Re-Tighten Lug Nuts?

[Giller]

Noob question here. I had my winter tires installed on my DD (my little Box is now hibernating). They put a sticker on my windshield that said to re-tighten the lugs after 400 kms. Never done that before in all my years of winter tires. Is this true?

[recycledsixtie]

It is definitely a good idea to put the torque wrench on the nuts (or get somebody else to do it) at that interval. I still remember the sound of a loose nut rattling in a hub cap years ago. Not a good sound.
Cheers, Guy

[san rensho]

Sounds like its just a cya sticker they put on every car. Usually the problem is that the bolts are way too tight because the shop uses air tools. But i would take off each bolt, make sure it id lubed to spec and tighten wiyh a torque wrench.

[woodsman]

Originally Posted by Giller

Noob question here. I had my winter tires installed on my DD (my little Box is now hibernating). They put a sticker on my windshield that said to re-tighten the lugs after 400 kms. Never done that before in all my years of winter tires. Is this true?

Now they're not responsible... YOU are! And while it's the norm on transport trucks, I've not heard of it with cars before.

[rick3000]

I always tell the tire shop to not use an impact wrench, after a shop destroyed one of my hubs. (On the bright side I got a brand new hub installed by the dealer at their expense.)

I check the torque on the lugs after 100 miles, whenever the wheel has been removed. It's just a precaution. I agree it sounds like a CYA sticker for liability reasons, their insurance company or lawyer must be a very cautious car guy.

You don't want this to happen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyMDNzhfwn0

[crooster]

I always re torque the lugs after a week or so every time I changes wheels.

[BoxsterSteve]

Originally Posted by crooster

I always re torque the lugs after a week or so every time I changes wheels.

This.

It's just peace of mind. I found one that loosened off once. I'd hate to have a wheel pass me on the highway...

[thstone]

Pretty soon there will be CYA stickers on everything!

I always recheck the torque on my wheels after a shop has worked on any of my cars. I simply don't trust them.

[Slate 01]

What is the correct torque setting?

[rick3000]

130 Nm or 96 ft/lb

[mountainman]

I have found that most places will tighten them too much unless you are on top of them. I always check mine when I get them home and last year after a new tire change I had to pull one off for something and used a long breaker bar with an extra foot long extension and could not break some of the lugs loose. I went back to the shop and when He asked what he could do for me, I said "how about loosening these lug bolts for me." After looking at me like I was totally helpless he went and got his socket and breaker bar,,,, and then he went back for the bigger breaker bar,,,,, and finally he went back for the air wrench. When he finally got them loose I handed him my torque wrench and told him that from now on when I bring one of my cars in for tires the torque wrench will be on the passenger seat preset to 96 and no more air wrench. Since then no problems and I always check them after a couple hundred miles, and periodically after that. You have to understand that most of these tire shops don't pay employees big bucks and some may not be the sharpest knives in the drawer. On the side of the road with a flat tire is a bad time to find out that someone tightened them down as tight as he could with an air wrench because he didn't want to take a little more time and torque them.

[cas951]

Based on my experience with my cars they always over tighten the lug nuts. I've only seen one shop that actually used a torque wrench. Once they tightened so much that when I tried to loosed the one with a lock I broke the lock socket. This is when I stopped using the locking lug nuts. I've always re-torque my lug nuts since then.

Checking the torque also prevents your rotors from warping.

[LagerAle]

Originally Posted by san rensho

Sounds like its just a cya sticker they put on every car. Usually the problem is that the bolts are way too tight because the shop uses air tools. But i would take off each bolt, make sure it id lubed to spec and tighten wiyh a torque wrench.

Im pretty sure lubing a lug and or thread will lead to overtightening!

[san rensho]

Originally Posted by LagerAle

Im pretty sure lubing a lug and or thread will lead to overtightening!

Nope. The porshe manual has specific instructions for lubricating the lug bolts. Id especially do it if you are driving in the winter with salted roads. Much easier to get the lugs off later.

[Top_Ramen]

Another good tip: use a (steel)brush to remove any corrosion/oxidation that has built up(if any) on the inside face of your wheel that sits against the hub. If you're specially somewhere that experiences heavy snow during winter. That corrosion/oxidation will prevent you from properly torqueing your wheels on.

[Top_Ramen]

Originally Posted by san rensho

Sounds like its just a cya sticker they put on every car. Usually the problem is that the bolts are way too tight because the shop uses air tools. But i would take off each bolt, make sure it id lubed to spec and tighten wiyh a torque wrench.

Be suuuper careful with lubing lugnuts/ lugbolts.. it tends to lead to over torqueing and snapped studs or bolts.

[schnellman]

Guess I'm anal retentive. When I get back from the tire shop I always loosen every lug nut and then tighten it with the torque wrench. Then, about once a month I check them again with the torque wrench.

[clickman]

[lkchris]

Porsche is somewhat alone in recommending lubrication on wheel bolts.

Mercedes forbids it and BMW does, too.

[LagerAle]

Originally Posted by san rensho

Nope. The porshe manual has specific instructions for lubricating the lug bolts. Id especially do it if you are driving in the winter with salted roads. Much easier to get the lugs off later.

I had no idea Porsche recommended this! Once the snow stops falling ive got to resume my fall/winter maintenance.
thanks for the info.