Torque for 16" wheels

[KSMM03]

Any of you guys install the tires on your car yourselves? If so, did you what did you torque the wheels to??

Thanks!!


Chris:rolleyes:

[Wags]

Until they were tight :D. I don't know, I just put them on. I've never torqued wheels on any of my cars, and have not had any problems over the last 20 some years.

[KSMM03]

Ahh, you must be talking about ze german torque, you know, "good and tight"...<G>

Just thought I'd ask...don't want to be driving down the road and watching one of them pass me by.....

Don't laugh, a friend of mine was driving in I-80 in NJ, and they saw a cragar ss wheel pass them, and they started laughing, until the passenger looked at the right rear wheel well......EMPTY!!!

[tetsu]

I saw a guy have his front right come off while he was going 40.

His whole car came to a grinding halt as it tilted and jammed under the wheelwell.

Johnny

[LincMercLover]

LOL, that happend to my Dad once. Driving down a service road and saw a rim go bouncing past. "What an idiot! That guy's bumming!" BOOM! SCREECH! Yah, HE was bumming... :D

I use an impact gun to put on/off my wheels, so I dunno... 90PSI...?

[RCSignals]

Impact wrenches are meant to take things apart, not put them together. Even though most tire shops use them to put nuts back on. They can destroy stud threads, destroy the mounting surface for the nut on the wheel, break studs, over torque, and cause warped rotors.
It is best to install wheel nuts by hand, using a lug nut wrench, and torque them to specs

[LincMercLover]

Well, like Wags, I've done this forever, and haven't had one wheel go out of round, break any lug studs, or warped any rotors... 90PSI isn't much, considering I can still break out the 4-way and crank her down some more.

[Colin]

BTW- Lut nut spec is 100 ft/lbs. For you guys that use the factory lug wrench and stand on the end, you're over torquing your lug nuts. 100 ft/lbs isn't hard to achieve.

Colin

[metroplex]

For the Vics, it was always 100 lb-ft

I'm not sure about those fancy 18" Marauder rims tho ;)

[O's Fan Rich]

You can get extensions from your tool guy that are rated for the torque you want. Use them with your air gun and you'll be right on every time!!
Do I use them?? NAAHHHH!!:rolleyes:

[metroplex]

My impact wrench at 90 psi in setting "1" is around 150 lb-ft.
In setting "4" (max) its around 250 lb-ft.
Is there any way to accurately gauge or restrict the torque? Nope.
Solution: Use a torque wrench to torque the lug nuts. Use a breaker bar or an impact wrench to REMOVE the nuts.

I usually use the breaker bar to loosen the lugnuts when the car is on the ground. When its in the air, I can then use ordinary ratchets and wrenches to remove them. This bypasses the need to fire up the air compressor.

[O's Fan Rich]

http://buy.snapon.com/catalog/Pro.asp?tool=all&Group%5FID=2219&Group%5Fname=Extensions&Cat%5FID=1405558&Cat%5FNAME=Tire+And+Wheel&Sub%5FCat%5FID=1405633&Sub%5FCat%5FNAME=Wheel+Torque+ Tools&store=snapon%2Dstore

[metroplex]

That doesn't mean you can blast a 500 lb-ft torque wrench w/ that extension and have it torque the nut to 100 lb-ft.

[O's Fan Rich]

ok. then what does it mean ? I obviously need to be educated here!

[metroplex]

It looks like an ordinary extension bar.

[O's Fan Rich]

TSKT45 Wheel Torque Extension Set (1/2" square drive). Four piece set allows you to easily and accurately torque lugnuts. Use with thinwall impact sockets. Set includes plastic carrying case.
Additional Description:

1/2" square drive Wheel Torque Extensions allow quick and accurate torquing of lugnuts. Use with thin wall impact sockets to access recessed lugnuts.


If you can use them with impact sockets, would that mean you could use them with your air impact?

[metroplex]

I'm skeptical as to HOW it can accurately torque lugnuts with an impact wrench.

There's no torque limiting device other than the fact that the diameter of the shaft changes with the torque rating of the bar.

[O's Fan Rich]

I'm going to flag down my local Snap-on guy and see. Perhaps they twist when you reach the torque rating they are rated for. I don't see any type of clicking or release mechanisim on them.

[metroplex]

That's a good idea, I'm interested to find out the reasoning behind it.

If it works advertised, and is somehow related to the diameter of the shaft (but torque is based on force * distance, I don't see how changing the diameter of the shaft of the pivot point would affect it), then it can make life easy!

[Colin]

Tq sticks are somewhat accurate when new and after being dropped a few times can be completely off. I don't recommend anything but a tq wrench and tightening by hand. Take a little time and do it right.

Colin

[metroplex]

Yes they're called torque sticks.

I found out that the shaft dissipates excess torque so you get the right amount of torque. Apparently it flexes in sync with the anvils in the impact hammer. I think its a lot of mumbo jumbo, can't beat a torque wrench in accuracy.