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Old 07-14-2021, 01:27 PM   #1
Gel Mibson
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Default Any lasting effects from overtorqued lug nuts?

Let’s say hypothetically you’ve rotated your tires several times. For years, you didn’t follow the specs in your manual..Either the shop or you previously overtorqued your lugnuts every time. And when I say overtorqued, I mean like full body weight right. You find out recently that torque specs on lugnuts are 89 in/lb so you retorque your wheels.

Because you’ve repeatedly overtorqued your lugs coupled with more than dbl torque specs, what kind of damage has been done to the threads, if any? If you torque to spec moving forward, would it actually feel like a much lower in/lb due to the repeated wear on the threads? Would it be easier for your lugs to get loose from daily driving or am I overthinking this one? Would it be safer to instead increase the torque to 100 in/lb to offset any potential issues?
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Old 07-14-2021, 10:05 PM   #2
Elbert Bass
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eventually you may have a stud/nut seize or cross thread.
You can replace lug studs - hammer them out of the hub flange and then use a special wheel stud installer bearing tool to install new studs. Use new nuts.
Subaru dealer lube techs do it all the time because they strip lug nuts like a dog eating cat poo...
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Old 07-15-2021, 03:18 PM   #3
Vices
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Lasting effects, yes. Accelerated wear. Normal life expectancy? Way too long. Failure mode? Thread damage and/or yielding. Should you worry about it? Not really - it won't happen at the same time simultaneously to all the hardware. You have 5 per wheel you only need 3, but you should never rely on less than 4. You will be fine, when you notice damage fix it. Invest in a good torque wrench and get a feel by hand. Torque to spec. Do not increase the torque spec. Try to do a sanity check/calibration on the torque wrench every year.
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Old 07-16-2021, 04:20 PM   #4
Bianchifan
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89 (or even 100) in/lbs isn't very much. Maybe you mean ft/lbs?
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Old 10-16-2021, 08:57 AM   #5
hman123467
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Generally the factory torque is more than enough unless you have an ungodly wide wheel and are taking corners really fast
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Old 10-29-2021, 08:19 AM   #6
SixBladeKnife
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After dealership serviced brakes on wife's car, I changed to winter tire set at home. I measured the lug torque's anywhere from at 120 to 139 ft/lbs! I think manual says 89. How hard is to to use a freaking torque wrench???!
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Old 10-29-2021, 09:49 AM   #7
Stretch18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SixBladeKnife View Post
After dealership serviced brakes on wife's car, I changed to winter tire set at home. I measured the lug torque's anywhere from at 120 to 139 ft/lbs! I think manual says 89. How hard is to to use a freaking torque wrench???!
FYI, breakaway torque is always higher than tightening torque.
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Old 10-30-2021, 08:12 AM   #8
SoCoNoHa
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Man I always give it the extra sauce when tightening lug nuts. I've always used a 4-way lug wrench and don't go as hard as I can, but it's more than spec. I'd rather struggle to remove the wheel than have it fly off on the highway, which I've seen in person and is actually scary.

Never had a problem with my lug studs.
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Old 02-13-2023, 11:34 AM   #9
Kgroff
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Studs can get stretched and then have an issue with threading the lug nuts on in some cases. Is the potential in extreme cases to have the stud fail as well.
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Old 02-16-2023, 01:07 AM   #10
GoFrogs
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stretch18 View Post
FYI, breakaway torque is always higher than tightening torque.
do the techs perform the final tighten while the car is in the air (no weight on the wheels) on the lift?

In my mind, doing the final torque tighten in the air, at 89 ft-lb, will result in a higher torque rating when the car is set back on the ground

vs

tightening to 55-60 ft/lb w/the car in the air and the final tightening when the car is fully sitting on the ground.

Is my mind in the right place?

I find it easier to loosen the lug nuts when the vehicle is raised slightly, weight taken off of the wheel as now that corner has the jack lifting some of the car, but the tire still has contact w/the ground to provide counter-torque

I think there is a different with (final) torque on a wheel nut in the air vs when on the ground.
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Old 03-28-2023, 09:53 PM   #11
JVillegas
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Interesting read here for sure!
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Old 09-26-2023, 07:32 AM   #12
kegordon16
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I've had to drill out a lug when the stud just spun because the shop put it on too tight. It's not fun, but takes some time and patience. I wouldn't be concerned if you can get it off. Lug nuts are cheap and so are studs if your really worried. Put studs in the freezer to shrink them before installing.
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