Is It Super Necessary to Torque Lug Nuts When Rotating Tires

Torque is needed all over the car.

Wheels are especially important so they don’t get too tight and fall off or warp the rotors.

Torque wrenches can be purchased from HF for as little as $20!

I don’t think for a second they are calibrated.

Ugga dugga

1 ugga dugga and a quick 1/4 turn is all it takes!

I bought a cheap one and tested it with weights and a ruler and it was very close!

Yeah, except when I’m building engines or transmissions. I’ve never used a torque wrench on an airplane or car I’ve worked on and never had a problem with looseness or overtightening.

I mean, to spec? At least to spec, a little out of spec, no problem. Too much out of spec and you have a problem. I would say there is a window of working range, but the minimum should be 80 ft lbs, which isn’t really much. There are no “ugga duggas”. One time I screwed a tire nut in a couple of times and the nut broke. I now torque it to 80 ft/lbs each time, but as long as I don’t torque it too hard, it should be fine.

I’ve seen both numbers out there. 4 ft/lbs doesn’t make any difference at all for wheel nuts.

2 ugga duggas would be fine too, about 80 ft lbs.

I use a 600 ft lb air gun at 80-87 psi. Sometimes I tighten the wheels first and then check with a torque wrench.

A lot of people would say yes, but I’ve driven 17 cars since I was a teenager and have done all the automotive work. I have never torqued a wheel and I have never had a loose wheel. ….. “It’s worse as I get older – I have a cordless Dewalt impact gun and I just hold the trigger down for a second after the nut stops turning.

Bolt torque has nothing to do with wheel rotation. Bolts should always be tightened to the manufacturer’s specifications because engineers feel that a certain amount of holding force is required for a certain bolt in a certain setup.

It is very important to torque the wheels so that they are properly secured without buckling the chassis, and so that you can remove them at the side of the road with the tools you have in your car.

Ugga dugga does the job perfectly!

This is definitely something you should consider, better safe than sorry.

A torque wrench $20. Don’t play games.

Do you mean torque or “torque to spec”?

It depends. Do you like cats with tires?

No. It’s okay to drop them. You can go to flash time, jump out, and put them back on for rig flips.

That must be the new school of thought …… I’ve been working on cars for 20 years and I’ve never used a torque wrench or seen anyone use one. I just tighten them 2 or 3 times in a star pattern until they stop moving. The mechanics I have seen only use impact wrenches.

 A machinist would use a torque rod on an impact wrench…

I’ve been making wrenches for 25 years and I’ve always used torque.

Yes, because the tire is mounted on the wheel and the wheel rotates after the tire is mounted.

Don’t forget to use high strength red threadlocker on all the nuts. Then tighten 5 ugga duggas with 150 psi impact. that should tighten it up without the hassle of a torque wrench.

It’s …. If this is the 8000th tire you’ve put on in your life… No …… You can feel it.

3 ugga dugga is the right spec.

I never torque my tires. I just go by feel and you obviously don’t want to over or under tighten, never had a wheel problem.

Overtightening is fine. It’s fun to see the lugs screwed off while going 80 mph on the highway.

Unless you don’t want the wheel to come off while driving …… This happened to a friend of mine. Don’t be like my friend.

If you must ask this question, ask it somewhere else.

What can you do

If you are inexperienced, yes! Get a torque wrench and it will be done right and save you. Someone older or more experienced could easily do the job. Years ago I used to take it out and double check, but back then torque wrenches were as rare as hen’s teeth ……

Nah man, you just use a pry bar or breaker bar to tighten them. Tighten them once when you put the wheels on and again after about 10 minutes of driving.

4′ 1/2″ breaker bar, give it a try.

You don’t need a torque wrench, just use the como sense …. by feel, if you tighten them you won’t have any problems, just don’t tighten them too much or you’ll break the risers ……

Wow, I’ve seen a few questions in this group, but this is the most important one, and I’m surprised you haven’t asked how to install the windshield washer.

If the torque is not equal, the rotor will warp.

It didn’t used to, but it will now because I checked and they don’t make nuts and bolts as strong as they used to.

Not if you know what you are doing! But because you ask for it means you need it!

These idiots who say they are experienced and don’t need a torque wrench, I don’t let them near my car.

Every time I pick up my truck from the free tire exchange, I double check the torque on the lug nuts. Last time it was 95. my truck specs are 140.

Also, I recently had a brake caliper fall off while driving another vehicle. Must have been the idiot who did the brakes two years ago who didn’t tighten them.

Conclusion

If you want to follow the manufacturer’s specs, get a torque wrench and the correct socket and tighten the wheels to 76 ft lbs. Check again after 50-100 miles and you’re good to go.

Yes, tighten the lug nuts…

No, leave them loose.

Unless you want to change the rotors…

Yes, I do.

No, just leave them loose, they’ll expand with the heat, then tighten them.

In 54 years of riding, I have never used a torque wrench on a wheel nut. Never had a problem.