Let me count the ways...

1) Not balancing any of the five new tires I purchased to have mounted and (supposedly) balanced.

2)Cross-threading every... single... lug nut.

3)Torquing every... single... lug nut so far beyond the 145 ft/lb. specification that my electric impact wrench couldn't loosen them and I had to use a breaker bar with cheater and all my 250 lbs. to get them to come off.

4)Having to use a tap to clean the threads on all 32 lug nuts; and a die for 12 of the studs.


My family and I have been using the same local tire place for over 35 years. It's a filthy, unkept shop but Dad used it when we first moved here because most of the locals recommended it and, more from tradition than any other reason, we've been getting our tires there ever since. Until I went to a relatively newer shop in town, I had little idea what a crap shop our usual place is.

The new shop has been around for a few years but is neat, clean, and organized. They balance tires properly - spin, add/change weight, spin again, verify, make changes as necessary - whereas the old shop just does a one-and-done. I'm kicking myself for taking so long to make a change for the better but it's a combination of laziness and loyalty to blame. I don't like change and will usually stay with a place until they do me wrong or it's obvious that my business is not desired. Lesson learned, though, and I'll be more cynical and critical in the future.

Chasing the threads is a HUGE no no on lugs.

Have all the studs and lugs replaced.

How in the hell can anyone cross-thread wheel lug bolts/nuts?

Start the bolt/nut by hand, then tighten with wrench and check with torque wrench.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
How in the hell can anyone cross-thread wheel lug bolts/nuts?

Start the bolt/nut by hand, then tighten with wrench and check with torque wrench.

Probably NASCARed it with the nut in the impact wrench already spinning before it even touched the lug.

145 foot pounds specified on the lugnuts? Holy schneikies, man! What are you driving?

quote:

Originally posted by Otto Pilot:
145 foot pounds specified on the lugnuts? Holy schneikies, man! What are you driving?

My thought, too. Class 8 tractor, maybe?

Had an RV. A hundred miles from Fairbanks I got stopped and told my rear wheel was wobbling. Turns out the Ron had a hold that a peg on the axel was supposed to fit in. The wheel was put on wrong and the peg bent the rim. Then I find a stripped lug and no nut.
Raised hell and worked up the food chain.
First was given the lug nut! Then told it was stripped when I had winter tires put on in Chicago! That's when I went "How do you explain finding the stripped lug, not fixing it and letting me drive off? By this time I'm talking to the head of the PX at Ft. Wainwright. He pulls out the multi page work form. On the bottom form, written in fiber pen is a not "Lug stripped. Tell owner." He and I stared at each other. He blinked. New rim, new tire, new lugs, new nut.
Stilled used the PX but went over all the work and made sure they remembered the last time.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Chasing the threads is a HUGE no no on lugs.

Have all the studs and lugs replaced.

Have them replaced at the new shop.

Whether they were cross-threaded or not, having been overtorqued, and who knows how many times, replace all of them. You'll have bolt stretch on the lugs, and they'll either twist off or fail at some future time. You don't want to be there when you're trying to change a tire on the side of the road.

If the shop has been filthy and doing shoddy work for 35 years...a good time to change would be 35 years ago. I don't care who is doing the service; if the job is poor, take it elsewhere.

quote:

Originally posted by Otto Pilot:
145 foot pounds specified on the lugnuts? Holy schneikies, man! What are you driving?

My run of the mill Silverado 1500 calls for 140 in the manual.

quote:

Originally posted by Otto Pilot:
145 foot pounds specified on the lugnuts? Holy schneikies, man! What are you driving?

Almost all trucks after about 1998 have 14mm studs and call for this torque.

quote:

Originally posted by Otto Pilot:
145 foot pounds specified on the lugnuts? Holy schneikies, man! What are you driving?

2005 Dodge 2500 w/Cummins 5.9.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Chasing the threads is a HUGE no no on lugs.

Have all the studs and lugs replaced.

What?! Why is bad to do?

Edit to add: just saw sn3guppy's post answering my question. Damn it all.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
How in the hell can anyone cross-thread wheel lug bolts/nuts?

Start the bolt/nut by hand, then tighten with wrench and check with torque wrench.

Easy, by starting the nut with the impact wrench, not by hand!!! LOT's of shops do it, because lot's of shops put the lowest paid and newest guy on that job (and oil changes).

quote:

Originally posted by marksman41:

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Chasing the threads is a HUGE no no on lugs.

Have all the studs and lugs replaced.

What?! Why is bad to do?

Edit to add: just saw sn3guppy's post answering my question. Damn it all.

If just the first few threads (the ones that would be exposed anyway when the nut is tightened) are boogered, and not on too many of the studs, the threads can be cleaned up. If more than this, however, chasing the threads will remove too much metal.

This thread supports the reason I only use Discount Tire for my tire needs. The one closest to me has had the same manager for at least 15 years and he only hires clean and smart employees. The floor is so clean you could eat off of it. All of that plus the fact that they are a nation wide chain.

Jim

Class 8 is trucks get about 400 pounds of torque, which generally means about three seconds on the impact hammer. I've never seen a torque wrench used for big trucks.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

quote:

Originally posted by marksman41:

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Chasing the threads is a HUGE no no on lugs.

Have all the studs and lugs replaced.

What?! Why is bad to do?

Edit to add: just saw sn3guppy's post answering my question. Damn it all.

If just the first few threads (the ones that would be exposed anyway when the nut is tightened) are boogered, and not on too many of the studs, the threads can be cleaned up. If more than this, however, chasing the threads will remove too much metal.

The lug nut threads were okay for the back 1/2 but I really had to work the tap when it got to the front half.

For the studs that needed attention, it was just the first few threads that were messed up but I chased them all the way to the end and back anyway - thinking it was best practice but went with my hazy memory of the little bit that I watched Dad do when I was a kid. Wish he was still here to teach me how to do it right.

The estimate from the new shop (the guys that do it right) to replace all the studs and nuts is about $400. Don't have the dinero at the moment to get it fixed now but will do so as soon as possible.

450 pounds of torque on a semi....Yes they have a torque wrench for those. Doing a four axle brake job sucks...

For years I carried a 3/4", three foot long breaker bar with an 17mm impact socket in the trunk of my MB or Audi.

Several times I helped a motorist with a flat tire remove the over tightened lug nuts from a wheel.

The lug nut torque for a MB, Audi or VW was 80lbs. A couple of times I had to stand on the breaker bar (185lbs) to break loose a lug nut.

Before this thread goes to page 2 and anonymity I want to thank you guys for clueing me in to what to do about the lugs and studs, and why it needs doing.

Many thanks for your help and advice!