Walshstl

I did a tire rotation today. But I dont have a torque wrench so I just tighten the wheels pretty much as hard as I could. I think I've read that they are supposed to be 80pounds so I might have overkilled it. Is this gonna cause any problems or will it be fine?

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

How tight it tight? as tight as you could by hand, or did you jump on the lug wrench? I would say your alright.

BEAR-AvHistory

A torque wrench is cheaper then new rotors. The one big issue with over tightening the lug nuts is warping the rotors.

01tl4tl

the rotors and the axle can be damaged from overtorque, and more often by uneven application of torque in bolt tightening sequence
If you pushed on the bar with your hand thats probably 50 pounds
When you STAND on the end of the bar, lets say you weigh 160, standing on the end of a 1 foot long bar- thats 80 foot pounds
or close enough
Since shops often blast them on to 120-140 pounds, the main concern by hand tightening,,, is getting them tight enough
Stop by a tire shop and ask them to check for you
Loose lugs lose wheels~

Walshstl

I did it by hand. I tighten them with a few successions of pushes/pulls. Enough to rock the car back and forth, sometimes quite a bit. Warping the rotors I can deal with but I'm concerned about damaging the axle. Hmm maybe I should just get a torque wrench?

firstacuratl

iTrader: (2)

You'd be surprised how little effort it takes to get 80ft/lbs on a lug nut. Torque wrench FTW.

jweb12

iTrader: (2)

Exactly....get a torque wrench and you'll realize how little 80 ft-lbs is.

Jesstzn

Glad you guys posted this cuz 80 is very little and I can remove 80 with a 3/8 drive ratchet and its only got a 8" handle.

Walshstl

Ok I think I definitely overtighten. Im going to grab a torque wrench at home depot tomorrow. I havent driving the car yet. Hopefully I didnt damaged it already.

firstacuratl

iTrader: (2)

Just a tip....if you regularly rotate your tires, a little Permatex anti-seize on the lug studs helps immensely for removal during next rotation(use very sparingly or that silver shit will be all over everything ). Start torquing with wrench set on 60-65 ft/lbs. first, in a star pattern, then bump torque wrench setting to 80-85ft/lbs. and finish. Good practice to torque evenly. Also, don't skimp on purchasing your torque wrench...doesn't have to be from Matco, Mac or Snap-On but don't cheap out either...you really get what you pay for on this particular tool; just my . Hope this helps.

HONgDA

iTrader: (1)

That's what I do put some anti seize in the lug nut and tighten them. I hate it when you have to remove the lug nut while it is hot from driving the car and you end up snapping the stud while removing it. But i do need to invest in a torque wrench.

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

your fine....your not going to damage them by hand....i have been doing this to every car i have had in the last 20 years...never been a problem yet....my general rule of thumb is dont stand on the bar, and dont give yourself a hernia in the process...just make them tight....i trust my judgement over that of the service shop....they just blast away with their impact gun on god knows what setting....

lembowski

iTrader: (1)

I bought a torque wrench from this local hardware store (mom and pop) the guy told me to bring it back in any time I wanted it calibrated for free. He said that they will warranty with a new one if the calibration ever goes crazy in 2 years from purchase. By the way this is a $29.99 torque wrench

O8AcuraTL

I know there isn't a "do-it-all" tool, but is there a particular torque wrench that you guys recommend for basic maintenance such as oil changes (filter, oil pan) and tire rotations? Thanks.

firstacuratl

iTrader: (2)

My fav is a Stanley Proto J6016C 1/2" drive, range 30-150 ft/lbs, certified to within 3%+/- clockwise. Reasonable price($140-170) for the quality and great for torquing lugs.

You really need both 3/8" and 1/2" drive....3/8" for the low torque stuff and 1/2" for the high torque stuff. Just make sure the torque range of the wrench fits most of your applications. Personal opinion...stay away from Craftsman(their recent tools QC has really gone to shit..."Made in China" like everything else on the US market ) And I'm 1/2 Chinese so that isn't a racially motivated opinion...LOL. I own 5 different torque wrenches for working on cars/bikes...everything from 1/4" really low torque applications(in/lbs on motorcycle fasteners) all the way up to 3/4" drive for the "gorilla" torque (300 ft/lbs on a Ford Steering box pitman arm nut...LOL).

