Torquing the Wheels
- Thread starter Shel_B
- Start date
On an OEM wheel the weight of the car should be held up by the hub/rim interface as far as I understand it. Not the lug nuts. In this case on the ground or up in the air doesn't make a difference.
I do a 3 stage torqueing and the first stage is done up in the air for what its worth.
I do a 3 stage torqueing and the first stage is done up in the air for what its worth.
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That's what they do at the factory with a special 'tool' that torques all lugnuts/bolts at the same time. But in the shop...say on a rear wheel drive vehicle...how do you keep the front wheels from spinning (without help)? Also, on a front wheel drive vehicle...I'm not sure if I ever noticed the techs apply the parking brake before lifting (although this is automatic in some newer vehicles with the electronic parking brake)...how do you keep the rear wheels from spinning as you apply torque? Maybe they should be applying final torque with the wheels off the ground, but it is probably not practical in a shop setting.
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Deleted member 89374
@Shel_B I always use a torque wrench when torquing the lug nuts. I partially lower the wheel to the ground so that friction will hold the wheel in place. Then, when the vehicle is on the ground, I go one more time over the lugs. This has always worked for me. I don't want to torque against the parking brake or transmission parking pawl. In vehicle manufacturing plants, when they put the wheels on, they do it while the vehicle is suspended on the assembly line. However, they use a torquing system that tightens all lug nuts at the same time, which prevents the wheel from turning. I hope this explanation helps.
Either method from my experience yields lug nuts or lug bolts torqued to "good" values. (as long as some tightening is performed before the weight is placed on the tire/wheel.
Anything is better than the experiences I have had with "others" working on my cars.
Anything is better than the experiences I have had with "others" working on my cars.
How do you propose one tightens an unsecured spinning wheel?
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- Aug 5, 2021
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Lower the car just enough to keep the wheel from rotating while being tightened/torqued. Discount Tire and others have been doing this for years.
I know. I was replying to the OP's question that asked about the car with the wheels OFF the ground.
Front wheels... when you shift into Park, the pawl limits the wheel rotation... but for rear wheels, people tend not to use the parking brake, so the rear wheel will spin as your torquing it.
Having the car on the ground, provides the counter weight so that one can get the torque to the right value without fighting a spinning axle.
I have found that with both front wheels off the ground in a FWD, the wheels turn. But if one wheel is on the ground, the other one that is off the ground wont turn. Why?
I put the lug nuts on in the air. and use the lowest setting on impact which is around 60ft/lb.
then lower to ground and final torque with torque wrench.
Its a convenient easy way and works.
ever tried torquing lug nuts in the air with a torque wrench?
then lower to ground and final torque with torque wrench.
Its a convenient easy way and works.
ever tried torquing lug nuts in the air with a torque wrench?
The hub rim interface shouldn't do anything in normal use for a car. It helps centre the wheel while mounting, but the studs and lugs hold it in place.
The normal hub rim tolerances are way to big and would allow movement and wear if the lugs didn't clamp the wheel tightly to the hub.
How ya gonna hold a wheel with one hand and tq with the other?
Anytime I'm re-mounting a rim I have never experienced noticeable play in any direction other than concentric with the hub. So I'm not sure what type of wheels you're mounting but "way too big" is an exaggeration.
Exactly how I do it. Never had a problem
Your concept only works if wheels are press fit onto a hub. I don't know of any cars that do that. A couple thou of clearance to mount by hand is too much movement for a wheel that goes around millions of times...
You could try double nutting some lugs and have them only tight enough to hold the wheel on, but the wheel not clamped tight. It may work for a while, but not in the long term.
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Same thing I do.
I use a torque stick for the intial torque while still in the air, then follow-up with a torque wrench once on the ground.
I used to do that but with electric impact(3 setting + variable trigger) its very repeatable and made the torque sticks obsolete.
