C5 Tech Corvette Tech/Performance: LS1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Tech Topics, Basic Tech, Maintenance, How to Remove & Replace
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

C5 wheel nut torque?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 13, 2002 | 09:45 PM
  #1  
JasonS's Avatar
JasonS
Thread Starter
Instructor
25 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
From: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Default C5 wheel nut torque?

Hello! I had posted regarding this quite a while ago, and had a chance to go back to my 2001 shop manual to do some checking...

Based on the reading I've done on the Forum, and the generous feedback I received, it's fairly consistent that the torque spec for the wheel nuts is 100 ft lbs.

In my 2001 shop manual, on page 3-98, it states:

"2. Install the wheel nuts.
Tighten
Tighten the nuts in a criss-cross pattern to 190 Nm (140 lb.ft)"

I'm very concerned about this - is it a mis-print? I've already tightened by wheels to that spec and have been driving on them for several weeks . ..what could the impact be? (damaged rims/brakes?)

Your guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Jason

Reply
Old Aug 13, 2002 | 10:07 PM
  #2  
Xssesive's Avatar
Xssesive
Burning Brakes
 
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 767
Likes: 1
From: Noble OK
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (JasonS)

I have mine torqued to 100 ft lbs. and have had no troubles. I wouldn't worry about it! :D


[Modified by Xssesive, 5:54 PM 8/14/2002]
Reply
Old Aug 13, 2002 | 11:11 PM
  #3  
Richin Chicago's Avatar
Richin Chicago
Safety Car
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,411
Likes: 1
From: Wilmington NC
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (JasonS)

Hello! I had posted regarding this quite a while ago, and had a chance to go back to my 2001 shop manual to do some checking...

Based on the reading I've done on the Forum, and the generous feedback I received, it's fairly consistent that the torque spec for the wheel nuts is 100 ft lbs.

In my 2001 shop manual, on page 3-98, it states:

"2. Install the wheel nuts.
Tighten
Tighten the nuts in a criss-cross pattern to 190 Nm (140 lb.ft)"

I'm very concerned about this - is it a mis-print? I've already tightened by wheels to that spec and have been driving on them for several weeks . ..what could the impact be? (damaged rims/brakes?)

Your guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Jason
It is in the owner's manual and even in the brake pad replacement manual to torque to 100 FT LBS.. I think the real goal is to have all 5 nuts at the same tightness.
Reply
Old Aug 13, 2002 | 11:28 PM
  #4  
Purerock105's Avatar
Purerock105
Race Director
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Photogenic
 
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 17,901
Likes: 18
From: Elko, Nevada
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (JasonS)

..what could the impact be? (damaged rims/brakes?)
You could have some braking vibrations if the all the lugs on a
particular wheel are not at the same torque levels. 100-ft-lbs is
what mine are at, and that's 2000 wheels on a 98' car as well.

:cheers:
Reply
Old Aug 13, 2002 | 11:44 PM
  #5  
alc2001's Avatar
alc2001
Racer
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 479
Likes: 1
From: Portland OR
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (JasonS)

Jason - Just checked my 2001 shop manual and you are absolutely right. Page 3-98 says 140 ft-lbs or 190 N-m. Page 3-92 shows 100 ft-lbs or 140 N-m. Every other reference I have seen including page 3-75 in the owner's manual says 100 ft-lbs or 140 Newton-meters. That is a serious misprint. Thanks for pointing it out.
Alan
Reply
Old Aug 14, 2002 | 12:30 AM
  #6  
evil-1's Avatar
evil-1
Burning Brakes
 
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 873
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque nm
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (alc2001)



.....100lbs no problems.... :yesnod:
Reply
Old Aug 14, 2002 | 10:55 AM
  #7  
bierbelly's Avatar
bierbelly
Race Director
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 11,522
Likes: 0
From: Sterling VA
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (Buckmaster)

Call a dealer's shop and ask how they do it. :rolleyes: :lol: :lol: I'm sure they take extreme care to make sure the wheels are torqued to spec. :jester
Reply
Old Aug 14, 2002 | 12:06 PM
  #8  
Gearhead Jim's Avatar
Gearhead Jim
Team Owner
Supporting Member
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,025
Likes: 2,716
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (bierbelly)

I posted this info last year, and the strong concensus is that 100 ft/lbs is correct, the 140 in the manual is wrong. The service manual has other errors, it claims that there is an engine oil cooler in the left radiator tank (as compared to the auto trans cooler in the right tank). I've had my radiator out and, trust me, there is no engine oil cooler there.