Walshstl

Jesus let me borrow one, it will save me $80 bucks that I was gonna spend the craftsman I saw at home depot lol. I thought craftsman were like high end tools?

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

go to autozone, you can borrow theirs for free

Jesstzn

Using and anti sieze on bolts / nuts gives a false torque reading.

Have a read.

http://realbig.com/miata/1998-12/1834.html

firstacuratl

iTrader: (2)

Good read...never occurred to me that it would affect torque but it definitely makes sense. It's still worth using it for me but I'll be backing off on the ft/lb-age now

Jesstzn

Funny thing is .. I live in snow country and run winter wheels from nov to march torqued to 80 per spec and "never" run an anti-sieze and never once have I had an issue with wheel nuts siezing on the stud. And thats over 45 years of driving.

Where the issues come in is when the shop or someone runs them on way too tight. Any time a shop works on mine I recheck them right in their lot.

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

couldn't more... as soon as they tighten them you see me untighten with the tq wrench in the other hand... I have spacers and extended studs so I just tq mine to 90 ... might lower it to 85lbs tq next time not like it makes a difference

Adobeman

Me too, including the proper torque, but I've always figured additionally because our lugs get removed/reinstalled twice a year that we help cut down on problems.

No substitute for even, proper, torque.

Jesstzn

Psssttt I just burned 4 DVDs using your GUI .. still works perfect.

New Car TL-S

160lbs * 1ft = 80 lbs*ft
i gotta go out on a limb and say this isn't what i learned. remind me not to stand underneath anything you've designed. but i may be misinterpreting your description.

pohljm

I was wondering when someone was gonna say somethin about that calc...........those are way overtightend by a factor of two

actually I think he would be building it with an additional safety factor so you would be fine underneath it

Jesstzn

Unless the bolts shear from the strain ...

New Car TL-S

if his actual is 160lbs*ft and he thinks its only 80? there's no safety factor there. i'm no PE, but school wasn't that long ago.

Adobeman

I think he means if you are 160lbs and you stand on the wrench then only half of your total body weight is on the wrench. Everyone I've witnessed do this [barbaric] stunt definitely "levitates" and puts near their full body weight into the wrench. And, there's no convincing these "gorillas" that there is such a thing as too tight.

flanso

iTrader: (1)

Take your bathroom scale and stand on it as you tighten the lug nuts. Use an 18 inch breaker bar or 18 inch long ratchet and push down to tighten holding the handle at the end. Watch the scale as you push down to tighten and when the scale reads about 55 pounds less than it did when you first stood on it, you will have tightened the nuts to about 82 foot-pounds of torque. Tighten the nuts in a crisscross pattern. It's easier with a torque wrench, but in a pinch, this method is reasonably accurate.

New Car TL-S

Adobeman, that may be what he means but he's not right. if you stand on a bar and the bar alone its taking your weight.

Flanso, i'd love to see that free body diagram!!

$50, go to Sears and get a torque wrench.

flanso

iTrader: (1)

Exactly, New Car TL-S! If you stand on a bar, the torque you exert at the end of the bar equals your total weight times the length of the bar. Your high school physics teacher can help you with the theory.

Vietnastee

iTrader: (8)

For the price that you pay for a craftsman torque wrench, I wouldn't get one because they break easily and they don't lifetime warranty it like they do with other tools.

Husky is a good torque wrench. I got mine at a Home Depot for like $60.

New Car TL-S

Craftsman has been trouble free for 7 years and counting, but when you use it 2x a year how can it not.

i won't argue over brand, but just get one (or borrow one).

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

No torque wrench will provide a warranty after 90 days.....

Trew

iTrader: (1)

overtightening can also pull the threads from the lugs into the lug nuts, essentially changing the symmetry of the threads. This can be a nightmare when removing them as they could bind and sieze the lug nuts on removal - resulting in snapping the lugs off. I once removed a wheel and snapped THREE studs due to the last person overtightening them.

Indeed a torque wrench is FTW. If you can't get one, look for a torque limiting stick. it's sort of like a ratchet extension that flexes when it reaches a certain torque instead of applying the extra force to the lug nut.

flanso

iTrader: (1)

Torque sticks work well but only in conjunction with an pneumatic or electric impact wrench.