Torque your wheels down!

[Rob]

Interesting story, I was headed to the bar with friends, got a very severe vibration from one of the wheels. I pulled over and found two of the bolts on my front driver side wheel were extremely loose. I found this very odd since I had torque them all down less than two weeks before hand. No damage, and I got home fine after tightening them, but I've decided that torquing the bolts to spec is now part of my weekly maintainence schedule.

Just a tip, might be a good idea to *properly* torque down those wheels guys. Common sense? Of course, but hell, we're not all perfect, so its something to keep an eye on.

[Stu]

Good post Rob.

Happens to me all the time, and others I presume. It's common sense like you said, but everyone forgets from time to time.

Adjust the coilovers....forget to use the torque wrench....

[Kavkazia]

I always tight as hard as I can,and I never had any problems they coming loose, but whats torque spec. on wheel bolts? Now I'm worried.

:)

[SickE30]

Yeah...torque those bastards or you will break a lot of shit when your wheel comes off in traffic, ask me how I know.

[m42technic]

I always tight as hard as I can,and I never had any problems they coming loose, but whats torque spec. on wheel bolts? Now I'm worried.

:)

120NM or about 90 ft/lbs

[Mystikal]

My manual says 81lb/ft. And if there are actually people who mount wheels without a torque wrench: :shock:

[schnitzer teil-jäger]

I always tight as hard as I can,and I never had any problems they coming loose, but whats torque spec. on wheel bolts? Now I'm worried.

Big cause of warpped rotors is over tightened lug nuts
w

[nando]

you can get a cheapo torque wrench for $25 that will work good enough for your wheels. FYI my manual and the bentley both say 74 ft-lbs.

I just fixed my breakwear sensor yesterday (was rubbing on the wheel), all my wheels were still torqued properly and it's been about 4 months since I've taken any of them off.

[UNHCLL]

Rob, you could have experiences this since you just painted your wheels.

New paint can and will come loose and cause the lugs to work free. This was a BIG problem on new Revolution wheels when they first came out.

I do 85 ft/lbs
Never had any come loose

[TIATO]

I had my Left front Kosei K1 come loose on me at Watkins Glen.

Did one lap at speed, then on the second lap going into turn one the steering wheel started vibrating like crazy and the car was shuddering. Not good I thought to myself. Slowed way the hell down,went OFF LINE, limped through the esses, bustop and exited the track at the emergency access point at the beginning of turn 5. Got out of the car, emergency crew asked if I was ok.

Wheel looked like it had a bit more of negative camber. Thought that maybe I had broken a suspensioon component. Got back in, took the infield access roads back to the garage. Look in my rear view mirror and see the crash truck racing after me. Driver jumps out and tells me that it looks like my wheel was about to come off. Driver lets me borrow a tire wrench and crank down the wheel bolts. I was shocked to find that all of them were almost totally loose. Manage to get back to the garage.

Jack up the car and inspect the front suspension. Fine.

I look at the wheel and find some scuffs on the tire and shock tube. Nothing major. I look at my wheel bolts and see that the previous owner had put anti seize on the wheelstuds. No wonder they came loose.

Learned two things that day.

1. As soon as something doesnt feel right - SLOW DOWN GET OFF THE TRACK ASAP
2. Always double check your wheel bolt torque before heading out on track.

The week after the event I orderd a wheelstud conversion kit from TC Kline Racing. I keep the nuts torqued to 90 ft/lbs and have never had a problem since.

[Rob]

I hadn't thought about the paint Chris, good call. 85ft/lbs is what I'm using




Mario- how much did you get the stud conversion for?

[m42technic]

BMW updated the torque specs.

Its 120 Nm or 88 lb-ft. (I just call it 90, most 1/2" torque wrenches only go by 5 ft-lb increments anyway).

[Streetspec_iS]

fuk yeah man...and dont truat any1 else to do it...we went to a car show once, and i had my wheels off to clean em...so then i was polishing the car and i asked my mate to tiughten them...halfay to the show my front end was all over the place...

hed put the wheels on, fuinger tightened the nuts, then forgot to torque em down when we dropped the car off the jacks...i stupidly assumed he'd done it!!!!

scary moment!