how much torque does it take to tighten a wheel?

100 lbs of torque is the rule of thumb in the auto industry!

Wheel Torque Chart

Wheel Torque Specs

I own a shop, and see lug nuts over tightened all the time. Some we can’t get off with an impact wrench without breaking them. So… I would think too many people tighten them too much. I don’t believe the industry standard is 100 ft. lbs. either. Most all owners manuals will tell you anywhere from 70-90 ft. lbs. is the correct torque. What I do is put a lug bolt in my vise with a nut on it, and tighten it to what I think is right, and then check it with my torque wrench. This will teach you real quick just how wrong you can be with a lug wrench. Set a torque wrench to 100 ft. lbs, and torque a bolt to this. Now, try to break it lose with a lug wrench. This will teach you again just how off you can be. I don’t think most women could tighten a lug nut to 100 ft. lbs. with the lug wrench supplied with a car, much less get one off. This can become a joke if we think about it enough.

The best thing to do is; go by what is in your owners manual, apply anti-seize to the lugs, and torque them equally in a cris-cross pattern, and don’t give it that extra jerk at the end for good measure, as this is what breaks bolts. Just remember; a woman may have to get those lugs off one day, so don’t tighten them that tight, they don’t need it.

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The year & make of a vehicle has nothing to do with the torque. What does; is the bolt itself. I know all bolts have a symbol on them that indicates the torque it can stand, but lug nuts doesn’t. Almost every vehicle out there has a different torque number in the owners manual. I think they should give a maximum & minimum specification. Torque is based on the amount of stretch a bolt encounters at X amount of force applied to tighten it, so in reality one should replace each stud everytime they are removed, or the torque can be off by a wide margin from lug nut to lug nut. Nobody is going to do that, but cleaning the threads, and adding an anti-seize agent can mean the difference between a warped rotor, or a busted nut. A good rule to follow is; If one can’t run the nut all the way on & off by hand, then the spec’s will be off when torque is applied. Oh.. then you have the rust factor. Torque them at no less than 70 ft. lbs. and there should be no problems as long as they are in good condition, and are tightened in a pattern that exerts equal pressure from side to side.

Glad to help out, Good Luck!!!

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RE:

how much torque does it take to tighten a wheel?

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It is not torque! it is freeplay allowing grease between the bearing rollers and races. If you repacked the bearing that was already in the hub tighten until the nut contacts the no turn washer move the no turn washer with a screw driver pry aginst the hub back and forth. Slowly tighten slotted nut until you cannot move the washer O play and loosen the nut one cotter pin slot. Slight play is what bearings need. New bearing needs more tighting and driving until O play is attained then back off one slot. Dial indicator really helps.

Check the manual.

After starting the nuts by hand, many shops use a air impact tool to “zip ’em on”. I have rarely been able to loosen the nuts using a standard 1/2 ” socket wrench handle (don’t even get me started about using the lug wrench that comes with the vehicle!) ALWAYS remind the service manager to torque them to specs!

Why are all the manufacture’s tools and jack black? Is this to prevent you from finding them at night in the rain! Paint them white & day glow when you’re home

Are you referring to the lug nuts? Your owners manual should have that info either in specifications or spare tire change. I can only tell you what my car’s torque specs are. It’s an 07 Impala LT and they are 100 ft/lbs. An 04 Aveo is 81 ft/lbs. An 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 is 120ft/lbs. That’s all I can tell ya. G’day.

If you know the make of the wheel, you can check the manufacturer’s web site to find out the recommended torque for the lug nuts. I have aluminum wheels on my truck, and the recommended torque is 55-60 ft/lbs.

Good luck

Depending on the year, make and model plus if it has steel or aluminum wheels, between 60 to 110 foot pounds.

Tighten until it strips, then back off half a turn.