Whenever you have new wheels and tires fitted to your car – for example, you’ve done the sensible thing and switched between summer and winter tires – it’s essential to have the lug nuts retorqued after the first 50 kilometers . ... But lug nuts can’t perform as designed without having the correct amount of torque applied.
What happens if you don’t re torque tires?
If the lug nuts are too tight, the bolt head can come off the lug nut . If they’re too loose, the bolts could fall out, and your tire could come off. While both scenarios are unlikely, they would both cause some serious damage if they were to occur.
What does it mean to torque your tires?
Wheel torque is when you adjust the lug nuts on your wheels to make sure they aren’t too loose or too tight. ... The amount of torque required for your wheels depends on the size of your vehicle and the size of the bolt or stud.
What should tires be torqued to?
| Hardware Bolt or Stud Size Typical Torque Range in Ft/Lbs Minimum Number of Turns of Hardware Engagement | 14 x 1.5 mm 85 – 90 7.5 | 14 x 1.25 mm 85 – 90 9 | 7/16 in. 70 – 80 9 | 1/2 in. 75 – 85 8 |
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Why should you torque your tires?
The reason for this is that the wheel bolts can loosen over time , meaning the wheel is no longer seated as tightly as it should be. After all, car tyres are subjected to heavy stresses on the road. You can prevent this by tightening the wheel nuts using a torque wrench whenever necessary.
How do you check torque?
Mark the tightened fastener and surrounding application . In the tightening direction, begin to slowly apply force to the tool until the first movement in the fastener is noted. The reading recorded is a good indication of the original torque applied to the joint. This is the best way to determine residual torque.
What is lug nut torque?
And when you look at that, and realize that the average torque required on a lug nut, to hold the wheel on, is 80 to 90 ft-lbs , well you can imagine how over-tightened some of these lug nuts are. Now that’s a problem because it almost guarantees warped brake rotors.
What happens if you over torque your wheels?
Excessively tightened lug nuts can strip the threads, distort brake rotors, damage the wheel, and possibly shear off the lug stud . Insufficiently tightened lug nuts can come loose, with catastrophic consequences.
Can you drive with a missing lug nut?
No. Under no circumstances should you drive a vehicle that is missing a lug nut . Even if it’s just one missing lug. A single missing lug nut will increase pressure on the wheel, which will cause damage to wheel bearings and studs, as well as making other lug nuts fall off.
How often should tires be rotated?
During rotation, each tire and wheel is removed from your vehicle and moved to a different position to ensure that all tires wear evenly and last longer. Tires should be rotated every six months or 6,000 to 8,000 miles.
Why is it bad to overinflate tires?
Overinflating your tires can make them more vulnerable to damage . ... Excessive air pressure can also distort the shape of the tire, leading to decreased traction and increased wear and tear down the center of the tire. Depending on the circumstances, repeatedly overinflated tires could wear out more quickly.
How much torque can a 1/2 drive take?
150 ft-lbs will break a 3/8′′ drive usually and about 300 ft-lbs will break a 1/2′′ drive. These are on regular breaker bars that are partially hollow and have the little ball in the space of the head to hold the socket. A SOLID 1/2′′ heat treated impact rated drive anvil will go up to about 1200 ft-lbs.
How tight should lug nuts be by hand?
Install the wheel lugs by hand. Most manufacturers do not recommend using any lubricant or anti seize compound on the lugs. Push the wheel home on the hub and using your socket wrench, tighten the wheel nuts just enough to hold the wheel snugly .
How tight should wheel bearings be?
The nut on the spindle should be tightened until snug , with no side-to-side play in the hub and then backed off, about a quarter of a turn. The nut finger should be tight until the castle nut or cotter pin is used.
How is run down torque calculated?
The proper procedure is to run the nut or bolt down to maybe half a turn to contact (washer still loose). Measure the torque required just to move the nut the last bit before the nut makes contact , and add that to the total.
How do you check bolt torque?
The movement check:
After fastening the bolt, make use of a torque measuring tool to mark off the tightened bolt and the product/workpiece. Apply additional force in the tightening direction until movement is noticed. Recording the reading will indicate the residual torque originally applied to the joint.
