Wheel lug torque

[HDowse]

With my modern car I have to torque the wheel lugs to a specific number of foot pounds. With my Model A I just use a 4 sided lug wrench (whatever it's called) and tighten the lugs up as much as I can without excessive strain on the old shoulders. Is that the case with the early V8s like my 1940? If anyone has a specific torque number that seems to work, let me know.
The all new wiring is just about done, brakes all rebuilt, new radiator hoses and heater hoses (yes, it does make a difference which way you install the lower hoses..), refurbished rear taillight assemblies (only dropped and broke one lense), new Coker ww going on this week. Seat belts and the repaired stock radio are on the list for installation along with directionals. All this in preparation for the New London (NH) to Bristol (VT) tour organized by the local MARC chapter mid-June. I feel as if I have been on a crash course seminar on early V8s. Thanks to all the Forbarners who have helped. Now, if someone could just tell me how to get those rear bolts out that hold the front seat in so I can get the seat belts in….

[Shoebox]

I have always torqued lug nuts to 100 ft. lbs. Perhaps others will concur or disagree.

[JSeery]

Never torqued a lug nut in my life.

[Mart]

I've been using a figure of 75-80 lbs ft. It seems to work for me.

Mart.

[skidmarks]

Tire shops are suppose to use torque sticks rated for the vehicle. Old cars with 1/2"studs I have gone with 80-85 lbs. Or a breaker and common sense.

[Juergen]

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I never used to use a torque wrench. I just tightened them real snug with a 4 bar lug wrench which is about 18 inches across. When I was in my 20s working in a gas station, I did check the torque and it was about 100 pound-feet. Now in my 70s, one of my wheels came off. I checked the others and they were 60-80 pound-feet. I now use a torque wrench to get to 100. And just like the tire dealer recommends, I check again in 2 weeks.

[JSeery]

I have learned to check lug nuts several times while installing them, but still never use a torque wrench. There are several things that can keep a wheel from seating flat and square with the hubs. Tighten them down then move the wheel forward and back a little (if there is weight on the wheel) and check them again. Correct torque will not cure all problems!

[itslow]

Treat it like a modern steel wheel. Torque to ~100 ft-lb following a star-shaped pattern.

[Ford46]

I only use a torque wrench on aluminum wheels especially when on rotors. LouB.

[VeryTangled]

Hi Everyone, I frequently get a chance to look up the wheel fastener torque spec on modern vehicles. They usually vary from about 80-85 for four-lug 14 inch wheels to about 130-150 for 3/4-1 ton vehicles with six and eight lugs. Most five lug wheels are in the 90-100 range. And by the way, knowing this, I still look it up for each vehicle when needed.

I don't think you will do any damage at all by torquing your lug nuts to 100 ft. lbs. even if your torque wrench is not dead accurate.

Of course there are charts that relate fastener size to torque value that can be used when specs are not available. I haven't taken the time to check into that for my car, and I'm sure they would vary depending on thread pitch and fastener hardness.

On a practical note, I see more thread damage from lug nuts (and oil drain plugs) that are overtightened. Usually the threads on the studs/drain plugs and lug nuts, get stretched so that instead of having peaks like pine trees, they start to have half of the thread at closer to a 90 degree angle, and the other half more sharp angle than normal. I have bunches of examples that I can photograph if anyone cares.

And yes, I do use a torque wrench on wheel fasteners, even my old car. And yes, I've gotten a few cross-eye'd looks while doing it.

While on the subject: torque sticks... We have three or four sets at work. I don't have access to a set of directions right now, but I recall their being specs on the air pressure delivered to your gun, and probably specs on the guns too. I've always tried to steer folks towards using a torque wrench rather than torque sticks, just because the skill is more valuable and I believe leads to a more accurate result.

[Ford Freak]

I torque them to 75-80 . That is what I went with years ago on my oval track racers , and later on with a drag car . Never lost a wheel !

[Admiral]

Since I have nothing better to do, I torque mine down to 100 lb-ft in two stages in a cross-cross pattern. If nothing else, it helps prevent warpage of the wide-five drums and justify the cost of my three-quarter-inch-drive torque wrench, which I primarily bought for tightening axle nuts.

[Mart]

Take this for what it is, just an observation, but I have been using a figure of 75 lb feet for a few years with no problems, but as I needed to fit my front wheels on my coupe last night, after reading this thread I started to torque them to 85 instead of the 75 I had been using. After the first two, it seemed hellish tight to me, (this is on 35 wires), so I reset the torque wrench to 75 and redid them all to the lower figure.

Like I said, just an observation.

Mart.

[Bruce Lancaster]

With some looking around, this site calls for 85:

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/154

There are no Ford sourced specs to my knowledge for early Fords, BUT Ford used the same lug nuts for MANY years, the 1/2" 20, on pickups and I think full size Galaxy type cars. There are almost certainly Ford specs for this lug in the later years, but I don't have any later model literature.

Ford used this same nut and threads on our '32-48's, and also on Model A's with an acorn dome added.

[Lanny]

Originally Posted by Mart

Take this for what it is, just an observation, but I have been using a figure of 75 lb feet for a few years with no problems, but as I needed to fit my front wheels on my coupe last night, after reading this thread I started to torque them to 85 instead of the 75 I had been using. After the first two, it seemed hellish tight to me, (this is on 35 wires), so I reset the torque wrench to 75 and redid them all to the lower figure.

Like I said, just an observation.

Mart.

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Torque speck for a 1/2 twenty regular grade 5 nut is 85 lb ft. dry.

But a tapered nut (like most all lug nuts are), has better
holding grip than a flat sided nut, so 75 lb ft. should be fine.









.

[Juergen]

The 1949-50-41 Ford Passenger Car Shop manual on page 308 specifies wheel nut torque of 65-75 Ft.-Lbs

[Talkwrench]

Just my observation as Ive had to take my front wheels on and off a few times recently because of fitting the MT Lincoln front brake setup , which Im not very happy with by the way.. Anyway I used 70 Lbs for some time but with the new hubs I think that's on the light side as they have been quite easy to undo.. I'll be going to 80 lbs.