Retorquing lug nuts

[turkeybird56]

Like Russian Roulette.... "Been playin' for 30 years! Haven't shot myself yet!".

Blanks??? lol

 

[BWL]

I lost a wheel after having a shop do an axle seal about 10 years ago and another one when I did a tire swap myself decades ago. I learned my lesson twice and got lucky both times nobody got hurt and no damage done to anything apart from needing a new rim and wheel studs once and a new brake rotor the other time. I always retorque now. Watching your wheel pass you and fly down the road hoping it doesn't hurt anybody or break something expensive isn't as fun as it sounds

 

[RamDiver]

I lost a wheel after having a shop do an axle seal about 10 years ago and another one when I did a tire swap myself decades ago. I learned my lesson twice and got lucky both times nobody got hurt and no damage done to anything apart from needing a new rim and wheel studs once and a new brake rotor the other time. I always retorque now. Watching your wheel pass you and fly down the road hoping it doesn't hurt anybody or break something expensive isn't as fun as it sounds

When the incident happened after performing the wheel swap yourself, do you recall if you initially used a torque wrench and any guesses how long after that you lost the wheel?

.

 

[BWL]

When the incident happened after performing the wheel swap yourself, do you recall if you initially used a torque wrench and any guesses how long after that you lost the wheel?

.

I was still a teenager and didn't know what a torque wrench was. Roughly 100 miles before it came off. I used the lug wrench that came with the jeep.

 

[RamDiver]

I was still a teenager and didn't know what a torque wrench was. Roughly 100 miles before it came off. I used the lug wrench that came with the jeep.

Thanks

.

 

[truck2014]

Start nuts by hand, run them down with the impact to the first ugga-dugga and stop, then do them to full tq with a tq wrench, going through the pattern twice. When I restart the star pattern for the second go-around, the first couple from the first go around will usually turn 10-15 degrees but the later ones usually don't turn. Once that's done, I don't think about it at all until they need to come off again.

I used to just use the impact but after rotating the tires on my dad's sierra, he got a flat tire and wasn't able to get the nuts off with a hand wrench. Got ripped for that and told not to go so tight. Well the next time I only gave them maybe a second of ugga-duggas, and after a while he had a wheel come loose going down the road. Ripped again. (In my defense I was in high school at the time, learned a lot since then.)

I keep a breaker bar in the tool box so I think if I favored on the high end of the ugga-dugga scale I would be fine as I can always get them off with the breaker, but for the sake of consistency I just figure using a tq wrench isn't that hard, we have a nice one so I just use it and don't have to worry. No need to recheck when it's done correctly the first time.

No impact for me , I’ll take them off with one when I rotate . I’m in no rush , I have a small cushioned stool that’s only 9” tall , I’ll sit on it , and patiently spin on the 8 lug nuts by hand , I’ll go the star pattern a couple times with a ratchet , and socket until snug , and go around a couple more times with the torque wrench with the star pattern , done. I don’t revisit them until the next rotation . I used to until it actually felt like I was wasting my time . Is that my advice for everyone, no . Do what you feel comfortable with . What I do works for me .

 

[truck2014]

I was still a teenager and didn't know what a torque wrench was. Roughly 100 miles before it came off. I used the lug wrench that came with the jeep.

I’m sure I knew what a torque wrench was , but I certainly didn’t own one I had no
idea the torque on my wheels . A couple of my vehicles back then I ran two sets , one for just hunting , a couple what did a previous post use , hugga dugga ‘s , and I was ready to go . Never a problem . I suspect I was definitely tighter than needed using my old star wrench.

 

[Wild one]

I lost a wheel after having a shop do an axle seal about 10 years ago and another one when I did a tire swap myself decades ago. I learned my lesson twice and got lucky both times nobody got hurt and no damage done to anything apart from needing a new rim and wheel studs once and a new brake rotor the other time. I always retorque now. Watching your wheel pass you and fly down the road hoping it doesn't hurt anybody or break something expensive isn't as fun as it sounds

Been there / done that on this truck,and these wheels. Bought the rims and tires at the local tire shop,they installed them,and made it onto the highway and up to about 65 mph,less then 2 miles from the tire shop,when the back wheel on the pass side passed me,lol. Tire shop covered the damages which was new brake drum/backing plate /new rear bumper etc, and straightening out the rear 1/4 and repainting it.

 

[4xdad]

Back in the day I used a 1/2 inch ratchet but I was much stronger then. Now I use the breaker bar

 

[BWL]

Been there / done that on this truck,and these wheels. Bought the rims and tires at the local tire shop,they installed them,and made it onto the highway and up to about 65 mph,less then 2 miles from the tire shop,when the back wheel on the pass side passed me,lol. Tire shop covered the damages which was new brake drum/backing plate etc, and straightening out the rear 1/4 and repainting it.

When the wheel came off my jeep it somehow split 2 lanes of traffic during rush hour and the light turned green just before it went through a busy intersection bounced across the ruts in the asphalt, cut right, bounced off a fence and finally stopped in a hedge. The more recent one I thought I had a flat until I saw it pass me. Went up the wrong way on hwy40 for a bit before it veered off into the bushes.

 

[4xdad]

The wheel came off my old jeep when the missus was rocking down the highway. I got a pretty exited phone call at work. (Don’t run wheel spacers kids)

 

[Fatbob Frank]

No impact for me , I’ll take them off with one when I rotate . I’m in no rush , I have a small cushioned stool that’s only 9” tall , I’ll sit on it , and patiently spin on the 8 lug nuts by hand , I’ll go the star pattern a couple times with a ratchet , and socket until snug , and go around a couple more times with the torque wrench with the star pattern , done. I don’t revisit them until the next rotation . I used to until it actually felt like I was wasting my time . Is that my advice for everyone, no . Do what you feel comfortable with . What I do works for me .

