Dont over tighten your wheel bolts

[ozmale]

A short lesson on torque of bolts, particularly wheel lug bolts.

All nuts and bolts have a recommended tightening torque based on the size of the bold (10mm 12mm etc) and the thread pitch (1.0, 1.25, 1.5 etc)

The chart below shows typical wheel lug sizes etc.

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/9941/torquechart.jpg

I am posting this because I guarantee most of you have your wheel lugs far too tight. There are only a few rare mechanical problems caused by overtight nuts but a lot of physical ones.

Damaged wheels and mudguards when you stand on the wheel brace and it fly's off.
Sagged knuckles.
Divorce because the wife cant change the wheels because bolts are too tight. If they are correct a women can easily undo them.

As you can see from the chart a 12mm x 1.5 bolt (typical VW wheel bolt) has a tighten torque of 80 Foot pounds (108Nm)

We will deal in foot pounds because its easy for a human to associate.

Your average VW wheel brace is 1 foot long. So, if you placed 80 pounds of weight at the end of the brace the bolt would be tightened to its correct torque.

To put it another way. If you weigh 90 kilos (200 pounds) and you bounce your weight on the end of the wheel brace to tighten the bolt you have just over tightened it by over 200%. That is exactly why you can't undo them.

Now I am not suggesting anyone have their wheel bolts too loose but you can see an average person can easily over tighten them.

After rallying cars for years and always tightened wheel bolts/nuts to the specifications I have never had one come loose or fall off. And they are always easy to undo in a flash.

Chris

[MasterKevin]

A short lesson on torque of bolts, particularly wheel lug bolts.

All nuts and bolts have a recommended tightening torque based on the size of the bold (10mm 12mm etc) and the thread pitch (1.0, 1.25, 1.5 etc)

The chart below shows typical wheel lug sizes etc.

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/9941/torquechart.jpg

I am posting this because I guarantee most of you have your wheel lugs far too tight. There are only a few rare mechanical problems caused by overtight nuts but a lot of physical ones.

Damaged wheels and mudguards when you stand on the wheel brace and it fly's off.
Sagged knuckles.
Divorce because the wife cant change the wheels because bolts are too tight. If they are correct a women can easily undo them.

As you can see from the chart a 12mm x 1.5 bolt (typical VW wheel bolt) has a tighten torque of 80 Foot pounds (108Nm)

We will deal in foot pounds because its easy for a human to associate.

Your average VW wheel brace is 1 foot long. So, if you placed 80 pounds of weight at the end of the brace the bolt would be tightened to its correct torque.

To put it another way. If you weigh 90 kilos (200 pounds) and you bounce your weight on the end of the wheel brace to tighten the bolt you have just over tightened it by over 200%. That is exactly why you can't undo them.

Now I am not suggesting anyone have their wheel bolts too loose but you can see an average person can easily over tighten them.

After rallying cars for years and always tightened wheel bolts/nuts to the specifications I have never had one come loose or fall off. And they are always easy to undo in a flash.

Chris

good post thats why its always handy to have the torque wrench lieing around :)

[Stalker]

Divorce because the wife cant change the wheels because bolts are too tight. If they are correct a women can easily undo them.

hahaha...you are dreaming!

[GTI155TSI]

A short lesson on torque of bolts, particularly wheel lug bolts.

All nuts and bolts have a recommended tightening torque based on the size of the bold (10mm 12mm etc) and the thread pitch (1.0, 1.25, 1.5 etc)

The chart below shows typical wheel lug sizes etc.

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/9941/torquechart.jpg

I am posting this because I guarantee most of you have your wheel lugs far too tight. There are only a few rare mechanical problems caused by overtight nuts but a lot of physical ones.

Damaged wheels and mudguards when you stand on the wheel brace and it fly's off.
Sagged knuckles.
Divorce because the wife cant change the wheels because bolts are too tight. If they are correct a women can easily undo them.

As you can see from the chart a 12mm x 1.5 bolt (typical VW wheel bolt) has a tighten torque of 80 Foot pounds (108Nm)

We will deal in foot pounds because its easy for a human to associate.

Your average VW wheel brace is 1 foot long. So, if you placed 80 pounds of weight at the end of the brace the bolt would be tightened to its correct torque.

To put it another way. If you weigh 90 kilos (200 pounds) and you bounce your weight on the end of the wheel brace to tighten the bolt you have just over tightened it by over 200%. That is exactly why you can't undo them.

Now I am not suggesting anyone have their wheel bolts too loose but you can see an average person can easily over tighten them.

After rallying cars for years and always tightened wheel bolts/nuts to the specifications I have never had one come loose or fall off. And they are always easy to undo in a flash.

