Lugnut torque specs?

Yeah, as long as you tighten them with the bar that came with the car you will be fine. Whatever you do, don't use an impact tool. I've seen some people stranded on the highway because the idiots at the shop they brought it to tightened them with a high powered tool.

Makes you wonder who the "tools" really are...

I always heard 95-100lbs. is good. I usually go with about the middle of that and torque mine to 98lbs. I haven't had any trouble and I always torque my locks the same as the lugs.

I have to get my winter tires/wheels on too ... nothing like doing it at the last minute while it's snowing.

These all sound in the ball park. I recall a general spec of 80 ft.-lbs., maybe up to 90 or 100 ft.-lbs., for aluminum wheels, and around 100-120 ft.-lbs. for steel wheels. 90 ought to be safe. I'd follow the pattern around at least twice at that torque, or until they no longer move after going through the rest of them.

Torqueing in stages would be a good idea also - go around and get them all finger tight, or "light-wrench" tight. Then go around and torque them all to 50 ft.-lbs., then go around again at 80 or 90 ft.-lbs., and follow them around at that same torque once more. If none of them moved further, you're done. If some of them (more than just 1) move some more, follow them around once more to make sure they're all up to the limit.

All that said...I frequently tighten them without a torque wrench...but it's a good idea that I SHOULD follow. Regardless, I give them several passes, cause tighten the others frequently effectively loosens the earlier ones.

I use a torque wrench and 95 seems to work fine for me. Just make sure you do it in the "star" pattern.

100 lbs ft. is standard for the 1/2" Ford studs/nuts.
It makes no difference if you're using steel or alloy wheels. With alloy wheels recheck the tq after a couple of days just to make sure. I have had them loosen on me and even lost a nut cause I forgot to re check them and yes I always use a tq wrench.

Dwayne

46gtsblown said:

It makes no difference if you're using steel or alloy wheels.
Dwayne

Click to expand...

Actually, you get less compression with steel, so you need more torque to ensure the nuts can't back off too easily. You also are more likely to gall, and plastically deform, the mating surface with an aluminum wheel, thus requiring slightly lower torques. You check most torque specs., and you will see higher specs for steel wheels and lower ones for aluminum. Don't say it isn't true just because you don't know yourself, or because you can kind of fudge your way around it.... On the other hand...your general advice isn't bad...and 100ft.-lbs. is kind of the cross over between the general specs. (It also varies, as your post implies, with stud diameter and thread.)