Four corner lug wrench is your friend...
I prefer that too...

 

[Justin33]

I always do but I own a torque wrench so I just do it myself...
When running all-terrains, mud terrains or even the RTs on my Power Wagon I think it's important to re-torque them...

Why do you say that?

 

[Fatbob Frank]

Why do you say that?

They tend to have more vibration than street tires so if somethings going to loosen up it'll just exacerbate the situation...
Retorquing is pretty quick and easy insurance...

 

[Sherman Bird]

Been there / done that on this truck,and these wheels. Bought the rims and tires at the local tire shop,they installed them,and made it onto the highway and up to about 65 mph,less then 2 miles from the tire shop,when the back wheel on the pass side passed me,lol. Tire shop covered the damages which was new brake drum/backing plate /new rear bumper etc, and straightening out the rear 1/4 and repainting it.

I had a customer with a 1998 Toyota 4Runner. He always said "I'm going to drive it until the wheels fall off!". Sure enough, he was driving down U.S. 290 in NW Houston in heavy traffic when one of the ball joints gave way and the entire wheel, knuckle, brake rotor, caliper, came off and passed him as he came to a grinding halt!

He had it towed to me and I fixed it under insurance coverage. Afterwards, I said "So! Since the wheel came off, are you getting rid of the 4Runner?!".

 

[truck2014]

Four corner lug wrench is your friend...
I prefer that too...

I can't tell you how many years thats all I used was that wrench , it does have a lot of leverage . It was used to loosen , and spin off, then of course to tighten the lug nuts back up . As said above just cinched them good with that wrench ,and I was good to go . Now that you mention it ,I haven't used mine in years . Since towing with a fifth wheel ,and alloy wheels , I went with a torque wrench ,and now got in the habit of that .

 

[Hardracer]

Back in the 80s when I started driving father in law still owned 2 chevron stations...I did my own rotations,oil changes and whatnot there...hand started the nutz and bipped the hell outta them with the gun(young and dumb and full of c** i know)...never a problem gettin them off the next time.
Nowadays truck goes to tire kingdom(mavis now).I watch them like a hawk during the whole time and they know it.....mandatory 2 diff.people do a torque wrench before it leaves.....I redo(check)them when I get home some 20 miles away,there is never any movement with my torque wrench.never touch them again after that til the next rotation....they have also never told/asked/suggested me to come back for a re-torque...thats kinda odd.

 

[truck2014]

Back in the 80s when I started driving father in law still owned 2 chevron stations...I did my own rotations,oil changes and whatnot there...hand started the nutz and bipped the hell outta them with the gun(young and dumb and full of c** i know)...never a problem gettin them off the next time.
Nowadays truck goes to tire kingdom(mavis now).I watch them like a hawk during the whole time and they know it.....mandatory 2 diff.people do a torque wrench before it leaves.....I redo(check)them when I get home some 20 miles away,there is never any movement with my torque wrench.never touch them again after that til the next rotation....they have also never told/asked/suggested me to come back for a re-torque...thats kinda odd.

A tire shop never gets to see me again after install, the lugs get checked now as soon as I get them home , loosened back up ,and retorqued . That rotation ,and rebalance is never necessary unless there is problem where you feel the tires need to be rebalanced . Just rotation . This was years ,and years ago , when I went to the tire shop where purchased , and wanted my tires rotated ,and balanced . The manager asked me do they need to be rebalanced , do you have any vibration . The answer was no ,he said well leave them alone . I don't remember since then that I have ever had a set of tires rebalanced after install . I rotate myself now , have done for years now .

 

[RamDiver]

The necessity for rebalancing tires may be more specific to individual tire types.
I've noticed the BFG KO series requires more weights and is more effort to balance than a Michelin road tire.

The local mechanic's shop is pretty small and the lead mechanic owns the shop.
Whenever I have any work done, I spend all of my time in the garage and have a front-row seat to all work completed on my vehicle.

That said, many years ago during a seasonal wheel change I was too lazy to complete, I got curious about the state of balance on my several-year-old winter BFGs.

The shop agreed to spin the wheels first to check the balance before popping the weights off.
I was standing next to the mechanic at the balancing machine and saw firsthand when 2 of the 4 wheels failed.

The burlier AT-type tires may be worth a recheck every once in a while.

YMMV

.

 

[Wild one]

I had a customer with a 1998 Toyota 4Runner. He always said "I'm going to drive it until the wheels fall off!". Sure enough, he was driving down U.S. 290 in NW Houston in heavy traffic when one of the ball joints gave way and the entire wheel, knuckle, brake rotor, caliper, came off and passed him as he came to a grinding halt!

He had it towed to me and I fixed it under insurance coverage. Afterwards, I said "So! Since the wheel came off, are you getting rid of the 4Runner?!".

Back in the mid 80's my Uncle bought a new Toyota and he was driving it back home,about 3 hours into the trip he had to shift his rear around on the seat,and as everybody does he used the steering wheel to help him wiggle into a new seating position,and the steering wheel came off in his hands at about 70 mph,then all hell broke loose,as the car roared down through the ditch,took out a bunch of fence,and ended up in a small slew. When he finally got home,and he was telling us about the experience,he said he hadn't had that much panic trying to stick a steering wheel back on a steering shaft that was flopping around at a fairly rapid rate,lol. Apparently the car had left the factory with-out the nut to hold it on,Toyota actually covered everything and gave him a brand new upgraded car,as he was threatening to go to the media about it. Right up till he passed ,he gave every new car he bought afterwards a hell've tug on the steering wheel to make sure it wouldn't fall off in his lap,lol