Chris

Nice write up and info Chris. I'll certainly keep that in mind the next time I do a thorough check of nuts and bolts on the car. Going to invest in a torque wrench now. Thanks again! = D

[MasterKevin]

Nice write up and info Chris. I'll certainly keep that in mind the next time I do a thorough check of nuts and bolts on the car. Going to invest in a torque wrench now. Thanks again! = D

Good idea well worth th emoney, i personally do mine at 90 ft/lbs or 120 nm (same same) as i have 14 x 1.5 bolts,

basically like me and my friends say, if you can't losen your bolts with just your hands and you need to step on the ratchet, they are wayyyy to tight.

[dev17a]

http://www.justtools.com.au/productimage_2171.jpg?width=600&height=600&nostretch

http://www.kincrome.com.au/web/catalogue/search/product_display.php?partnumber=MTW150F


around $80 from Bunnings.

very very handy for those who like to swap wheels like shoes :p

[technopato]

Great write Chris, I am always conscious about over tightening or under tightening my bolts!!

This is an excellent guide....

[10d]

Good write up, mate.

Also, another handy tips for those who owns a torque wrench. Reset it to 0 once you are not planning to use it for a while. That way the springs inside keep being accurate.

[tippah]

I bought a dewalt 18v impact wrench. Max of 120 ft pound. And added a torque specific wheel socket from kincrome. It torques and you never over tighten you wheel bolts. And it's so quick too but costly!!

[Justin Fox]

Personally have always done all of my cars by hand, by feel, without a torque wrench. Having said that I'd say that in the early years with my first few cars (1995 or so) I most probably did over tighten (with no adverse effects luckily).

[stephen8512]

i asked this on VWWC and they said that for the Golf R, 120Nm or 90ft-lb should be okay...thats what I had on my old Jetta as well....

[ozmale]

i asked this on VWWC and they said that for the Golf R, 120Nm or 90ft-lb should be okay...thats what I had on my old Jetta as well....

Obviously there is no problem over tightening 90 instead of 80. But we have all seen people bouncing their entire body on the wheel brace and that is just too tight.

Chris

[rayray086]

Yeah my M12 wheel lugs I tighten to 81 ft lbs and my M14, 91 ft lbs.

I don't know why it's so difficult for people (at home DIY-ers and mechanics alike) to just invest in a torque wrench and use it. I was helping a mate out before and everyone else thought I was an OCD freak when I went around using a torque wrench to tighten up the wheel bolts once the car was on the ground.

Here's what happened to one wheel that had an overtightened wheel lug (not mine):

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/matwhi/100_1165.jpg

And before you guys assume there must've been an alternative, well, all alternatives were attempted, from welding a bar on to the bolt for more leverage, to breaking numerous drill and extractor bits. I'd hate to see an ADV or HRE wheel cut up like this hahaha.

[ozmale]

RayRay086,

Your post is not that unusual. It only take an overtightened bolt to get a bit of rust in it and you will never get it off. It is a common problem with Allan key headed bolts or nuts. Because the wall thickness must be thin at the points they are basically weaker than conventional hex bolts. So especially important not to over tighten Allan key style wheel bolts.

Chris

[technopato]

http://www.justtools.com.au/productimage_2171.jpg?width=600&height=600&nostretch

http://www.kincrome.com.au/web/catalogue/search/product_display.php?partnumber=MTW150F


around $80 from Bunnings.

very very handy for those who like to swap wheels like shoes :p

Thanks bought one yesterday! Nice piece of kit and worth every penny too...


Yeah my M12 wheel lugs I tighten to 81 ft lbs and my M14, 91 ft lbs.

I don't know why it's so difficult for people (at home DIY-ers and mechanics alike) to just invest in a torque wrench and use it. I was helping a mate out before and everyone else thought I was an OCD freak when I went around using a torque wrench to tighten up the wheel bolts once the car was on the ground.

Here's what happened to one wheel that had an overtightened wheel lug (not mine):

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/matwhi/100_1165.jpg

And before you guys assume there must've been an alternative, well, all alternatives were attempted, from welding a bar on to the bolt for more leverage, to breaking numerous drill and extractor bits. I'd hate to see an ADV or HRE wheel cut up like this hahaha.

OMG!!!

[73landau]

It is also worth putting anti-sieze compund on the thread. I use the silver coloured one. All good auto shops have anti-sieze compound of one sort or another. It stops the binding and rusting in place. It also stops the thread gawling. Not much is needed and doesnt need to be done everytime. It also makes torqueing more accurate as the bolt doesnt bind before correct tension.

[Peanut Butter Wolf]

Thanks Chris, very handy info. I was wondering about this the other day actually :)

[Paul_OH]

It is also worth putting anti-sieze compund on the thread.

If you do, be careful and reduce the torque setting by around 15-20% (I can't remember the exact figure). Because of the lubrication the anti-Seize provides it will result in your wheel bolt threads being over-tightened even though the torque wrench reading will be the same, possibly resulting in broken bolts or worse....

Will see if I can find a link....