Loctite, depending on where it goes) put on. Makes working on it down the road much less of a problem, kind of nice actually.

[Mike C]

My perception is that the wheel torque the manf. give is for dry threads. If you use lubricant, this changes the torque spec. Although after searching for this, I found many recommend lubricant. Just make sure and not get it anywhere BUT the threads. I found as many manufacturers who said don't do it as do, so who knows, now.

[JMortensen]

I think this is kind of like the "should I anti-seize my spark plugs?" issue. IMHO, using the anti-seize on the lugs is a good idea. I've never worked at a shop that didn't use it. I do recall a couple years ago that Ford started using some super-bitchin lube on their truck lugs, and the wheels were falling off. So apparently the slipperyness effect can be overdone.

 

Just like on the spark plugs, I use the anti-seize just to prevent damage to the threads when removing the lugs.

 

As for torque I always to 80 ft/lbs.