dwe1007

I have a 2012 GS with stock chrome rims from the factory. I took my vette in to a local shop that usually does really good work for the members of our club in order to have the brake fluid purged and replaced. Something I just didn't feel like doing.

I got the car back and after a few short trips decided to check my lug nut torque and found the shop had torqued them to well over 200 lb/ft each. Some were over 225! I had to buy a new torque wrench just to get them off there. I don't seem to have any warped rotors or stripped threads but my lug nuts are distorted and I am a bit concerned that the studs may have been stretched. I have broken them all loose and tightened them to 100 lb/ft - but am concerned about issues down the road.

Any opinions? (yes I am going to call the shop and chew their collective a$$es)

leadfoot4

I'm not exactly sure why you felt the need to buy a "higher capacity" torque wrench to REMOVE the lugs, unless you simply wanted to know how grossly over-torqued your lugs were.

Nonetheless, first, I'd try to determine that both the taper of the lug holes on the wheels hasn't been screwed up, as well as the centers of the wheels themselves, weren't cracked by the excessive torque.

Then, I'd first trash the lug nuts, and replace them with new ones. I'd also be suspect of the lug studs but that, at least to me, presents a dilemma. They probably should be replaced, also, but the shock off knocking them out of the hubs, might not be good for the wheel bearings. Pressing them out would probably be preferable, but that would involve removing the hubs, which would be a PITA.

Good luck!

dwe1007

I broke my 150 ft/lb wrench while trying to get the lugs off. So I had to get another wrench regardless and went for a 250. Not much point in getting another 150 so that I could break another one. The wheels look okay - no cracks or deformation. I am buying new lugs. Bought a thread gauge and will inspect the studs this weekend. Thanks for the response.

dwe1007

I bought the new torque wrench because I broke my 150ft/lb wrench while trying to get the lug nuts off. Didn't see the point in buying another 150 - so I moved up to a 250 instead. So far the threads don't look too bad (just checking them with a thread gauge) and the wheels don't appear to be gouged or distorted in the lug taper bore area. No visible cracks on the wheels, either. I think I will just replace the nuts and call it good. Thanks for the reply.

TA

You should consider a breaker bar for removing lug nuts in the future

TGO

Yeah you should never use a torque wrench to loosen anything.

dwe1007

Yeah - lession learned I guess. Just never had anybody do something so grossly out of spec before. I mean - more than double!

c4cruiser

Sounds like the "tech" used an impact wrench to install the wheels. Some techs will use "torque sticks" for wheel mounting, but I think the impact wrench has to be calibrated to use them properly. And some of the impact wrenches that come off the tool trucks can easily exceed the tightening specs for lug nuts.

I sometimes use my air impact wrench to just snug up the lug nuts just to save time but I set the tool on the lowest possible setting and still run the wrench very slowly. Then with the car back on the ground, I go to my torque wrench and tighten the lugs in two steps (70 ft-lbs and then 95 ft-lbs).

romandian

dont confuse the torque needed to break loose the nut with the torque it was tightened to. no way a 12mm stud will survive 225 lbft tightening torque.

cmonkey713

Torque wrenches are used solely for tightening fasteners, not to remove them. Use a breaker bar and or a cheater bar to break looks difficult fasteners. That is the first thing they teach you in aircraft maintenance school.

Vet Interested

The other thing they taught us was if you use a torque wrench to remove something(especially that tight), re-calibrate the torque wrench immediately.