bb0ys

Forgive me for being ****-retentive...

I've heard from different people, different ways to tighten wheel lugs.
When I put my new wheels on, i want to make sure its done right. this is what I plan to do, correct me if you have other opinions or know im doing something wrong please.

I'll break the 5 lugs loose.
Jack up the car.
Remove all the lugs
Take the wheel off
Put the new wheel on
Tighten the lugs in a star pattern (if they were numbered clockwise, it would go 1, 4, 2, 5, 3) so they are hand tight.
Drop the car and tighten them with a torque wrench to spec.
I'll repeat this for each wheel (I assume order of wheels doesn't matter).
Then after about 50 miles of driving, I'll check the torque of each wheel and tighten if needed.

Lemme know what else I should/should not do. Thanks!

xHypex

iTrader: (1)

Sounds about right to me. The only difference is that I torque the lugs tighter than hand tight before I drop the car to the ground. I like having the wheel as flat as possible against the hub before weight is put onto it.
-hype

MacGyver265

I'd just go ahead an torque down the lugs while the wheel is still off the ground.

endus

iTrader: (1)

All you need to do is make sure that...

1.) You Break the nuts loose/torque them down when the wheel is still just touching the ground...otherwise the wheel will spin.

2.) Always tighten/loosen the nuts opposite eachother. I'm not thinking about the numbers you gave...as long as you keep choosing the one opposite the one you just tightened it will be fine. When removing the wheel I find it's easiest to remove the top one last because of the way the wheel hangs...removing the bottom one last is hard.

3.) Tighten the nuts evenly...hand tight on all of them then torque

4.) I have heard that with aluminum wheels you really should re-torque them after a few days because of the softness of the aluminum. I don't usually do this, but I think you're supposed to.

fisher01

iTrader: (1)

Thats the way I've always done it. Also I make sure the lug nuts go back onto the bolt they came off from.

Jime

iTrader: (10)

To get the most benefit of torquing its also a good idea not to torque to the full amount first round. Do it in stages depending on how high you are torquing to. If your are torquing so say 100 ft lbs, torque to 50 then next round 100. Or 35, then 70 then 100, this will ensure more even torquing than doing it all at once.

MacGyver265

Not if you have the Parking Brake on for the rear tires and the car in "P" for auto or in gear for 5-spd. As long as one of the front tires are touching the ground, it won't spin.


Also: +1 for what Jime said

bb0ys

Thanks everyone. I like to hear lots of different opinions. But what am i supposed to do about this when im putting new lugs on? the 4 wheels come with 16 new lug nuts...does it matter where they go?

MacGyver265

Nope, as long as they are on the studs with the wheel in between, you should be fine.

bb0ys

ooooohhhhhh so you mean i put the wheels on before the lugs?! Uh oh i better go back out side and...

seriously though thanks everyone

Jime

iTrader: (10)

You should have gotten 20.

bb0ys

LOL crap. I did but i like to pretend i drive an old camry and only need 16

no idea why i said 16. i meant 20