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Proper Wheel Lug Nut Torque?


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Tomorrow I will be installing my new 18" Centerline Wheels and Nitto Terra Grapplers (285/65-18) and was wondering what the proper torque is for aftermarket wheels on a 1/2 ton? The owners manual calls for 140 ft-lbs which has always seemed very high to me for a 1/2 ton truck. Nevertheless I have kept the stock wheels torqued to 140 ft-lbs. The paperwork that came with my wheels recommends 95 ft-lbs for 14mm studs, which seems more reasonable. My wheels are billet aluminum and I'm afraid that 140 ft-lbs might be too much? Does GM recommend 140 ft-lbs primarily for liability reasons? You guys with aftermarket wheels do you follow GM's recommendations or the wheel manufacturers for the proper torque?

 

Ed

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I know it sounds like the torque specs for an 18-wheeler but GM doesn't specify differently between any of the offered wheels for these trucks, steel or alloy. My GMT400 spec'd 130 or 135 ft lbs (I forget which.)

 

The billet aluminum wheels should not have a problem with with that torque, if anything it should handle it better than the GM OEM cast aluminum.

 

I don't know why GM torque specs are so high, but they did design the vehicle.

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I got this info from tire rack.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=107

 

 

 

 

 

Wheel Lug Torquing

IMPORTANT!

 

Proper installation requires that the wheel lug torque be set to the recommended specification for your vehicle. Sometimes these torque specifications can be found in your vehicle's owner's manual, however more often than not you will need to refer to your vehicle's shop manual or obtain them from your vehicle dealer/service provider.

 

Unless specifically stated otherwise, wheel lug torque specifications are for clean and dry threads (no lubricant) that are free of dirt, grit, etc. Applying oil, grease or anti-seize lubricants to the threads will result in inaccurate torque values that over tighten the wheels.

 

A thread chaser or tap should be used to remove any burrs or obstructions of the threads allowing the lug hardware to be turned by hand until it meets the wheel's lug seat. Once lugs are snugged down, finish tightening them with an accurate torque wrench. Use the appropriate crisscross sequence (shown below) for the number of wheel lugs on your vehicle until all have reached their proper torque value. Be careful because if you over torque a wheel, you can strip a lug nut or hub, stretch or break a stud or bolt, and cause the wheel, brake rotor and/or brake drum to distort.

 

torque_diagram.jpg

 

Use the dry wheel lug torque values specified in the vehicle's owner's manual, shop manual or obtained from the vehicle dealer/service provider. The chart below lists typical torque values that should only be used temporarily until the vehicle's exact torque values can be confirmed.

 

Since the thickness of an alloy wheel can differ from Original Equipment wheels, also verify that the lug nuts or bolts will engage the threads. Refer to the chart below to determine the number of turns or the depth of engagement typical for your stud or bolt size.

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I know it sounds like the torque specs for an 18-wheeler but GM doesn't specify differently between any of the offered wheels for these trucks, steel or alloy.

 

I don't know why GM torque specs are so high, but they did design the vehicle.

 

These are not high torque values. For comparison, my deuce and half Army 2.5 ton truck, which is the size of a small commercial truck, has 900 X20 tires on 20 inch steel wheels. The torque spec for the front wheel lug nuts is 350 ft-lbs, and for the rear wheels it is 450 ft-lbs. 140 ft-lbs is nothing.

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I know it sounds like the torque specs for an 18-wheeler but GM doesn't specify differently between any of the offered wheels for these trucks, steel or alloy. My GMT400 spec'd 130 or 135 ft lbs (I forget which.)

 

The billet aluminum wheels should not have a problem with with that torque, if anything it should handle it better than the GM OEM cast aluminum.

 

I don't know why GM torque specs are so high, but they did design the vehicle.

 

Thanks for the reply Fred. I guess the fact that the Centerlines weigh only 21 lbs each made me think that they would be more delicate than the heavier oem wheels. I just wonder if GM specs are so high primarily for liability reasons but I suppose their probably is a sound engineering reason as well.

 

WFO, thanks for that link to the Tire Rack. It too recommends around 90 ft-lbs for a 14mm X 1.5 stud, very close to Centerlines 95 ft-lbs recommendation. Maybe I'll try 100 ft-lbs and keep a close eye on them to make sure they aren't coming loose.

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I know it sounds like the torque specs for an 18-wheeler but GM doesn't specify differently between any of the offered wheels for these trucks, steel or alloy.

 

I don't know why GM torque specs are so high, but they did design the vehicle.

 

These are not high torque values. For comparison, my deuce and half Army 2.5 ton truck, which is the size of a small commercial truck, has 900 X20 tires on 20 inch steel wheels. The torque spec for the front wheel lug nuts is 350 ft-lbs, and for the rear wheels it is 450 ft-lbs. 140 ft-lbs is nothing.

 

 

 

Is that cold or cherry red with a rose bud. :D

 

My P30 motorhome specs 150 ft lbs on Alcoa 19.5s. 140 is a lot higher than the 65-85 that most of us run into on passenger cars and other MORTAL vehicles that aren't designed for battle. :confused:

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140 is a lot higher than the 65-85 that most of us run into on passenger cars and other MORTAL vehicles that aren't designed for battle. :D

I always torque mine to 75 ft/lbs when I rotate or get new rubber. Always have. Been through many vehicles and never had a single lug loosen or seize on a stud. That's good enough for the girls I go with...

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The original spec for GM 1500 series truck nuts (22mm socket) in the 90's was 128 ft lbs. For some reason GM updated that spec to 140 somewhere around '97. Probably got their ass sued over a wheel coming off. I always found 140 to be at the upper limit of those studs. I usually do 132. And contrary to the info posted above, I use a trace amount of cop-a-slip never-seize on the stud threads. I've had too many busted studs when the nut seizes on removal.

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Well I got my wheels mounted up yesterday (see my other thread for pics) and went with 100 ft-lbs of torque. I'll be checking them in about 50 miles to see if they have loosened significantly. If they haven't I'll probably stick with 100 ft-lbs.

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