Lug nut torque clarification please...
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 249
Likes: 49
From: Westcliffe CO
Lug nut torque clarification please...
New owner here, sorry for retread questions, but...
I've been searching and reading old posts and the owner's manual but I'm still confused and unsure about the specified lug nut torque ratings.
I saw a post that everyone was saying 100 ft lbs and then someone said 89 ft lbs.
I'm used to seeing different values for steel, aluminum, and magnesium. Are all GM Vette wheels made from the same material? I test drove one 2002 stamped with "Magnesium" which looked to be the base wheels. What are the Z06 wheels?
I have a 2002 C5 with what I assume are the Z06 chrome wheels. Can someone show me where the torque spec is found. I looked all through the owner's manual and never found it, but maybe I missed it.
Thanks!.
I've been searching and reading old posts and the owner's manual but I'm still confused and unsure about the specified lug nut torque ratings.
I saw a post that everyone was saying 100 ft lbs and then someone said 89 ft lbs.
I'm used to seeing different values for steel, aluminum, and magnesium. Are all GM Vette wheels made from the same material? I test drove one 2002 stamped with "Magnesium" which looked to be the base wheels. What are the Z06 wheels?
I have a 2002 C5 with what I assume are the Z06 chrome wheels. Can someone show me where the torque spec is found. I looked all through the owner's manual and never found it, but maybe I missed it.
Thanks!.
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I have always used the 100 ft lbs, torqued down in a star pattern. I also do mine in increments of 60, 80, and then the final 100 ft lbs setting.
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From: Northville, MI
Unless you re-calibrate your torque wrench regularly, you should always use 100 ft-lbs. Every Feb. 1, I recheck all my torque wrenches for accuracy. If you have 25 or 50 lb weights you are confident with it is easy, set your 1/2" wrench to 50 lbs (do not tighten if clicker type), tie the 50 lb weight 12" from the center point and check the torque value. With the clicker type you will probably have to bring it up several lbs to get it to click.
Knowing the error, my 100 ft-lbs is usually about 96.3 ft-lbs last year.
Knowing the error, my 100 ft-lbs is usually about 96.3 ft-lbs last year.
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100lbs.. all gm 1/2in studs call for the lugnut to be torqued no more than 100lbs, any more can cause the stud to stretch thus loosening the lugnut and or snapping a stud.. only on new wheels or new lugnuts you should do a retorque after 50-100 miles once the wheel and lugnut seat.. After that it's not needed every 50-100 miles... Unless OCD has a strong hold of your crotch.....
Last edited by Vettemaster1985; Jan 27, 2018 at 05:37 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Douglas County WI
100lbs.. all gm 1/2in studs call for the lugnut to be torqued no more than 100lbs, any more can cause the stud to stretch thus loosening the lugnut and or snapping a stud.. only on new wheels or new lugnuts you should do a retorque after 50-100 miles once the wheel and lugnut seat.. After that it's not needed every 50-100 miles... Unless OCD has a strong hold of your crotch.....
Pro
Joined: Apr 2012
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From: Picton NSW
Yes the hand book say 100 lb ft as the spec
I don’t know why there isn’t a tolerance like 100 lb ft +or - 5 lb ft .
That would make more sense to me. As I have not yet seen a torque wrench that is 100 % accurate across it range
Bfit
I don’t know why there isn’t a tolerance like 100 lb ft +or - 5 lb ft .
That would make more sense to me. As I have not yet seen a torque wrench that is 100 % accurate across it range
Bfit
Last edited by bfit; Jan 29, 2018 at 05:22 AM.
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From: North Georgia, USA
The full procedure is, install wheels, hand tighten lugs. Torque lugs to spec (100 ft. lbs.), if You want to do it in 2 steps, that's maybe a little better, 60% (60 ft. lbs.) on the first round, 100 ft. lbs. on the second round. Go in a star pattern, skip a lug as you go around 5 lug wheels twice around. Then drive 50 to 100 miles, then go around the start pattern one more time with torque wrench set at 100 ft. lbs. DO NOT loosen the lugs when checking torque, just go around once and go till the wrench clicks, then stop.
100lbs.. all gm 1/2in studs call for the lugnut to be torqued no more than 100lbs, any more can cause the stud to stretch thus loosening the lugnut and or snapping a stud.. only on new wheels or new lugnuts you should do a retorque after 50-100 miles once the wheel and lugnut seat.. After that it's not needed every 50-100 miles... Unless OCD has a strong hold of your crotch.....
Whenever a wheel is removed, follow the procedure I just outlined. Torque to spec (100 ft. lbs. for Chevys with 12mm lugs), drive 50 to 100 miles, then re-check torque, tightening only. If it clicks before it moves, it's fine. If it moves and clicks, you've worked out any "settling in" that happened. After the first re-check, you're done.
Theoretically, if you mark all 5 studs, all 5 holes in the wheel, and all 5 lug nuts, you might get away without rechecking if you install everything matched back exactly as it was, so you get every nut on the same stud it was on before, and in the same hole in the wheel where it was before. That's way more OCD than most folks.