wheel nuts and bolts seizing

[getunder]

I recently cracked a 19 mm quality socket 1/2 inch Sq drive when using an extension bar to undo my wheel nuts and bolts. What torque should they be tightened to. I read somewhere once that torque settings are quoted with dry threads. should I grease the threads and the taper ? The wheel nut spanner supplied with the van is very short. Is that enough and have I been tightening mine too much. Are we all giving them too much welly with these long wheel nut handles ? I use a 4 way spider to tighten mine. Is it the taper that binds, I was able to get mine undone with another socket after putting some plus - gas around the taper. Do they self tighten in use ?Trouble is with these long handles is that they are angled and it pulls the socket sideways off the nut and burrs it. I usually trundle to my tyre place and they undo it but this time the van was immobile for repairs and its no good if you are out in the sticks one rainy night.

[dugcati]

oooh the pain! just found on my bus that the nuts were so tight I fractured a socket - someone zipped up the nuts with an airgun!

it was made worse by the fact I have REALLY long studs on the rear and I need a deep socket to get the 19mm ones and then I have an imperial socket for the ones that were rounded and then re-ground

As for the settings per say I have always used copper grease on all wheel nuts/bolts and used a torque setting of tight then a good swing to make it FT


provided the nut/bolts seat correctly onto the wheel they don't need to be rediculously tight as they are only holding the wheel against the hub - the loading is in shear accross the bolts




Doug

[scamperman]

Hi,
Sounds like they're getting over tightened.
Torque settings are for dry threads,shouldn't grease the thread as it will only give a false torque reading.
James

[campervanman]

Replace any nuts that are showing signs of rounding off on the corners.
They are cheap and it cost a lot to remove a rounded off nut in blood, sweat and tears if nothing else (and its usually raining),
I use a very good quality socket on a breaker bar and grease the nuts witrh coppaslip.

[ginge]

use the black impact socket like they use on the air guns and a good long bar place a block or jack or simalar on the ground to support the wheel brace at 90 degree makes it easier to use and tends not to slip off

[Red Westie]

14 years in the motortrade, much longer if you count my recent years teaching the subject, I have always greased wheel studs/nuts...never had a wheel come off when properly torqued up to vehicle spec.
I agree with others...use black impact gun sockets because they are single hex so are less likely to round off your bolts/nuts, they are also specifically designed not to fracture. Big long breaker bar..my snapon bar is still going strong after 25 years. The torque settings are pretty high on T25's, remember these are larger threads than on most cars. Couldn't find the settings, I have them somewhere, will post them when I find them.
Martin

[lloyd]

I agree with Martin. Have used coperslip/oil/grease all my life and never have any problems. On camper I torque to about 140 foot pounds... That's me standing on horizontal bar 10-12" from socket so figure weight center is about 11" Our camper's previous owner had greased studs.

[syncrosimon]

If you are at a tyre garage, make sure they start the nuts of by hand, as trying to blip them on with the air gun can cause cross threads.

As said above, a 19mm black impact socket is the only way. With the breaker bar, it fits nicely under the seat.

http://www.housecharm.co.uk/items/2-268 ... Drive.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can get them separately at Halfords.