Retorqueing Wheels

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Had new tires put on the wife's car last week. Since I saw them jack them on with an air gun I've been meaning to retorque them the correct settings. What's the best way to do that. I was planning on breaking them back and retorqueing them on at a time. Will this keep it in balance or do I need to go around and do it in increments (i.e. 5 ft Lbs at time around the 5 lugs)?
 
One at a time. The remaining lugs will keep the wheel centered. I'd do the star pattern, of course.
 
After I get tires rotated or whatever, I always check the torque when I get home. Sometimes the lug nut will turn half a turn before it clicks. I only check them one time.
 
Never given it much thought. I never finalize lugs on a car with an airgun. I have a 75ft-lb torque stick, and all my lugs take 80+.

So I zip them on, torque them. Drive a while, and then re-torque them. I dont back them and then re-torque or anything like that. Ive always just put the torque wrench back on and re-clicked. I know that this isnt the best since torque needs to be a dynamic value, but Ive never had issues either...
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Never given it much thought. I never finalize lugs on a car with an airgun. I have a 75ft-lb torque stick, and all my lugs take 80+.

So I zip them on, torque them. Drive a while, and then re-torque them. I dont back them and then re-torque or anything like that. Ive always just put the torque wrench back on and re-clicked. I know that this isnt the best since torque needs to be a dynamic value, but Ive never had issues either...


pretty much exactly what I do.. although my ingersol-rand electric impact is slighly anemic so the 90- stick is about 75
(they were calibrated with a 350# gun mine is less)
 
Originally Posted By: cadfaeltex
Had new tires put on the wife's car last week. Since I saw them jack them on with an air gun I've been meaning to retorque them the correct settings. What's the best way to do that. I was planning on breaking them back and retorqueing them on at a time. Will this keep it in balance or do I need to go around and do it in increments (i.e. 5 ft Lbs at time around the 5 lugs)?


If I ever saw a shop do that, I would be all over them at once. Hand wrenching or a good torque stick is the only way to go.
 
I just re-do them one bolt at a time in crisscross fashion without jacking up the car. With couple of impact guns and torque wrench, I set the big impact to loosen, the small impact to tighten and then use torque wrench for final tightening.
 
I always take a torque wrench with me when i get tires. i retorque them in the parking lot before the brake rotors see any heat. Never a warped rotor since doing this. I go about 1/2 force ( est by feel) all the way around in a cross pattern then all the way to the click setting of the wrench.
 
In this case, just loosen each one and torque it to spec. Follow the pattern, though.
Millions of car's have had their wheels installed with air guns with no problems.. It is up to the installer. BTW, air guns have an adjustment for torque on them.
 
I always seat lugnuts with a torque wrench. I hear this helps prevent rotor warpage. Easy to do if it does help the rotor out. The 4 rotors on my 3/4 ton Dodge are worth more than a decent torque wrench!!
 
What thoughts do you have about torqueing the wheels with the car weight on them versus with the wheel suspended? Seems suspended would be better.
 
Originally Posted By: ffhdriver
What thoughts do you have about torqueing the wheels with the car weight on them versus with the wheel suspended? Seems suspended would be better.


All the vehicles I work on have hub-piloted wheels and vehicle weight is a non-issue.

With stud-piloted wheels I would keep the vehicle weight off while torquing down the wheels.
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
In this case, just loosen each one and torque it to spec. Follow the pattern, though.
Millions of car's have had their wheels installed with air guns with no problems.. It is up to the installer. BTW, air guns have an adjustment for torque on them.


I like the idea of a torque setting on an air gun, go over by like 5 lbs if there is the allowance for 'more' torque without negative and snug 'em up in the proper cross-pattern.
 
Originally Posted By: ffhdriver
What thoughts do you have about torqueing the wheels with the car weight on them versus with the wheel suspended? Seems suspended would be better.


And what would hold the wheels while you try and torque them? They will just spin.
 
I re torque my wheels when I get it back from the shop. And I always find a few overly tight nuts.
 
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