Check your lug nuts!

[C_Hallbert]

time I get new tires, I take the wheels off the vehicle and drop them off with the new tires to be mounted. Quit letting tire shops put my wheels back on years ago because I have yet to have anyone properly torque the lug nuts when reinstalling the wheels. They’re either seriously over torqued, or not tightened at all. Putting the wheels back on myself ensures it’s done properly and gives relief knowing it. I’ll also checking them every other oilchange, I rotate them the other time.

In 1981, my wife was traveling north on 69 Highway in McAlester. As she crossed the bridge over the railroad tracks (before exiting on 270 East towards Krebs), the rear wheel on the driver side of our 1973 Volvo Station Wagon left the vehicle, jumped over the barrier and plummeted down next to the railroad tracks.

She managed to get the vehicle safely off the highway on the right side of the road. Four of the lug nuts were missing and one of the studs had broken off. We had a flat tire repaired on the lost wheel that very morning. It looked like four of the lug nuts were hand tightened because the threads on the studs were intact. I’d been using the tire repair shop where the flat was repaired because the owner worked alone and was having a hard time. After this incident, I started using James Earl Tannihill’s JET Tire Service on N. Main St., McAlester. James is now deceased and I’m not sure who’s running the place. His brother Jerry, was one of the best front and mechanics I’ve ever known, and I’m 77 years old. Never a problem after this.

believe the reason my wife didn’t wreck the car was because, after the rear wheel fell off, she pressed hard on the brakes thus keeping the front wheels on the pavement and enabling her to steer off the highway. She had the presence of mind to recall seeing the wheel pass her and jump over the solid railing on the left side of the split bridge. This allowed me and our boys to go find the wheel later that day. LOL….

 

[Wojownik]

Glad they are okay. Seeing a lot of this lately. You can get a decent torque wrench from harbor freight and it takes 5 minutes to torque your wheels.

Exactly, better safe than sorry!

 

[Wojownik]

Had new tires installed on my wife's SUV. A week later I noticed a lug nut missing on the front right tire. I then noticed it was the tamper proof lug nut. The right rear TP nut was almost off. The drivers side was loose but not close coming off.

Called the tire shop and they said bring it in. They told me they impact gun all the conventional lug nuts, but not the TP ones and they can shear them off. I guess he never went back and torqued them. I'm sure impact guns are the standard installation all the time.

There are torque sticks with varying torque specifications that can be used with impact guns. I have and use them, but I also validate a calibrated torque wrench. I doubt many tire shops use the torque sticks, let alone actually use a torque wrench which is why I prefer to do it myself.

 

[CHenry]

Every time I get new tires, I take the wheels off the vehicle and drop them off with the new tires to be mounted. Quit letting tire shops put my wheels back on years ago because I have yet to have anyone properly torque the lug nuts when reinstalling the wheels. They’re either seriously over torqued, or not tightened at all. Putting the wheels back on myself ensures it’s done properly and gives relief knowing it. I’ll also checking them every other oil change, I rotate them the other time.

I go to Discount Tire and always watch them reinstall the lugs and a guy uses an impact and another guy goes behind him with a torque wrench.

 

[Wojownik]

I go to Discount Tire and always watch them reinstall the lugs and a guy uses an impact and another guy goes behind him with a torque wrench.

I wish it was more of a common practice. Definitely glad to hear that they’re doing that at that location.

 

[dennishoddy]

I go to Discount Tire and always watch them reinstall the lugs and a guy uses an impact and another guy goes behind him with a torque wrench.

Boomer Tire in Ponca does the same which is why they get 100% of my tire business. Fair prices too. Free rotations and free repairs for flats if buying from them is the bonus.

 

[CHenry]

I wish it was more of a common practice. Definitely glad to hear that they’re doing that at that location.

I had a bad experience at Hibdon. Had my tires rotated on my dually and the next day, headed to Stillwater with my family to see an OSU game, doing 70 up I-35 and I'm hearing a noise in the front driver side. Stopped and remembered I was at Hibdon the day before, so I removed the cap that covered the lugs and all of them were at least a fill turn, finger lose. One was 2 turns or more, lose, and the stub bolt had broken off.
They weren't happy to see me the next day. Havent been back.

 

[clintbailey]

The problem I see with the shops using an impact and then a torque wrench is if a lug nut torques to 120 ft lbs, most impacts go way above that. A decent cordless 3/8" impact will go 200-300 ft lbs, much less a 1/2" drive tool. The torque wrench will "click" every time LOL. It definitely assures they're not left loose, but overtorquing breaks a lot of wheel studs.

 

[CHenry]

The problem I see with the shops using an impact and then a torque wrench is if a lug nut torques to 120 ft lbs, most impacts go way above that. A decent cordless 3/8" impact will go 200-300 ft lbs, much less a 1/2" drive tool. The torque wrench will "click" every time LOL. It definitely assures they're not left loose, but overtorquing breaks a lot of wheel studs.

I would think a tire shop who uses an impact for nothing but lug nuts would have the impact dialed back to a lesser torque setting. But who knows.

 

[dennishoddy]

The problem I see with the shops using an impact and then a torque wrench is if a lug nut torques to 120 ft lbs, most impacts go way above that. A decent cordless 3/8" impact will go 200-300 ft lbs, much less a 1/2" drive tool. The torque wrench will "click" every time LOL. It definitely assures they're not left loose, but overtorquing breaks a lot of wheel studs.

Correct. I got a set of tires put on at the Wichita Costco years ago. I left a calibrated Proto Torque wrench on the front seat with a note to only use this to tighten the lug nuts. It was pre-set to Toyota specs.
I was standing in the glass enclosure for customers watching the tire tech put them on with a torque wrench and come back in with the work order to release the vehicle.
I got the manager to come up and told him the situation. He said they used "torque sockets" and it was OK.
Nope. Told him about the wrench left on the driver's seat and insisted it be used after the lug nuts were loosened with a manual wrench,
The tech was pissed but did it.
Per Toyota's instructions, got home 100 miles later and checked them. No adjustments needed.
The alloy wheels on vehicles these days are very sensitive to having the correct lug tension on them.