Why aren't all our wheels falling off/all hubs or discs warping?

[Cephas]

Funny, I torque my wheels twice around each time I swap. Lost 2 wheels on track so far. Though not because of the wheel nuts.

What in the world happened here? Did the front hub just break free? Do you use wheel studs or are you using the stock bolts to hold the wheels on the hub? Are those stock parts?

Looks terrifying.


Edit: looks like that's a Miata, correct?

[Northern]

For wheels, I always torque them now. Had one almost fall off after a shop changed my tires, so I'm a little paranoid.

All shops (at least around here) have a disclaimer on the bottom of the work order to "return within 100km to retorque wheels" which seems like more of a liability thing than anything.

Usually I will break lug nuts free with a breaker bar, then use an impact to slowly run them off/back on until they're slightly more than hand tight.
They're aluminum, so I'm a little concerned with hammering the shit out of them.

[e30davie]

Mechanical feel of bolt torque is something that is learnt over time. Usually by breaking bolts early on in your career...

I never used to use a torque wrench on any bolts except head studs, flywheels and maybe the front crank nut. then when i got my own torque wrench (used to borrow dads) i started using it on wheel nuts as it was an easy way to make sure they were all tight. It is nice and easy to race around the car after fitting something and click click click click. then you know they are tight without having to be too concerned.

I have have confidence in myself to torque bolts properly, but in the heat of the moment getting a car on the road wheel nuts can be missed. years ago a mate and i had a wheel come off as we were leaving his driveway and from then on i have been paranoid of wheel nuts.

[MrBurgundy]

I just use my impact, never a torque wrench on wheels. I guess I just got the feel for it after so long.

Haven't had a problem.

[Julien]

Only time a torque wrench saved my butt was with a rotor hold down screw that was a bit proud. I tightened all the bolts to what I thought they should be and finished off the job with the torque wrench. Thing is, the torque wrench kept requiring a bit turn more every go around leading me to notice something was off.

tldr: going around twice with a torque wrench is cheap insurance that the wheel seated properly

[estoguy]

While I have had access to impact guns, I always do my bolts by hand to 81 ft/lb. For some reason on my E30, the rear wheels always seem to need be retorqued. Not much, but enough that after 50-100 km it needs to be done.

And I always keep my 3/8 torque wrench and a deep 17mm in my car all the time. Yeah, I don't need to, but I like having it.

[dnguyen1963]

I'm prefacing this statement by saying I 100% do not like the thought of someone leaning into an air gun on wheel lugs/bolts. I get shivers.

That said, I don't think it's very easy to actually damage modern wheel studs and/or bolts. They're pretty thick and made of quality material (if OEM). Even though newer cars weigh a million pounds, the ever-higher risk of litigation from a failure has probably caused large margins to be built in.

40+ years ago when the studs were much thinner and weaker, this was much more of an issue. To give you an idea, every car we take care of at the shop uses 40 ft•lb of torque on the lug nuts.

I still believe a torque stick or preferably a wrench is the way to go if you care.

All of my cars have a 80 ft.lb spec.

[dnguyen1963]

Most air gun will likely over-tighten the nuts. Although, I am a few years younger than OP, I have seen plenty of wheels coming the car on the highway. I make a habit of watching the car in front of me to make sure that all their wheels are fine; otherwise, I get as far from that car as possible.

[ELVA164]

I'm prefacing this statement by saying I 100% do not like the thought of someone leaning into an air gun on wheel lugs/bolts. I get shivers.

That said, I don't think it's very easy to actually damage modern wheel studs and/or bolts. They're pretty thick and made of quality material (if OEM). Even though newer cars weigh a million pounds, the ever-higher risk of litigation from a failure has probably caused large margins to be built in.

40+ years ago when the studs were much thinner and weaker, this was much more of an issue. To give you an idea, every car we take care of at the shop uses 40 ft•lb of torque on the lug nuts.

I still believe a torque stick or preferably a wrench is the way to go if you care.

[djjerme]

Torque Wrench at the track as well.

Seen to many wheels come off other cars.

You'd be surprised in an enduro race how much lug nuts actually loosen up.


I have always been one of those double check people on wheel torque, one of my old Chevy II's loved to sheer wheel studs off. Mind you, it was the stock 10 bolt 8.2 rearend with 4 lug drum brakes. But I got real good at swapping studs out at work on it.

[TobyB]

It doesn't count if the hub fails. Unless you didn't torque THAT!

heh

Honestly, the clicker at the track is mostly a nervous twitch,
and occasionally an early warning of a stud pulling....

t

[Exodus_2pt0]

Never used a torque wrench for the 10 years I made my living turning wrenches(on wheels). If a shop requested, I would use torque sticks.

I also didn't hammer the shit out of them.

I've seen people that should be banned from power tools all together. Some people are just mechanically numb.

[pandaboo911]

Most reasonably sensitive, experienced mechanics can get things torqued to within
10%. Being a sensitive guy myself, I only use the clicker on the race cars....

Haven't lost a wheel...yet...

t

Funny, I torque my wheels twice around each time I swap. Lost 2 wheels on track so far. Though not because of the wheel nuts.

[TobyB]

Most reasonably sensitive, experienced mechanics can get things torqued to within
10%. Being a sensitive guy myself, I only use the clicker on the race cars....

Haven't lost a wheel...yet...

t

[UlrichFennec]

I've always used torque sticks with my impact on wheels. Usually don't use my impact for much beyond breaking loose stubborn bolts that are rusted on when I'm doing alignments or stubborn caliper slide bolts.

I like my torque wrench and use it religiously, though. Even after using a torque stick for wheels, just in case.