Tire shop over torqued lug nuts (1969 Dart). Should I redo it?

[cb474]

I have a 1969 Dart with the original steel wheels. I was getting new tires and I don't know how many times I told them the spec for the lug nuts was 55 ft lbs of torque.

When they were done they claimed some of lug bolts on one wheel were slipping and they couldn't torque it enough. They tried to convince me on this basis that the holes in the wheels were also wearing out; that the lug nuts were worn out, because they shouldn't be conical shaped (i.e. flat where they seat into the wheel); and that I probably need all new wheels. This was a supposedly respectable tire shop that knew about old cars.

Anyway, when I got home I decided to take off the wheel in question to look at what it would take to replace the slipping lug bolts (see it they were swaged or not). The lug nuts were almost impossible to loosen. I had that wheel on and off a bunch of times when I was working on the brakes recently and I knew this was way too tight. I was using as a breaker bar one of those old torque wrenches with the needle that points to the torque level and I could see it was taking 80 to 90 ft lbs, before the lug nuts started to move. Also there were little shavings of metal that came off the wheels (or maybe the nuts) as I loosened the lug nuts, which I have never seen before when removing the wheels on this car.

When I put the wheel back on I torqued it properly and in fact none of the lug bolts slipped (which makes me think if it really was slipping, it was because they were over torquing it--but I don't even know at this point that I believe it was slipping).

So should I care that the other three wheels are probably also over torqued? Should I take them off and do it correctly? Or not worry about it until I have to take them off again?

 

[toolmanmike]

I would remove and inspect all of them. But, for years, auto shops would tighten lug nuts with an inpact wrench and no torque wrench..It's easy to tighten to 100+ ft/lb. Without damage. The smaller 7/16 diameter studs can't handle a lot of torque though.

 

[mopar head]

Do it.

 

[cb474]

Thanks for the replies.

Are the beam style torque wrenches a good way to do this? All my click style torque wrenches are elsewhere at the moment. I thought about running out and getting a click style torque wrench from Harbor Freight. My beam torque wrench is a Craftsman that I got in the 1980s I think or maybe the 1990s. I've hardly every used it. I can't even remember why I got it. At the time, I think click style torque wrenches were very expensive.

 

[toolmanmike]

Thanks for the replies.

Are the beam style torque wrenches a good way to do this? All my click style torque wrenches are elsewhere at the moment. I thought about running out and getting a click style torque wrench from Harbor Freight. My beam torque wrench is a Craftsman that I got in the 1980s I think or maybe the 1990s. I've hardly every used it. I can't even remember why I got it. At the time, I think click style torque wrenches were very expensive.

Beams are fine and quite accurite. Not handy for lug nots but it will work fine.

 

[cb474]

Beams are fine and quite accurite. Not handy for lug nots but it will work fine.

Thanks. Yeah, it had to bend and twist into some less than comfortable positions to read the gauge on the beam wrench, while applying 55 ft lbs of force. But it was a good workout.

Is it okay to use the beam wrench like a breaker bar, as I was doing? I know they say not to do this with clicker style torque wrenches. But I couldn't really see why it mattered with the beam style wrench. And it allowed me to measure the torque it took to get the lug nuts to loosen.

 

[toolmanmike]

Is it okay to use the beam wrench like a breaker bar, as I was doing? I know they say not to do this with clicker style torque wrenches. But I couldn't really see why it mattered with the beam style wrench. And it allowed me to measure the torque it took to get the lug nuts to loosen.

I wouldn't but that's just me. It is a very simple tool and as long as it goes back to zero it should still be fairly accurite.

 

[Dana67Dart]

IMHO. If you can use the beam wrench to 150 lbs and you only go to 90 you have not gone past it's limits.

As for the nuts. I would loosen all of them and re torque. Sounds like your lucky with only RH lug studs. I have heard so many stories of rattatattt snap, rattatattt snap, uh mister your lug nuts are rusted on and we will need to replace them all. Tire guy, did you notice the big L on the end of the stud?

The problem I have with over torqued studs is the probability that they are stretched and will fail prematurely.

But I suspect all our cars studs have been torqued to 100 lbs or more in their life. And I don't hear about rampant failures

 

[Princess Valiant]

This is why no one touches my car except me. It's really disappointing the non caring attitude that comes with most service in this country. No one cares anymore, they don't care and won't own up to mistakes.

I would absolutely take them all off and torque them properly. Imagine being on the side of the road trying to take a wheel off that's been torque by an ape.

