All the lug nuts and the nuts and bolts on the hitch have a small witness paint stripe. I install them once, do the 100 mile retorque and mark it and forget it. (so to speak)
Stu
Stu & Jackie Metcalfe
2000 Salem 27FKSS
2008 Sierra 2500 HD gasser
I think they loosen up more the first year or two so I check less often now.
But I retorque all wheels after a shop puts a gun to them.
You will find other uses also.
skipnchar wrote: If the wheel has been removed I recheck lugs after a hundred miles or so. Never check them again after that until the wheel has been removed again.
Any time a wheel is removed the lug nuts should be checked 3 times afterwords as standard practice, approx 50 miles, then 75 to 80 and then around 100 to 150 miles. Paint on the rim and the seating effect loosens them up. The 1st 50 is really important. By the 3rd time they usually stop talking more torque. If by your 3rd time they do not stop taking more torque, then go a 4th time until they stop.
Any time you stop real hard on the brakes is good to recheck.
At the start of long trips is another good one.
If the RV industry did not cheap out so and machine a hub and a pilot on the brake drums then this would be like an auto tire. The problem is TT wheels are lug centric where autos are hub centric. On the TT the lugs are taking both weight and resistance when braking. This action loosens them up until they are fully seated.
If you have a spare tire,well when you have to change it out on the road, that torque wrench will com in handy.
Hope this helps
John
John & Cindy
2005 Ford F350 Super Duty, 4x4; 6.8L V10 with 4.10
CC, SB, Lariat & FX4 package
21,000 GCWR, 11,000 GVWR
Ford Tow Command
1,700# Reese HP hitch & HP Dual Cam
2 1/2" Towbeast Receiver
2004 Sunline Solaris T310SR
(I wish we were camping!)
I used to service a lot of trailers, and I did catch a few where there where wheel nuts that were only finger tight. I am a big believer in retorquing often, and will do mine several times after removing wheels, as well as before a trip.
I would retorque considerably sooner than 50 miles after a wheel has been removed & reinstalled. And then as several mentioned, it often takes 3 or 4 checks until all lug nuts are reliably seated.
2001 Ford Excursion V 10
2003 Jayco Designer 31FKS
Twin Honda Eu2000 gen sets
JBarca wrote: Yes, you should get a torque wrench.
Any time a wheel is removed the lug nuts should be checked 3 times afterwords as standard practice, approx 50 miles, then 75 to 80 and then around 100 to 150 miles. Paint on the rim and the seating effect loosens them up. The 1st 50 is really important. By the 3rd time they usually stop talking more torque. If by your 3rd time they do not stop taking more torque, then go a 4th time until they stop.
Any time you stop real hard on the brakes is good to recheck.
At the start of long trips is another good one.
If the RV industry did not cheap out so and machine a hub and a pilot on the brake drums then this would be like an auto tire. The problem is TT wheels are lug centric where autos are hub centric. On the TT the lugs are taking both weight and resistance when braking. This action loosens them up until they are fully seated.
If you have a spare tire,well when you have to change it out on the road, that torque wrench will com in handy.
Hope this helps
John
Excellent advice and I usually do two rechecks one after about 100mi and another around 500. I usually find one or maybe two that need to be retorqued at the first check and seldom any on the second check.
Also, an excellent point on TT being lug centric unlike any vehicles even with the cone type lug nuts ... those are all hub centric to ensure minimal NVH issues.
Larry
2001 standard box 7.3L E-350 PSD Van with 4.10 rear and 2007 Holiday Rambler Aluma-Lite 8306S Been RV'ing since 1974.
swebber wrote: before every trip out, no matter how far.
x2
Steve & Tina
3 grown DD's (Don't camp with us much)
Duke (Yorkie)
Bailey (Boxer)
1999 Chevrolet 2500 4x4 6.0L and 3.73
Prodigy Brake Control
2006 Honda VTX1300s (mine)
2011 Kawasaki Ninja 250 (Better Half) 2012 Outback 279RB
This is embarassing, but I actually totalled my previous camper (a small pop-up) because a wheel came off at about 50 MPH on a winding Adirondack road. I didn't realize re-torquing the lugs was necessary; I do now!
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I am a big believer in retorquing often, and will do mine several times after removing wheels, as well as before a trip.
