Lug Removal Using Torque Wrench

[wizechatmgr]

My local Midas (I know, I know...) uses torque sticks on the impact wrench and then when the car is on the ground - they go back with a torque wrench and check every lug nut. Often one or two nuts on the whole car won't be to spec.

~2 weeks later we may find a single one not to spec. 4 weeks out everything is fine.

[cn90]

O.P.,

The best thing you can do now is to practice changing tires with your son, so he is familiar with the safe technique of changing tires.

- Always check the spare tire first and make sure it is fully inflated before even jacking up the car for tire change.

- Most jacks are damaged not from raising the car, but from the fore-and-aft motion of the car, causing the jack to sit
sideway ---> collapse. This happens when people fail to chock the tire on the OTHER SIDE.

1. If you jack the RIGHT side, then chock one of the LEFT tires as shown:

Wheel-Lug-01.jpg (163.41 KiB) Viewed 886 times

2. Back to my 45-degree trick. I just did the experiment to show everyone that with good practice, you can get to 100 Nm easily.
- I use only 2 fingers to snug the lugs down. You cannot generate too much force with 2 fingers.
- Then marked the lug with Sharpie to track the degrees of turning.
- Set the Breaker Bar at let's say 1:30 o'clock, then go to 3:00 o'clock, which is 45 degrees. I get exactly 100Nm using this trick.
- I wrote a note and throw it in the trunk "2-finger, 45 degrees to get 100 Nm". This way when I am in the middle of nowhere, I know with 45 degrees, I can get to 100Nm with reasonable accuracy. This torque of 100Nm is true for many cars. In fact, I have used this 45-degree trick for 25 years in all kinds of cars, BMW, Honda, Toyota, Volvo without issues. Of course, you can always go with the car mfg's specs.

3. Last but not least, you may want to spray some oil (1-2 drops) around the hub, where it meets the wheel, to prevent seizing later. Or take the wheel off and apply a tiny bit of grease at the hub's bore.

Wheel-Lug-02.jpg (298.98 KiB) Viewed 886 times

Wheel-Lug-03.jpg (152.36 KiB) Viewed 882 times

[abscate]

I've never seen that quantified before but I bet that works.

Very neat

[oragex]

A few tips when jacking the car

[cn90]

oragex,

I use wood block all the time but I am always mindful that the piece of wood can crack in half any time.
I now use hockey puck, $1.50/each at local hockey shop.

[TWC]

(I'm aware that tools should be used for their proper purpose, etc, etc, etc, etc)

General Poll:

I'm thinking of giving my son a cheap Harbor Freight 1/2" torques wrench and appropriate socket to keep in his trunk in case he has a flat. We all know the lug removal tool supplied by the manufacturer is useless if a repair shop has had your wheel off and impact wrenched them back on. The click-type torque wrench is long enough to allow him to remove the lugs and accurate enough to get him close to the proper torque when he reinstalls them.

I wouldn't use a high quality torque wrench for lug removal, but for rare use when a spare needs to be installed on the road, I'm thinking a click-type torque wrench that hits a mechanical limit if pressed beyond the click will bear up to the torque and the release of the lug when it breaks free with little damage to the torque wrench or its calibration. It won't be used for anything other than this.

Using it in this manner once or twice in a blue moon isn't any big deal, is it?

Yes, I could get him a breaker bar, as well, but that's just one more thing to bounce around in the trunk.

Will I go to hell for using a $12 (with coupon) torque wrench in this manner?

When I had bought my 850 and attempted to replace the front brake pads, it took me a friendly neighbour, his power tools and a lot of swearing to wrestle off the lug nuts...apparently the last owner had either used the pneumatic wrench designed to lock the bolts on a 747 which happened to lie around in his garage unused for years, or he doused them in Loctite Threadlocker Gigastrong.
It's still close to a medium miracle to me that neither the threads nor the lugs took any damage from that treatment.

I'd prefer an ordinary, extendable lug wrench and a fitting, sturdy pipe just to make the job of loosing the lugs a bit more easy. If done right (with the wrench telescoped in), your son won't screw it, and since he has to see the tire dealer anyway for a replacement, the shop can also take care of the proper torque.

I would also recommend a good hi-vis vest or jacket, a pair of good work gloves, an additional warning light and a work light (it's amazing how cars tend to break down in the middle of the night out in the boondocks).