Use a torque wrench to torque your wheels to spec?

When you put your wheels back on your rig do you...

  • Use an air gun and are done with it

    Votes: 24 24.0%

  • Tighten with tire iron and get them as tight as I can

    Votes: 21 21.0%

  • Tighten with air gun and then use torque wrench to make sure in spec

    Votes: 23 23.0%

  • Tighten with tire iron and then use torque wrench to make sure in spec

    Votes: 18 18.0%

  • Who cares, as long as the wheels don't fall off

    Votes: 14 14.0%
  • Total voters
    100
BigClay

BigClay

Knower of useless ZJ things
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Location
Winston-Salem
I am just curious to see how many people torque their tires to spec. I don't have an air compressor, so everytime I take off my wheels, I just torque them down by hand, I just wondered how many people do the same.
 
On aluminum rims I torque them, on steel I dont.

Duane
 
I torque mine using antiseize also.
 
Torque them. Especially on my car. And why not? It doesn't take any longer than with just the lug wrench.
 
The truck (steel wheels, torque to 140lb-ft) gets the impact...
The car (aluminum wheels) gets torqued by hand
The buggy gets the impact on full-bore... but the specified torque on a rockwell lug has got to be 350+ lb-ft, sooo..
 
Tighten with air gun on low-mid setting, then hit with torque wrench. Sometimes when in a hurry, I only tighten with the air gun in the low-mid setting. I know it is good for about 80-100 ftlbs after following it up with a torque wrench for a few years now. I have seen a friend have lug nuts start flying off while going down the highway because he was using an air gun only that was dying and losing power and he didn't know it.
 
Impact with a torque stick that's below spec, then torque wrench right to spec is my preference (quick and easy!). Usually though, it's 4-way then torque wrench right to spec.
 
When at work we use torque sticks with the impact and then torque them by hand...

I ALWAYS torque by hand no matter what. And when it's my rig it gets re-checked the next day. There is really no reason not to do it, especially since it doesn't take that long.

And like mentioned above, I use anti-seize religiously
 
Impact with a torque stick and roll on.
 
I voted lug wrench then torque by hand.

I use socket/rachet then torque by hand. Kids car seats prevent lug wrench from being removed.
 
I use socket/rachet then torque wrench. I bent a lug wrench once on the side of the road trying to get a tire off. I decided to torque them to spec after that.
 
For those who voted - Tight as they can get it with a tire iron.

I've stripped out wheel studs like that. I am not a super strong individual.
 
Torque tube on the inpact.
 
I run em down with my impact until they're snug. Generally on my DD I'll torque them because it's got aluminum wheels. I absolutely hate antiseize on lug studs though. You could smear a tablespoon of that shit from NY to the end of Florida, plus if you use the old stlye that's just pulverized metal, it'll rust believe it or not. The new copper stuff is awesome though....just not on my lugnuts.
 
I'm poor so everything I own has steel wheels and they all get just the impact.

rbo1577186-Anyone on here that has met me knows I'm not a big guy by any definition and I regulary break off studs with a 4 way when they're seized on. For some reason though the impact has a tougher time breaking them off than the 4 way does.
 
I use impact to take 'em off; if in a hurry I'll spin them on w/ it but stop as soon as the least bit tight, then tighten w/ 4-way. Otherwise just use 4-way.
I always do the move-across star patern for tightening, but rarely mess w/ a torque wrench to measure it.
 
I've also heard that anti-seize changes the torque characteristics when tightening things, but alot of this talk is like the "Which oil do you use" threads... If it works for you, and your wheels don't fall off, then more power to you.
 
Zing em up with the impact till it bumps, in a criss cross or star pattern, then go around all on the wheel with one bump. Torque em all by hand to spec (my spec is always 100ft-lbs for my jeeps/trucks/etc).

Also, I spray the studs with WD40 or similar. Helps get the torque spec right, and helps with removal.
 
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