gilroy222

You'd think google would have the answer but amazingly I haven't found a straight answer. How the hell do you re-torque your lug nuts?

I got a torque wrench, and I know the torque setting is 100ft/lb, but do you jack up the car and do you back off the lugs slightly or just tighten further to the torque spec while it's on the ground?

Backing the lug nuts off seems counter-productive to me but I've seen mixed answers. I just got my summer rims on and even though have never done this with my truck I want to start doing these kinds of things with the GXP since I paid a lot more $$ for it lol.

UseAsDirected

Huh... I never thought about it so I'm curious what others will say. But all I do til I learn otherwise is check after a few days to make sure they're still at 100lbs with the car still on the ground.

gilroy222

Do you ever back them off slightly first? Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't just tightening them while they're already tight just over torque? Or will the torque wrench set at 100lbs prevent it from going further?

Donk's SS

Do not back them off. Just do a star pattern - followed by a circle pattern. Go slow until you hear it click.

iMuf

I just had aftermarket wheels put on and put about 50 miles on them and got the m re-torqued the other day. All they did was torque them, they didn't back them off or anything like that.

DuronClocker

iTrader: (25)

Little bit of anti-seize on the threads. When in the air still, I hold the wheel as flush as possible and snug all of them up (in a star pattern) to where there is no play in the wheel.

Drop the car down, tighten the rest of the way (again, in a star pattern). I've rarely used a torque wrench on any of my cars, though I realize that is the "right" way to do it. I guess I've just gotten used to what is close.

lVloses

iTrader: (1)

I will tighten them until they're snug with the car off the ground and then drop her and torque them to spec. Star pattern of course. And I always double check them.

UseAsDirected

If they're already at 100lbs my wrench will click immediately before tightening more. No worries.

gilroy222

Thanks everybody, so torque them on the ground then.....goin to get a torque wrench tonight lol. Oh I just realized. For some reason two of the lug nuts don't look like lug nuts... they literally look like nuts instead of the typical lug nut, the shop must of ran out of two i guess lol. Even though they're doing fine i'm **** as hell and want to throw a real lug nut on there because it looks like **** in comparison to the standard so i'll probly get a 4-pack of those while i'm at it. Size is M12 1.5 or something I read somewhere?

And since i'm only going to be replacing two nuts of the whole car, is it wise to re-torque those to in 50 or 100 miles? Or is it just when the rims get changed, ie. winters-summers, that you need to re-torque.

gxp-miller-gxp

just do a star pattern then go back over and make sure all is good.
if you are that worried just buy a 100 ft /lb torque stick ( grey if its snap on)
should be about 30 - 50 bucks but worth it

UseAsDirected

I re-torque any time I loosen a lugnut, just to be sure. Usually I check a couple of times over the next week after doing it. Worth the 30 seconds it takes.

SS SLP2

iTrader: (8)

Just my 0.02' on this:
Throw away the air guns, do not use power tools to tork the lug nuts.
I do not think ANY auto makers suggest ANY type of lube on the lug studs.
Lightly snug the nuts up with the auto up in the air (no pressure/weght on the lugs) with a short ratchet/break over bar then lower auto to ground to stop the tires from rolling ( or have some one hold the brakes while auto is in the air).
Tork the lugs in star pattern only to 60-70# on the first pass, then come back and set tork to final setting 95-100# ( or what ever you want to run)again use star pattern, after this just make a quick stright around on all lugs to be sure you have not missed any , on the last pass just do a quick 2 click pull on the tork wrench, after 50-100 miles do a quick 2 click around on all lugs to insure none are working loose
Again just my .02' Johnny

gilroy222

Thanks for the info everybody. I indeed went and bought a 250 lb torque wrench. The tire shop that switched my winters to summers actually have different sockets on their torque guns that are meant to set different torques. So they didn't just bang on the lugs as tight as they could or anything.... it should have been right but I just want to do this stuff for my own satisfaction i guess. In the winter i'll probably just do it myself.