How are you checking/tightening your lug nuts?

[Jim34RL]

I check the wheel lug nut torque every time I check my air pressure in the tires. This is done every morning before we start out for the day when we are traveling. But I do not use the dynamic torque for checking, I use a static torque which has a lower value. This is an industry standard way of checking torques on fasteners.

[Telstar]

Use a torque wrench and tighten to the manufacturer specifications.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by JD and Beastlet

Torque wrench with extension and socket.

Ditto. Usable torque wrench can be had on sale or with coupon at HF for about 20 bucks. Set torque on wrench tighten til click. Once in a while I back the torque off to nearly loose and re-torque

Oh, and I take the torque off the wrench back to zero before I put the wrench in it's case and put it away.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by JD and Beastlet

I think that's overkill. If the wheels have been off I check at the start of the trip, when we arrive and before the start of the next trip. In ten years of camper ownership I have not found a single loose lug nut.

I do still check periodically, though.

Our old tt had chrome steel wheels. To my surprise , at ten years age there was wear around all lug holes and some lug bolts were less than the 90 lbs I set in only a few hundred miles. I guess that's why the sticker says driver responsible to check torque before moving trailer.

[grayfox]

Originally Posted by Teamfour

I have similar wheels and use a thin-walled 19mm deep socket with a 1/2" drive torque wrench.

X-2

[stevensmith2859]

I will give them a check every other trip, just to makes sure. Id rather take a few minutes to be safe. They really don't budge at this point, but when it was new, a 30 mile tow to Gettysburg would make the lugs TERRIBLY loose.

[NMWildcat]

I have the same exact wheels. First thing I did was throw away those cheap-a$% lug nuts with the stainless covers. Got real chrome lug nuts.

I found a chrome 4-way that actually fits into the wheel. But usually I use a torque wrench with an extension and 6-point socket.

I only check the torque on the lug nuts after a few miles of travel when any work has been done involving the wheels.

[MtBiker]

Originally Posted by Tom48

Ditto. Usable torque wrench can be had on sale or with coupon at HF for about 20 bucks. Set torque on wrench tighten til click. Once in a while I back the torque off to nearly loose and re-torque

Oh, and I take the torque off the wrench back to zero before I put the wrench in it's case and put it away.

+1 on Torque wrench back to Zero when not in use.

[Tanddhall]

Originally Posted by Russ in CO

Hey all!

I can't get an old style 4-way on to these lug nuts. There isn't enough clearance around the wheel.
What are you using?
Thank you,
Russ

You will have to get a 1/ 2 inch drive size deep well socket and carry a pull bar/ratchet with a 6 inch extension to work those lug nuts. I put some American Racing wheels on our van and had to do just hat as very little clearance for a lug nut wrench, as you have found out.

[CaptnJohn]

Torque to 120 before every trip as TP verified.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Tanddhall

You will have to get a 1/ 2 inch drive size deep well socket and carry a pull bar/ratchet with a 6 inch extension to work those lug nuts. I put some American Racing wheels on our van and had to do just hat as very little clearance for a lug nut wrench, as you have found out.

You can always put the socket in a lathe and use a bastard file to reduce the dia. a few thousandths without jeopardizing the strength of the socket.

[Mtelkman]

I use a telescoping lug wrench I bought from Amazon a few years back. Gorilla brand maybe? Fits the tight space on my wheels with no issues. I just torque them down by hand with no torque wrench. I check them once a year or if I ever have to take a wheel off.

[clutchd]

How many of you guys check the tow vehicles lugs?

After initial torque of removed wheel and 100 miles if they are not loose your fine. Never had a nut come loose.

Easy way to help prevent this is to do the torque in steps after the wheel/ rim is installed

If wheel is to be torqued to 100 lbs ft. Start off at 25 to all lugs, then 50 to all lugs, then 100. It's a step process and helps insure the wheel is properly torque.

This works with all fasteners like this. Example would be a cylinder head to block

[EdnKat]

[QUOTE=mzak;1234064]

Originally Posted by Pooneil

Why do we have 12 point sockets anyway when all the nuts (lug and otherwise) I've seen are 6 sided?




As I understand one reason is for positioning in tight spaces. Ever try to get a 6 point socket on a nut if you only have 3-4 inches of space to ratchet in? Sometimes you can, sometimes you need a 12 point. Best to have a set of both 6 and 12 point sockets. I use 6 point for high torque situations which is what I should have done with camper lug nuts and I wouldn't have had the problem I did. I got lazy and used the 12 point because it was handy and paid the price!

6 point sockets apply force evenly to the 6 sides of the nut. 12 point sockets apply force to the tips of the hex. 6 point sockets are less likely to damage the nut/bolt. In some industrial applications there are 12 point heads on Grade 8 bolts.

[Renegade837]

I've got an impact wrench that I use to take tires on and off with at home, using thin wall deep well sockets.

I also have a set of torque extensions. These are extensions that are manufactured to bleed off torque from an impact gun at a set level.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/w...FcUdgQodsTMINQ

So if you want the camper lugs at 100 ft#s, choose that extension. First, loosen the lugs a little with the impact wrench. Then insert the extension and tighten in a cross-lug pattern.

Super easy, no fuss and no muss. Works equally well with pneumatic, electric or battery operated impact wrenches, but not manually.

Besides, there's that satisfying BRRRRRR every time you pull the trigger on an impact gun!

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by Pooneil

Why do we have 12 point sockets anyway when all the nuts (lug and otherwise) I've seen are 6 sided?

If eve you had worked in very close quarters with an open ended wrench or socket you would know the answer to that question.

[mike.t]

Do you (OP) do the same on your TV?/family car? Daily driver? When you take your car in for service is checking/tightening lug nuts on their to do list? You'll ruin your camping fun worrying about stuff like this.

[Boots49]

With your 5 lug nuts, you should torque every 2nd nut until all are torqued. I check ours every morning before leaving & at every full stop I check the bearings for heat, making sure that they are close to each other. I also check the tires for wear & a general walk around checking high as well as low.

[pdqparalegal1]

Originally Posted by Pooneil

The cover on my lug nut slipped while I was changing the tire at a gas station due to a defect in the tire. I used a hammer to drive the socket on the nut so I could remove it. Then I destroyed a screwdriver using it to punch the nut out of the socket.

Why do we have 12 point sockets anyway when all the nuts (lug and otherwise) I've seen are 6 sided?




The Harbor Freight torque wrench is certainly not a professional tool, but it works very well for this purpose at a price that lets me keep it in my camper at all times. I don't even want to think about what a Snap On wrench would cost. It's the right tool for the job.

12 point was designed so you don't have to move socket so far to get a new grip if you use it with a breaker bar or something else that doesn't ratchet. 6 point always gets a better grip, (less chance of slipping). Having said that--some lugs are 13/16, some are metric, 18mm, 19mm, find the 6 point with the best fit. BTW I hate lugs with chrome covers! New 2016 ford truck has them. Need 24 new solid nuts for the alum. wheels.

[2016251RKS]

Tekton (sp?) torque wrench from the amazon. Thin wall 19mm (and a spare 3/4) socket. Checked upon receipt of the wrench (I went 62 years without needing one), there were three "loose" lug nuts on my tt. I torque to 110 lbs. Checked after 500 miles, one need a tweak. Check tires and hub temps (by hand) at each fuel stop.
Also checked lugs after tire fixed due to nail in center tread. grrrr