Removing lug nuts
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 2,003
Likes: 327
From: North Carolina
Removing lug nuts
I'm changing out my lug nuts. The car is back up a couple inches on Rhino ramps. I took off and replaced the lug nuts on 1 front wheel no problem. I went to change the back wheel, on the ramp, and on the 3rd nut the whole car shifted. In a panic I replaced the lug nuts and backed away. Is it ok to replace the lugs with the car flat or does it need to be jacked? Thanks.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,964
Likes: 6,768
From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Sorry, but I never do it in such fashion. I lift each tire, in turn. I do all five nuts together, all off, all on, torquing cross-wise to 50, 80, and 100#s. It may not matter with "modern" parts but that's the way it has always been recommended by manufacturers I can recall 
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 2,003
Likes: 327
From: North Carolina
Sorry, but I never do it in such fashion. I lift each tire, in turn. I do all five nuts together, all off, all on, torquing cross-wise to 50, 80, and 100#s. It may not matter with "modern" parts but that's the way it has always been recommended by manufacturers I can recall
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 1,334
From: Kingston, Ontario
Keep the car on the ground, replace one nut at a time, tighten to 100 foot pounds. I only ever came across one nut that gave me grief, I literally had to stand on the wrench to loosen it, I guess someone at the factory had a field day. The car during the entire process did move backwards and forwards on occasion as i would tighten/loosen nuts but it was fine. No need to jack up the car. Drive it around for a few miles and retighten all the nuts.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,323
Likes: 420
From: Eastern NC
If youre using an impact to take them off and put them back you have already overtightened them unless youre using a torque stick on the gun to put them back with. Don't put them back on at all with the impact unless you have a torque stick or you will probably need new rotors bc you will likely warp them.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,297
Likes: 24,776
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Sorry, but I never do it in such fashion. I lift each tire, in turn. I do all five nuts together, all off, all on, torquing cross-wise to 50, 80, and 100#s. It may not matter with "modern" parts but that's the way it has always been recommended by manufacturers I can recall
Moderator emeritus
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 18,599
Likes: 3,954
From: Jacksonville Florida BWO Dayton, Cincinnati, Bloomsbury NJ, Cincinnati
2015 C7 of the Year Finalist
I'm changing out my lug nuts. The car is back up a couple inches on Rhino ramps. I took off and replaced the lug nuts on 1 front wheel no problem. I went to change the back wheel, on the ramp, and on the 3rd nut the whole car shifted. In a panic I replaced the lug nuts and backed away. Is it ok to replace the lugs with the car flat or does it need to be jacked? Thanks.
Elmer
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,015
Likes: 2,709
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
If you mean removing and replacing 1 nut at a time, so there are always 4 tight ones, that should be ok. Use a torque wrench.
If you mean removing more than 1 while there is weight on the wheel, I wouldn't do that.
If you mean removing more than 1 while there is weight on the wheel, I wouldn't do that.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 2,003
Likes: 327
From: North Carolina
Got a torque wrench, removed and replaced 2 at a time. Torqued 50, 80, 100, as recommend by someone here. Discount Tire had jammed the torque waaaay past tolerance on some nuts. Easy peasy.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 582
Likes: 170
From: Indiana
What you tried to do was unwise for several reasons, including your personal safety. That you did not perceive this on your own, even without any "learning", suggests that you do not have natural mechanical aptitude and would be better off letting others work on your car. In no way am I implying that you are not intelligent. Albert Einstein is reported to have left home in the morning without his pants.
Last edited by Widgeon5; Sep 10, 2019 at 12:27 PM.