Jacking Up Axle Required for Lug Nut Retorque?

In my opinion the lug nuts should be loosened and re-torqued. Having the weight of the truck or trailer off of the wheel is smart.
I've seen people try and re-torque an already "torqued" lug nut by tightening and checking for the click on the torque wrench. I ask "How do you know it isn't over torqued"

 

Wouldn't you just be chasing your tail?

 

Lug nuts loosen only 2 ways. 1- not tightened in the first place. 2- over torquing them which over stretches the stud and the assembly looses it's clamping force.

 

Re torquing is just to verify they stayed tight.
If you back the nuts off and torque them, you require another re torque after that.


So if they lift the axle up in the air what holds the tires from turning? The park brakes? So now you are trying to torque on tires and drum which are fighting against the brake shoes.

Brakes released, tires chocked and torque them. Nothing fancy.

 

#### this is spot on. I was about to post about this but then i reached this comment.

 

And can also be loosed by corrosion not removed before installation and also dirt caked on the rim before assembly, and hard strikes to the rim that stretch the studs (usually don’t care because rims bent), and the use of anti-seize causing and under torque situation. And the use of anti-seize cause a over torqued/stretched/stripped thread situation. And and and.... yeah just few more than 2 ways.

Besides that, if they are “over-torqued” to the point the stud is stretched, then you’ll never reach torque when re-torquing. The stud will snap before it ever reaches the proper torque. More than likely your talking about stripped threads, but the same thing applies.

Re-torquing after a certain miles is to confirm no nuts have backed off because of any of the above conditions basically CYA for the tire shops.

Re-torque when the wheel is on the ground. If more than one are found loose jack up the wheel remove it, and find out why it loosened before you re-torque and go bee-bopping down the road.

 

over torquing happens when you go to a truck tire place. The ex convicts that work there use 1" impact guns and sit there and hammer on your lugs to about 1000 foot pounds. I have a 1" gun but All you need is a 3/4 and hammer them on. Usually brings them to dead on around 600 foot pound. I usually check a few bolts after i let the truck down with my torque wrnech.

 

I think most nuts only call for 500ft/lbs.
1/2 cordless gets them snug then a bit of turn with the torque wrench before it clicks.