Torqueing Wheel Nuts When Hot?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,015
Likes: 2,709
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
Torqueing Wheel Nuts When Hot?
My procedure has been to torque the wheel nuts when everything has cooled down, because the aluminum in the wheels and steel in the lugs, expand/contract at different rates with temperature changes.
Perhaps the lengths of the lugs vs the length of the nuts somehow cancel out the differences in expansion/contraction. Or maybe the changes are too little to make any difference.
Does anyone know?
Perhaps the lengths of the lugs vs the length of the nuts somehow cancel out the differences in expansion/contraction. Or maybe the changes are too little to make any difference.
Does anyone know?
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,294
Likes: 367
From: Iowa
I don't know the answer but I just found this video and I've been torquing my wheels improperly all along. lol
Based on the video I'd say improper torquing technique would be more harmful then the temperature of the wheels, especially with only a 100ft lb spec. If you're doing it correctly I can't see the temperature having much impact.
Based on the video I'd say improper torquing technique would be more harmful then the temperature of the wheels, especially with only a 100ft lb spec. If you're doing it correctly I can't see the temperature having much impact.
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
I have always set the torque on my wheels when the wheels are cold.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,015
Likes: 2,709
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
If you knew the specific metals and lubes being used, it looked like it would work. But under most conditions, it only gave you a guess.
Certainly better than nothing, but I prefer to use dry clean threads and proper technique. Some people use anti-seize because of possible rust but in 60 years of driving in the upper Midwest I've never had wheel nuts stuck on my cars. Other people's junk, yes. But that's why God invented the Cheater Bar, to get them off.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,459
Likes: 3,288
From: Hartford WI
I've seem some tables to compensate for wet torque, but there were large variations depending on the metals, lubes, and torque involved.
If you knew the specific metals and lubes being used, it looked like it would work. But under most conditions, it only gave you a guess.
Certainly better than nothing, but I prefer to use dry clean threads and proper technique. Some people use anti-seize because of possible rust but in 60 years of driving in the upper Midwest I've never had wheel nuts stuck on my cars. Other people's junk, yes. But that's why God invented the Cheater Bar, to get them off.
If you knew the specific metals and lubes being used, it looked like it would work. But under most conditions, it only gave you a guess.
Certainly better than nothing, but I prefer to use dry clean threads and proper technique. Some people use anti-seize because of possible rust but in 60 years of driving in the upper Midwest I've never had wheel nuts stuck on my cars. Other people's junk, yes. But that's why God invented the Cheater Bar, to get them off.
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
Pro
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 746
Likes: 315
From: Grand Rapids, MN
Normal operations I torque when cold. That said, back in my track day days, when rotating between sessions the wheels and studs were definitely warm when reinstalling. I always rechecked after the following session, often a little movement but all in all no issues.
Aluminum does have a greater thermal expansion coefficient than steel. Big picture I think getting the torque correct is most important. If temperature was an issue then we'd have hot and cold torque specs in the manual and more to argue about. I suspect the engineers took thermal expansion into account when creating the torque spec. I didn't work in automotive, but in my aerospace days I would have to take into account thermal, vibration, acceleration loads into my bolted joints. This all has to be accounted for in automotive application too.
Aluminum does have a greater thermal expansion coefficient than steel. Big picture I think getting the torque correct is most important. If temperature was an issue then we'd have hot and cold torque specs in the manual and more to argue about. I suspect the engineers took thermal expansion into account when creating the torque spec. I didn't work in automotive, but in my aerospace days I would have to take into account thermal, vibration, acceleration loads into my bolted joints. This all has to be accounted for in automotive application too.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,055
Likes: 9,817
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
I torque when cold or if I have changed wheels between sessions, I do my final torque just before I get in the car for the next session.
Torquing every morning during a multiday event usually results in little to no movement of the lug nut.
Bill
Torquing every morning during a multiday event usually results in little to no movement of the lug nut.
Bill
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,459
Likes: 3,288
From: Hartford WI
Does anyone know the actual difference they see between hot and cold? Maybe a nice figure would help? If it is a 100 ft/lbs thing and we are talking 2 ft/lbs, who cares? OTOH, if it is 20 ft/lbs difference, sure.