Is it really necessary to use a torque wrench to install a strut bar and rims? I know your supposed to torque the strut bar to 34lbs and the rims to 75lbs however, no one I know has one and I don't want to buy one cause I know i'll only use it once. Right now my FSTB is in my trunk and my rims are sitting in my garage. Can I just put them on and tighten the bolts really good?

-Ian

 

It's not all about making them good and tight. 35 ft. lbs isn't very tight at all. It's just snug. As far as the lug nuts go, the main purpose is to make them all the same value so your rotors have less chance of warping. Sure you can put everything on without a torque wrench and I'm sure plenty of guys do. The perfectionist uses the correct torque values on every bolt. Just pay close attention to delails and dont muscle tight the strut mount bolts. They only get a nice snug and there done. The lug nuts you can use a bit more force on, but try to make them all even. 80 ft lbs is nice-n-tight but not slammin tight!

 

If you live near an Autozone store, they have lots of different tools that they'll loan out to you for free. I think you leave a deposit that you get back when you bring the tool back. And yes, torquing things to the proper specification is always better than guessing. Especially rims, suspension components and things attached to your engine block.

If you've got a torque wrench on loan for the day from someplace like autozone, and a Haynes or FSM manual with all the torque specs in it, go ahead and check the torque of as many things as you can get to.

Improper torque on your rims can cause the rim to be too lose and crack from flexing or too tight and crack from being too tight. On some cars (like my old Ford) it can lead to warped rotors.

 

I agree, overtighten the lug nuts and warp the rotors or strip one of the strut mount bolts and you'll wish you spent the money on the torque wrench. It can more than pay for itself if you do a reasonable amount of work on the car.

 

I was in a similar situation... got FSTB and RSTB as first mods.

I just went out and bought one. I figure it's better to be safe than sorry, and I'm sure it will come in handy as the mod bug burrows deeper into my skull (and wallet).

 

My dad decided to take the plunge after some convincing, and the torque wrench we bought at home depot (the one with that Husky on it) is one of the greatest investments in our garage. It's great, I've used it at least 20 times now. Torquing the throttle body, wheel lugs, and fstb.

 

Can I jack up my car with the stock jack and put the wheels on that way? I'm guessing that would be fine right? All i'm gonna do is swap the wheels. thanks.

-Ian

 

...you ARE gonna swap tires too, right??? I'm no expert, but I think you can really mess up your wheels if they don't have tires on 'em.