WM TLE still uses anti-seize on lug studs?!?!

The Critic

The Critic

Joined
Aug 30, 2004
Messages
29,975
Location
CA
About a decade ago, my parents and I went to a Sam’s Club for tires and we noticed the tech used anti-seize on lug studs.

Last week, I went to a Walmart TLE and noticed the same practice was still being followed: copper anti-seize on lug studs.

I believe they also follow the full OEM torque spec despite using anti-seize.

To my knowledge, no other tire retailer uses anti-seize. I’m not a fan of using anti-seize on lug studs, but I guess WM has not had issues with it. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
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Personally I don't use anti seize nor do I use a torque wrench. I just know exactly how much to torque by hand and I've never had a lug nut loosen on me nor have i failed once to remove them by hand either unless they were pneumatic torqued at the tire shop. Also still using the exact same lug nuts from the factory since those were made well back then. Now they swell and fail.
 
It pisses me off every time I go in after Walmart has had wheels off a car. The copper antiseize they use doesnt clean off worth a **** so I waste so much time cleaning the studs and nuts just so I can put the wheels back on and torque the lugs. There are a few OEMs that want a thin layer of antiseize or grease on the hub pilot to prevent corrosion but to my knowledge every OEM says that the lug nuts and studs must be clean and dry
 
wpod said:
Been using antiseeze on lug nuts and lots or other things I have worked on personal and at work for the past 50 years. Who is trying to tell me there is a problem with its use.
Click to expand...

Same here. I have used, and continue to use anti seize on wheel studs for over 50 years. (Among lots of other things like shock absorber mounting bolts and nuts and spark plugs).

I have NEVER had a broken stud, or a lug nut come loose in all of that time and mileage..... Ever. If you're worried about over torquing simply reduce the torque by 10%, and you'll be fine.

If that's not good enough, there are charts showing bolt and nut sizes, along with percentage of lesser torque for lubricated threads, vs. unlubricated.
 
Audi, not VAG just Audi has you apply A paste to the wheel bolt threads and also a wax spray goes on the hubs. I can get the part numbers for both but I’m away at the moment.
 
When I was in high school, back in the Chicago area, I worked at a service station part time, and on weekends. In the Fall, and again in the Spring people would bring in their cars to have snow tires put on, then removed in the Spring.

Broken wheel studs were common from water, slush, and road salt. We were told to NEVER install a lug nut without applying anti seize to the wheel stud. If you didn't, you were given one warning. If it happened again, you were dismissed.

That always stuck with me to this day. And I ALWAYS use anti seize regardless of the climate or conditions. Because in over the last 50+ years, I've never heard a good reason not to.
 
Too cheap to waste money on anti-seize goo. Not when I have a a grease gun with a full cartridge of chassis lube.
 
billt460 said:
When I was in high school, back in the Chicago area, I worked at a service station part time, and on weekends. In the Fall, and again in the Spring people would bring in their cars to have snow tires put on, then removed in the Spring.

Broken wheel studs were common from water, slush, and road salt. We were told to NEVER install a lug nut without applying anti seize to the wheel stud. If you didn't, you were given one warning. If it happened again, you were dismissed.

That always stuck with me to this day. And I ALWAYS use anti seize regardless of the climate or conditions. Because in over the last 50+ years, I've never heard a good reason not to.
Click to expand...
Right. If he lived in the rust belt and not CA he would certainly know all about never-sneeze and lug nuts/studs.
 
I worked at a chain tire store and the dumb chick who "trained" me said to use anti-seize whenever a stud was "sticky". We had no corporate policy that I was aware of, shocking-- I would have figured their liability insurance would have required it. We did have a rack of color coded torque wrenches-- 80, 100, 125 ft lbs and one adjustable, along with a pretty accurate wall chart about which car got what. She would air-gun the lugs on then click the torque wrench, without movement, to prove she hit the target.

Years later I moved on to a public shipyard with proper training, and we use antisieze on nearly everything, properly engineered for and documented. That abovementioned nuclear stuff in places too-- some stuff gets hot. Also use lots of lockwire, so stuff won't vibrate loose.
 
Before I had access to a tire machine I had Sam’s Club put tires on my truck. That was probably in 2018. They used copper anti seize as well. They did on my dads car as well. I ended up snapping two of the Toyota studs off when I took them off to replace brakes. My guess is they probably overtorqued the Toyota ones anyway as they call for 76ft pounds and the anti seize probably didn’t help. Really the only cars I like to use the anti seize on is Subaru otherwise stud cross threading and breaking is common. I’ve found the anti seize to help. I do reduce torque on them as well.
 
.
When lug nuts or bolts still feel tight to turn after I cleaned them
thoroughly with a wire brush I use a smidge of ceramic antiseize.
The goal is to obtain similar friction as a newish nut/bolt so that I
can retain the specced torque.


JavierH19 said:
Personally I don't use anti seize nor do I use a torque wrench. I just know exactly how much to torque by hand
Click to expand...

Congrats, you're Superman! . (y)


JavierH19 said:
and I've never had a lug nut loosen on me nor have i failed once to remove them by hand either
Click to expand...

Does that actually prove anything except that you're fastening your nuts fairly tight enough?
.
 
930.engineering said:
.
When lug nuts or bolts still feel tight to turn after I cleaned them
thoroughly with a wire brush I use a smidge of ceramic antiseize.
The goal is to obtain similar friction as a newish nut/bolt so that I
can retain the specced torque.




Congrats, you're Superman! . (y)




Does that actually prove anything except that you're fastening your nuts fairly tight enough?
.
Click to expand...
It proves that some things aren't as complicated as people make themselves believe they are. People stress about precisely torqueing lug nuts too much. Just hand tighten it well or use your impact gun on a lower torque setting. I use my old half inch snap on at 2/5 first then 4/5 which is tight enough if I'm short on time or just injured in some way. But i prefer to hand tighten if i can.
 
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