 

[Princess Valiant]

Last time I bought new tires at Walmart I took them the wheels, off the car. They didn't want to mess with the car because they said no one was on staff who knew how to operate a clutch.

They are useless but did me a favor because I put the wheels back on the car myself.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Last time I bought new tires at Walmart I took them the wheels, off the car. They didn't want to mess with the car because they said no one was on staff who knew how to operate a clutch.

They are useless but did me a favor because I put the wheels back on the car myself.

Isn't that just ridiculous? They claim to know so much and be "experts" but cannot even use three pedals.

 

[65TerrorCuda]

Isn't that just ridiculous? They claim to know so much and be "experts" but cannot even use three pedals.

A valet wanted to move my pushbutton dart until I showed him how to do it. He got scared and went back to looking at his phone while saying, "I'll let you move it" lol

 

[RustyRatRod]

A valet wanted to move my pushbutton dart until I showed him how to do it. He got scared and went back to looking at his phone while saying, "I'll let you move it" lol

LOL. He needs a new line of work.

 

[Bennoel 10]

Thanks. Yeah, it had to bend and twist into some less than comfortable positions to read the gauge on the beam wrench, while applying 55 ft lbs of force. But it was a good workout.

Is it okay to use the beam wrench like a breaker bar, as I was doing? I know they say not to do this with clicker style torque wrenches. But I couldn't really see why it mattered with the beam style wrench. And it allowed me to measure the torque it took to get the lug nuts to loosen.

So what would one do if they had left hand wheel studs and nuts ? Go buy a left hand tourque wrench ???

 

[WV64Signet]

So what would one do if they had left hand wheel studs and nuts ? Go buy a left hand tourque wrench ???

 

[halifaxhops]

So what would one do if they had left hand wheel studs and nuts ? Go buy a left hand tourque wrench ???

They sell them south of the equator!

 

[WV64Signet]

I have a digital torque wrench that I use for lug nuts simply because it gives an audible tone.

I also did the same thing as @Princess Valiant and took the tires and wheels to the shop separately and mounted them at home, myself

 

[A56]

Still curious as to why the question even needed to be asked.

 

[4spdragtop]

Just brutal, I can't believe the shop is shoulder shrugging this off. I would say you need all new studs and they foot the bill for parts. Obviously have someone else install.

 

[CFD244]

So what would one do if they had left hand wheel studs and nuts ? Go buy a left hand tourque wrench ???

Don't they work in both directions? Mine has a reversible ratchet....To be honest though, I've never had to torque anything CCW.

 

[340sFastback]

A bunch of monkeys at a tire shop said my lug nuts are stripped; should I double check my lug nuts? Yeah might be a good idea is my guess.

Yeah I take wheels off car and take wheels to tire shops. The less they have the less they can mess up. Plus it makes it easy for them not to have to move a car in and out.

 

[RAT ROD AL]

Don't they work in both directions? Mine has a reversible ratchet....To be honest though, I've never had to torque anything CCW.

Torque. Shmorque. Only thing I ever Torqued is crankshaft ,rods and heads.
The rest is just tight enough !

 

[Big_John]

Don't they work in both directions? Mine has a reversible ratchet....To be honest though, I've never had to torque anything CCW.

Most clicker type torque wrenches are less accurate going counter clockwise. Usually +/- 4% CW and +/- 6% CCW.

That said, accurate enough for lug nuts.

It has to be said that using a clicker to remove the lug nuts isn't a good idea. Using a dial type generally kills them. A beam type could be used, but I wouldn't. It's pretty easy to pull on a breaker bar and know that it's torqued more than it should be. Actually, I'm surprised they didn't break the studs.

I was partners in a calibration lab for quite a few years. Among a lot of other things, we calibrated hundreds of torque wrenches every year.

 

[Big_John]

Yeah I take wheels off car and take wheels to tire shops. The less they have the less they can mess up. Plus it makes it easy for them not to have to move a car in and out.

^This^

After the last couple experiences in tire shops, I don't even know if I would take my daily drivers in. I never take an old car in. I even mount tires myself to stay away from the nonsense.

 

[CFD244]

When I took my 71 Demon in for it's first safety since the 80's, the guy pulled out the big impact to put my vintage original aluminum slots back on.....I stopped him.

This year I threw out 4 rallye rims because the holes were so badly distorted. I have a great shop, and only install my lugs with a speed wrench and a torque wrench for final tightening......Call me Karen!