Retorquing the Lugnuts

Probably my next phase of wheel maintenance, which I doubt is done on a regular basis, as is recommended by the stickers I scratch my head at (and wonder if I don't do it, who will)... something I'm looking into now. Feel free to share any thoughts or experience you have with this, on equipment or routine. Seems pretty simple though, get big torque wrench, and slap it on there (sounds like a plan).

 

You suggest this as if it's an option. My options are between checking it myself and assuming someone else does it on occasion, when I'm not there (which I doubt is safe to assume). I don't think it could hurt to check torque anyway.

 

I mean you can't overtorque them with a torque wrench (on the proper setting), so they'll either tighten to that or they're already tight, right? I'll just look up the recommended torque range for these wheels and make that an occasional inspection (when I have some extra time).

 

Looks a bit tricky to say for sure, for instance the alcoa service manual ranges between 300-900 depending on the particular mount type, nut thread, and lubricated or dry torque. Then it says check specs for steel wheels otherwise... I guess if I can verify the equipment used, I'll see. On steel trailer wheels that had tires replaced they left me a note saying to have them torqued to 500 after 50 or so miles, otherwise 450-500 ft-lb may be typical for that (I'll do some more reading to compare notes in general). But that's the thing, if they're leaving me a note, I don't think it's going to be done automatically, unless I pull a torque wrench out of my ###.

No big deal, well they can be pricey, but I can possibly use one on my own wheels too (I don't know though, it seems they have a high minimum setting to go up to 500, so that would be if I got another vehicle, and already have a small torque wrench for the average wheel). Mostly the big ### one is something I'd care to have, since I've put enough thought into tire maintenance to also make sure the wheels stay on (which, some of them have surface rust all around, so I wouldn't know if the tell tale signs of loose lugs were present, besides them being finger tight, and I don't think gauging them by that or rust is going to be nearly as accurate).

 

Well I'm just curious as to what the baseline is on wheels I'm driving around (or at least if they're all torqued uniformly). Never had a wheel come loose, but it has been known to happen, so I'd like to know if the lugs are staying as tight as they should be, or are on a highway to the danger zone (there's only one way to find out, without interrogating everyone about equipment that is not maintained locally, if at all, so they wouldn't know anyway). I think it's along the lines of if it aint broke don't fix it, except I don't want to go there, when wheels breaking down (or not) amounts to a personal problem, either way (could be good exercise too).

 

Now that I remember a used book I got, the Heavy Duty Truck Systems manual says to inspect and retorque wheel stud nuts once a week, so yeah I don't see that happening otherwise.