Tightening Wheels with a Torque Wrench?

[TooManyWheels]

Davefr - You and I seem to be the only people in the world that have a problem with that. When I try to point out the problem of torquing a preloaded wheel, people just give a blank stare...

 

[rcy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by nel:
I had a bad experience with my local Costco last year. The guy who torqued down my wheels did not follow procedure and must have used an impact wrench. I didn't notice anything wrong until my brakes started pulsing (the rotors on this car are susceptible to warping if the wheels are overtorqued). Even at the max. 200 lb-ft torque setting, I couldn't get my torque wrench to take off the lugs. I had to get out the breaker bar.

Suffice to say that I'll be keeping my eye out and my torque wrench handy the next time I have my tires balanced and rotated at that Costco.

---

I didn't think one was supposed to use a torque wrench for removing bolts - only for putting them on. Maybe I'm wrong??

 

[srivett]

Dave: When I worked on transports we would leave the tire an inch off the ground and slide a piece of angle iron under the tire to keep it from spinning. That made sure the weight of the truck wasn't binding the wheel nuts. When working on the outer wheel of a pair of Budds you'd have to undo and retorque the inner wheel first. Budds use the same inner stud with two nuts (sort of) so you gotta make sure you aren't torquing the outer nut onto a loose inner. When setting wheel bearings we'd hit the tires with a sledge hammer to make sure the bearings weren't binding. Sometimes the whole works would slide in and you'd need to turn the jam nuts in another couple turns!

That's it for this episode of Steve teaches truck repair.

 

[ChrisW]

quote:

---

Originally posted by SteelheadGuide:

quote:

---

Originally posted by 1 FMF:
the real question is,
how many times has the tq wrench been dropped

or when was the last time they were ever checked for accuracy?

---

....I ended up standing on a 1/2" breaker bar to get the lugnuts loose and this only worked when I "bounced" up and down on the bar. I weigh about 240lbs so I can imagine what the actual torque on those lugnuts was....

---

I think that is about the worst thing you could do to try and take off your lugnuts. The sudden up and down jumping can put all kinds of stress on the threads and studs.

Torquing (and breaking when using a breaker bar) should usually never be in a jerking motion--should be smooth until desired torque is reached, a jerking motion to torque a lugnut can severly throw the torque values off.

I have never had a problem even once trying to take off a lugnut using a 30" long 1/2" socket breaker bar in any situation i've been in (except for diesel mechanics, where i'd bust out a 3/4"), this is speaking of my brakes, susp and steering classes i've taken at my local college. A breaker bar has always worked where an IR thundergun could fail me, and using a impact wrench can strip the splines of the studs, ask me how I know.