Post by Bow_Tied on May 18, 2011 21:48:33 GMT -5
All,
The recent thread reminding of the importance to check the lug nuts for tightness got me to looking for the torque specs. I found some different info on the net and some "an old mechanic guy told me this or that" kind of information. Good, but I felt it wasn't specific enough for me to really feel comfortable. In particular I found reference to 100 lb.ft - I feel in my experience that this is pretty high (I am a classic car guy, gear head, and mechanical engineering tech). I know that torque limits are about the the diameter of the fasteners and the required clamping forces.
One might ask if 70 lb.ft was good, 100 should be better, right? Well, not always the case. At some point the the stud can fail, the nut can fail, or more likely, the lug hole in the rim will deform. I have seen this happen on car rims - the lug starts to pull through the hole!! When talking about 30-50 year old rims, studs and lug nuts inspection of all of these items is important. I recommend clean threads with a light touch of anti-seize.
I found the following chart that is based on lug size. I humbly suggest that if lacking factory documentation that is a good reference. www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=107
One other thing to consider is to be sure that your lug nuts match the style of the rim (especially if you have aftermarket rims). Incorrect lugs could mean improper tightness even if torqued and/or the rim not being properly centred. www.townfair.com/techpage_23.shtml
If someone has a different view point or factory documents I'd like to hear your feedback, always open to discussion.
Cheers!
The recent thread reminding of the importance to check the lug nuts for tightness got me to looking for the torque specs. I found some different info on the net and some "an old mechanic guy told me this or that" kind of information. Good, but I felt it wasn't specific enough for me to really feel comfortable. In particular I found reference to 100 lb.ft - I feel in my experience that this is pretty high (I am a classic car guy, gear head, and mechanical engineering tech). I know that torque limits are about the the diameter of the fasteners and the required clamping forces.
One might ask if 70 lb.ft was good, 100 should be better, right? Well, not always the case. At some point the the stud can fail, the nut can fail, or more likely, the lug hole in the rim will deform. I have seen this happen on car rims - the lug starts to pull through the hole!! When talking about 30-50 year old rims, studs and lug nuts inspection of all of these items is important. I recommend clean threads with a light touch of anti-seize.
I found the following chart that is based on lug size. I humbly suggest that if lacking factory documentation that is a good reference. www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=107
One other thing to consider is to be sure that your lug nuts match the style of the rim (especially if you have aftermarket rims). Incorrect lugs could mean improper tightness even if torqued and/or the rim not being properly centred. www.townfair.com/techpage_23.shtml
If someone has a different view point or factory documents I'd like to hear your feedback, always open to discussion.
Cheers!
