slacker cruster wrote: Why is it important to torque the lugnuts?
AAckkkk !!!
Tightening lug nuts to a specific torque allows you to control the clamping force retaining the wheel to the hub... and this clamping force is what keeps the wheels attached to your truck. If your torque value is too low, the wheel-studs will be loaded in shear and they WILL loosen and/or break off.
Too much torque and you could strip threads, break studs, or the studs may yield (stretch beyond their elastic limit).
The 9/16" lug-nuts on your F350 should be torqued to 130ft-lbs.
On edit: I am not implying that you must use a "torque wrench", per se... My point is that the torque value (ergo, clamping force) matters a lot! If you can achieve the correct torque through another means (calibrated hands on a known-length breaker bar perhaps?) then go for it.
* This post was
edited 12/15/11 03:14pm by msiminoff *
SoCalDesertRider wrote: I just use a 6 point deep impact socket, 1/2" extension and a breaker bar to break lug nuts loose. Then I use the same socket and extension on a clicker torque wrench to torque the lugs nuts back on.
Why is it important to torque the lugnuts?
I'm not super strong and don't think I'll overtighten or strip them. I just tighten them up to about 80% of my full strength. Is there a possibility of them coming off if they are not torqued right? I also criss coss the tightening pattern like you do with head gaskets.
A lot of people don't torque them. I will say that the comment about doing it on disk brake gear has me thinking about it.
slacker cruster wrote: Why is it important to torque the lugnuts?
AAckkkk !!!
Tightening lug nuts to a specific torque allows you to control the clamping force retaining the wheel to the hub... and this clamping force is what keeps the wheels attached to your truck. If your torque value is too low, the wheel-studs will be loaded in shear and they WILL loosen and/or break off.
Too much torque and you could strip threads, break studs, or the studs may yield (stretch beyond their elastic limit).
The 9/16" lug-nuts on your F350 should be torqued to 130ft-lbs.
On edit: I am not implying that you must use a "torque wrench", per se... My point is that the torque value (ergo, clamping force) matters a lot! If you can achieve the correct torque through another means (calibrated hands on a known-length breaker bar perhaps?) then go for it.
The margin for error is pretty wide though, that's why the tire guys get away with torquing it to 300ftlbs with the gun but then also the person who just uses the wrench that came in the truck also is successful. The wrench is about 2ft long and it's reasonable to expect the owner to put 50-100lbs of force on the wrench depending on their size so that gets you in the 100-200ftlb range pretty reliably.
Tire shops regularly over-torque lug nuts. Every time I've watched them use a torque wrench it's after they've already tightened it with the gun so there's no way to know how far over the wrench clicker setting the torque really is.
I'm not super strong and don't think I'll overtighten or strip them. I just tighten them up to about 80% of my full strength. Is there a possibility of them coming off if they are not torqued right? I also criss coss the tightening pattern like you do with head gaskets.
If you thread the lug nuts on by hand you won't strip them. Like was said, correct torque controls the clamping force, but generally, too little is worse than too much. Most of the time, when lug studs break off, the lug nuts were UNDER-tightened. It allows the wheel to move slightly, microscopically, and that causes the studs to flex and fatigue.
Gordon
1987 F-350 XLT Lariat SRW 6.9
1986 Western Wilderness Alpine Dinette 11
Like BrandonR said....Don't you just love it when you're local tire installer tightens all the lug nuts with a never-calibrated air gun then goes over them with a torque wrench Don't they ever wonder why they never have to loosen a lug nut to get proper torque.
rjsurfer wrote: Like BrandonR said....Don't you just love it when you're local tire installer tightens all the lug nuts with a never-calibrated air gun then goes over them with a torque wrench Don't they ever wonder why they never have to loosen a lug nut to get proper torque.
Ron W.
I've had to put a cheater pipe on my breaker bar a couple times to rotate the tires on my truck after a shop has put them on... The breaker bar is ~2ft long, I weigh 250 or so.. I'm putting 500ftlbs on them and they aren't moving..
I keep "clicker" type 1/2" drive torque wrench in my truck at all times (along with a deep Snap-on socket and the adapter for my splined lug-nuts). It's far more compact than a cross-wrench, offers plenty of leverage, and allows me to properly tighten or check the lug nuts as needed.
x2
My setup as well, for the same reasons. I'm just big enough I might over tighten in the interest of making sure it's tight enough. Plus it's long enough for the leverage to loosen a tight nut.
Francesca Knowles wrote: We have one of these in each vehicle K_D Tools/lug wrench.
My husband couldn't break one when he put a "cheater pipe" on it, so I guess they're pretty sturdy!
Ken Tool makes quality tire shop tools.
A tire spoon or Tire mount/demount bar in the 24" to 36" range is a valuable tool to have for roadside work too.Especially with tall/wide tires and or 19.5 sets. Use it to lever the tire up onto the lug studs/hub instead of killing your back!
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Don't they ever wonder why they never have to loosen a lug nut to get proper torque.
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