After finding these errors I spent an entire morning on the phone trying to reach whoever is in charge of service manual corrections, either there is no such person or we are not allowed access to them. Which would explain why it took years for GM to admit that the section in the Corvette service manual that "explained" how the steering effort could be adjusted (it can't) was wrong.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-4

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-5

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-7

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
Old Aug 14, 2002 | 12:34 PM
  #9  
ruking1's Avatar
ruking1
Burning Brakes
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 973
Likes: 0
From: San Jose, CA
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (JasonS)

I think your quote might be a mistake. There are numerous references to 100 ft/#'s and 140 nt/m. I use 100 ft#s. Remember torque your bolts on the pull stroke not the push stroke!
Reply
Old Aug 14, 2002 | 05:12 PM
  #10  
Stingray1967's Avatar
Stingray1967
Race Director
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,913
Likes: 60
From: Twin Cities, MN
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (evil-1)

I've had my car at 130MPH with the lugs at 100 ft.-lbs. No issues here.
Reply
Old Aug 15, 2002 | 01:02 PM
  #11  
George Cooper's Avatar
George Cooper
Burning Brakes
 
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 1,041
Likes: 0
From: Charleston SC
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (Stingray1967)

FWIW, some folks, including me, tighten in a star pattern at 30, then 60, to a final 90 ft-lbs without anything coming loose. The higher the torque value, as I understand it, the greater the chance of even minor variations in the tightness of individual wheel lugs leading to rotor warpage.
Reply
Old Aug 15, 2002 | 02:44 PM
  #12  
Fahtrim's Avatar
Fahtrim
Team Owner
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 23,446
Likes: 0
From: MO. Logic + CFOT = Anarchy!
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (Gearhead Jim)

100 foot lbs :yesnod:
Reply
Old Aug 15, 2002 | 02:53 PM
  #13  
Z06 Mike's Avatar
Z06 Mike
Le Mans Master
Supporting Lifetime Gold
20 Year Member
St. Jude 10 Year Donor
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,179
Likes: 1
From: Honolulu Hawaii
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (bierbelly)

Call a dealer's shop and ask how they do it. :rolleyes: :lol: :lol: I'm sure they take extreme care to make sure the wheels are torqued to spec. :jester
I was at a local Dealer here in SoCal a couple months ago and I watched one of their grease monkeys use an impact wrench to tighten the lug nuts on a Black Z06. I mentioned this to a Service Writer and she gave me that "deer in the headlights" look. I was tempted to leave a note on the Z06, but I didn't think they would allow me into the service bay.
Reply
Old Aug 15, 2002 | 03:13 PM
  #14  
G 99's Avatar
G 99
Racer
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
From: Rocky Mount NC
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (OCMike)

I was in a tire/break shop yesterday checking rotors and break pad wear. When reinstalling the tires, the shop guy looked at his manual, and promptly pulled out a torque wrench!!!

Asked what he was setting it on....100lbs!

Amazing :D
Reply
Old Aug 15, 2002 | 06:06 PM
  #15  
Patches's Avatar
Patches
Team Owner
Supporting Lifetime Gold
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 23,283
Likes: 906
From: Lake Elsinore, CA
Default Re: C5 wheel nut torque? (Chandlerdah)

I was in a tire/break shop yesterday checking rotors and break pad wear. When reinstalling the tires, the shop guy looked at his manual, and promptly pulled out a torque wrench!!!

Asked what he was setting it on....100lbs!

Amazing :D
:eek: :eek: :eek:
Quick! Call Guiness!!!

100 lbs./ft. here. :yesnod:
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To C5 wheel nut torque?





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:32 AM.

story-0
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!

Slideshow: The 5 best and 5 most overrated Corvette track packages ever.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 12:46:45


VIEW MORE
story-1
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained

Slideshow: Every 2027 Corvette engine explained

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 12:16:31


VIEW MORE
story-2
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette

Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-08 19:53:43


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-6
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-8
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE