Author |
Topic: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc (Read 1016 times) |
|
Mike_Floutier
Full Member
'97 2.3 Ultima saloon lpg
 
Posts: 296
|
 |
Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« on: Feb 16th, 2007, 9:49am » |
 Quote  Modify
|
I've just been reading some stuff on the site about replacing brake discs and read that "over-tightening the wheel nuts can cause disc distortion". I didn't realise that, I always do mine up good and tight "so they wont fall off" - oops!
Obviously, as a long time disc distortion sufferer, I'm now wanting to buy my first torque wrench. QUESTION - which one would people recommend - ignoring the hub nuts.
Thanks
Mike
|
|
 IP Logged |
|
|
|
mr._floppy
Junior Member
Posts: 100
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #2 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 10:48am » |
Quote Modify
|
I didn't realise it too, in fact it sounds a right old load of pish. 
Brake discs are made of 1/2 inch high quality steel, I can't see how overtightening the four stud bolts can possibly distort the shape of the disc. ( unless it is fitted wrongly on the hub carrier ).
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
Mike_Floutier
Full Member
'97 2.3 Ultima saloon lpg
Posts: 296
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #3 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 12:06pm » |
Quote Modify
|
I guess it must be one of those scientific things that happen even if they don't sound right.
Presumably the metal of the disc must be fairly bendy since:
1. They wear easily, and
2. We know they DO warp - as many people comment.
Thinking then about the force applied to them by over-tightening, I guess the force applied to the wrench can be multiplied in some way by the gradient of the thread in the stub/bolt to arrive at the total force which then attempts to bend the metal of the disc.
Does that make any sense? - my wife says I have a theory about everything; she calls me the "Oryk" which I guess is short for Oracle - not sure whether to be please or insulted?
I think I'll get a wrench anyway - can't do any harm; thanks for the tips.
Mike
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
tintin
Full Member
I'm a YaBB newbie!
Posts: 592
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #4 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 12:08pm » |
Quote Modify
|
i know you should torque up the wheel nuts as otherwise
a) you cant get the b's off
b) it can weaken the stud (stretch it) so it snaps on the road
never heard of it causing warped discs before, though....but would make sense, i guess, if you tighten one more than the other, it would put uneven pressure on the disc (maybe the one you stood on to tighten, the other you did by hand?)
|
|
IP Logged |
'95 Cosworth Ultima
|
|
|
Mike_Floutier
Full Member
'97 2.3 Ultima saloon lpg
Posts: 296
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #5 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 12:31pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Thanks for the links Simmo. I got it for £24 (inc VAT) from http://www.justoffbase.co.uk.
Looking forward to doing things properly for the first time.
Mike
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
macroy
Full Member
White 24v Ultima Cosworth Estate
Posts: 207
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #6 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 12:58pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Do the likes of Kwik Fit and other tyre fitters actually torque up your wheels with their air guns.Just a thought  Roy.
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
Simmo
Administrator
I'm an OAP !
Posts: 5508
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #7 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 1:11pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Good price.. 
|
|
IP Logged |
Now I'm an OAP
|
|
|
tintin
Full Member
I'm a YaBB newbie!
Posts: 592
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #8 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 1:16pm » |
Quote Modify
|
nah, Kwik Fit just hammer them with the air guns, then you have no chance of getting them undone with the tools in the boot.
when i had the Mini garage, they were the source of 20% of our work, between broken studs, poorly bled brakes, welded on wheels and exhausts thrown at the car with lots of putty. Worst one was them putting a 13mm bolt into the g/box bracket, instead of a 1/2". bolt stripped out, oil drained out, engine seized at 70 on the motorway, she was lucky to walk away.
|
|
IP Logged |
'95 Cosworth Ultima
|
|
|
cossie_al
Full Member
Ex 24v
Posts: 902
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #9 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 3:03pm » |
Quote Modify
|
 With Tintin,
I think its more a case of having the wheel nuts tightened equaly.
During my days as a trainee mechanic we were always told to use a torque wrench to tighten wheel nuts 
However, once fully qualified and on a bonus scheme for getting cars in and out of the garage it was a case of off with the windy gun and back on with the windy gun.
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
taliban aka Cheekyboy2
Senior Member
I'm a YaBB newbie!
Posts: 1552
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #10 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 5:03pm » |
Quote Modify
|
never heard of it causing warped discs before, though....but would make sense, i guess, if you tighten one more than the other, it would put uneven pressure on the disc (maybe the one you stood on to tighten, the other you did by hand?)
spot on tintin, the amount of uneven over tightening of wheel nuts seems to be a disease lol. i've never used a torque wrench on wheel nuts, i do them in opposites i.e. top, then bottom, hand tight, then an 1/8 or 1/4 more using my foot on the wheel wrench.
its a good idea to have a torque wrench anyway, an invaluable piece of kit.
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
Mike_Floutier
Full Member
'97 2.3 Ultima saloon lpg
Posts: 296
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #11 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 5:35pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Hi Cossie_al,
Yes, I can relate to that. I once let a Main Dealer do my rear bearings and he used the air gun for the hub nut - this was before I found this site - I have to say he looked very efficient.
Needless to say I figured out the consequences just before the wheel fell off!!
Mike
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
mr._floppy
Junior Member
Posts: 100
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #12 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 5:43pm » |
Quote Modify
|
A 2 foot socket ratchet extension is all I need, torque wrench's are for mummy's boys and girls 
Ah, those far off halycon days with my first car , an Austin 1100, and spending a whole afternoon trying to remove a rusty 3/4 inch nut with a 8inch long open ended spanner.
If only I had stuck in at school and learned about Newton's Laws, the principles of leverage and rotational moments. 
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
harry.m1byt
Full Member
What's YaBB?
Posts: 792
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #13 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 5:49pm » |
Quote Modify
|
I have a torque wrench, but never would bother using it on the wheel nuts. I use a spider slightly longer than the wheel nut wrench in the boot and tighten them no more than would permit me to undo them with the Ford supplied wrench in the boot - assuming I bounced on it a little.
I do take a great deal of care to get them evenly tight, going round in stages doing opposites a bit at a time. I doubt I could do them more accurately or evenly with a torque wrench.
I never trust tyre fitters to remove and fit wheels to the car, always taking loose wheel in for repair so I can fit it myself. This followed an incident long ago where the fitter put a wheel on, tightened it with an air gun - but the air gun hadn't sounded quite right. Young and perhaps foolish I had assumed the KF fitter must have known what he was doing. A couple of miles down the road came a rumbling noise from that corner and I found the nuts coming back off. Obviously the compressor had not been up to pressure, hence the air gun not sounding right. Doing them myself also obviates the problem of fitters making them much too tight to be undone with the Ford spanner in the boot.
|
|
IP Logged |
August '95 2.9 12v auto Ultima -
Now flashing 
|
|
|
cossie_al
Full Member
Ex 24v
Posts: 902
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #14 on: Feb 16th, 2007, 6:19pm » |
Quote Modify
|
On the subject of wheels falling off,
I once whent on a break down with a young trainee mechanic all we knew was the car had a wobly wheel (turned out to be a female driver )
When we got there the bearing on the nearside rear had collapsed. as we were on a dual carriage way and the recovery vehicle was a speck frame the car would have to be lifted by the rear wheels.
This meant the car had to be driven to the next junction, the owner refused to drive it, so that left the trainee  .
I followed in the recovery wagon with the cars owner in the passenger seat.
We were only doing between 10 and 15 mph but the wheel wobbled like you wouldnt believe the owner was absolutely beside herself she was convinced the wheel was going to come off and come through the windscreen. Come to mention I was a bit concerned myself.
When we eventualy got to the junction the trainee was as white as a sheat
He said he would never do that again.
As we were pushing the car onto the speck frame the wheel did actualy come away from the stub axle
I will never forget the look on that poor kids face
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
Snoopy
Administrator
Very old.BAD tempered and missing friends.
Posts: 6278
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #15 on: Feb 17th, 2007, 8:29am » |
Quote Modify
|
For those that do NOT torque up the wheel nut to the correct setting I suggest that you read the following article http://www.boltscience.com/pages/failure4.htm .
The figures that the manufacturers use are not just produced from thin air they are carefully calculated figures and overtightening a wheel nut can be as dangerous as undertightening.
I do NOT usually intervene in these sort of topics but in the interests of SAFETY I MUST.
If you however care to disregard this advice it is done at your own risk.
MOST reputable tyre fitters use a torque wrench on the nuts after fitting. I know the ones I use do . So Insist that they do if fitting tyres to your car.
The correct torque setting is http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/torque.htm
|
|
IP Logged |
HELP the FORUM.Please DONATE
|
|
|
Spannerdemon
Guest
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #16 on: Feb 17th, 2007, 8:47am » |
Quote Modify
 Remove
|
Quote:| [If only I had stuck in at school and learned about Newton's Laws, the principles of leverage and rotational moments. |
|
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
Mike_Floutier
Full Member
'97 2.3 Ultima saloon lpg
Posts: 296
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #17 on: Feb 17th, 2007, 10:19am » |
Quote Modify
|
Thanks for the link Snoopy.
btw my Draper torque wrench that I ordered yesterday from http://www.justoffbase.co.uk arrived this morning (£24.00 inc. VAT) .
Don't know why I didn't get one sooner. Too tight-fisted sometimes I guess - false economy!
Thanks again.
Mike
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
Simmo
Administrator
I'm an OAP !
Posts: 5508
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #18 on: Feb 17th, 2007, 10:36am » |
Quote Modify
|
Good price and good service too Mike.
|
|
IP Logged |
Now I'm an OAP
|
|
|
Mike_Floutier
Full Member
'97 2.3 Ultima saloon lpg
Posts: 296
|
|
Re: Torque wrench for wheel nuts etc
« Reply #19 on: Feb 17th, 2007, 2:05pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Ok, so now having got this lovely shiny new beast, I quickly realise that it's no good with the wheel nut socket I have.
Is there a special sort of wheel nit socket for using with torque wrenches or is it just a matter of using a "normal" socket of suitable size?
Thanks
Mike
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
|
Home
Help
Search
Members
Login
Reply
Send Topic
Print