[Houston_Astro]

How many of you are using anti-seize on your wheel studs and what are you torquing the lug nut to?

 

[timelessbeing]

100 ft-lbs and a dab of ordinary grease.

 

[Big_kid]

I keep 'em dry. 100Ftlbs here.

 

[Mat Mobile]

I use anti-seize. It really helps and it's better in my opinion than grease in this case. I forget if I torque to 90 or 95 ft-lbs.

 

[Matrixx]

I use a very small amount of Nickle based anti-seize on my wheel studs. Torque specs on the astro/safri vans is 100 ft lbs. Hope this helps.

 

[SSAstro]

use hub grease they use it on vw's and other cars that use the lug bolts b/c they build up rust on the back of the rotor and hub. i've seen studs stretch from using antiseize i don't know why its happened but it has happened

 

[PJorgen]

Always use anti-seize. BTW, wheel nut torque varies by year, 125 ft-lbs for 2003, increased to 140 ft-lbs for 2004-05.

 

[redfury]

Stretching is caused by over torquing them, and by adding anti seize, you can use less torque to get the same hold...someone here made the comparison. Antiseize makes the threads slippery which means less resistance when coming to the torque spec, making it easier to turn vs the non greased threads which would hit the torque limit faster.

 

[Ragenme]

The ideal behind wheel lugs is to keep the wheel on. If you lubricate them with something to keep the loose, in theory and in time they could back off. I leave they dry. I suggest a good cleaning from time to time or just rotate your tires. Then torque to 100lbs.

 

[tedanderson]

I agree. I keep them dry. It's something about that squeeky-cracking noise that verifies that the lugs are tight.

 

[Rolling_Rock]

anti-seize and 'lightly-snug' / under-torqued - I hate tight lug nuts. I hate them, so I keep minez loose.
The design of the 'tapered' lug nut causes the nut to 'tighten itself' when driving

In my expereince whenever I remove a wheel that I 'loosley' put on months before - when I go to take it off its always 'tighter' than I rmemeber... thats w/ anti-seize... just my opinion - do as you will..

 

[RECox286]

Zip em on dry with 1/2" gun. Never had a wheel come off, or a stud break.

Uncle Bob

 

[chevymaher]

Actually that is why chrysler had left hand and right hand lug nuts. One side stays tight from rotational forces as the tire turns. The other loosened. So they changed the thread direction on one side so they all would tend to tighten.

Clean threads are the best. With slight lubrication. Follow me here.
Any force used to turn the lug. Be it rust, stripped/warped threads, or just dry. That force is subtracted from the torque needed to press the lug against the rim, and the clamping force is reduced.
If it is taking 10 lbs to turn the lugnut. Then that is 10 lbs not being applied to the wheel.

Or what uncle Bob just said.

 

[cowboydan]

i used brake anti sieze. no wheel should leave any shop without being torqued. 100lbs. if not you run the risk of racing your wheel. i also use anti sieze on the valve stem threads. i have green alluminum caps on brass threads so i need to. dry works for me too as long as the tire(s) are remove frequently.

 

[Lumpy]

Light anti-seize and 100 lb by hand. Never an air gun.

That's my method.

Lump

 

[Bread Van]

I once asked my friend, an engineer for Harley Davidson, about using Anti-seize.

He told me that it was a lubricant and that using a lubricant on a bolt causes you to stress the bolt MORE by the time you achieve a designated torque. Torque specifications are inherent to the material, grade and size of the fastener (nut, bolt, etc) being used. As such, if you apply a lubricant and use the same torque spec you are potentially damaging your fastener by stretching it.

That said I still use anti-seize anytime I'm working with a fastener that gets used so infrequently it will rust in place (suspension components usually). I still use the same torque but go real slow and easy to reach the torque spec. A futile effort to limit the effect mentioned above. My wheels and tires get removed enough that I don't think anti-seize is necessary

 

[chevymaher]

My information comes from when I worked at Fartstone doing tires. Procedure is their policy. We had to attend lectures about putting on tires.
My brother is a engineer. I dropped out of college for construction, money now deal. So I am not lost either.

But basically it shows top of the line experts don't always agree. I am sure Fartstone researched it well before instituting policy. Because it holds up in court of law and they will not be held liable. Which is their main concern.

 

[RECox286]

Actually that is why chrysler had left hand and right hand lug nuts. One side stays tight from rotational forces as the tire turns. The other loosened. So they changed the thread direction on one side so they all would tend to tighten.

Clean threads are the best. With slight lubrication. Follow me here.
Any force used to turn the lug. Be it rust, stripped/warped threads, or just dry. That force is subtracted from the torque needed to press the lug against the rim, and the clamping force is reduced.
If it is taking 10 lbs to turn the lugnut. Then that is 10 lbs not being applied to the wheel.

Or what uncle Bob just said.

I was going to elaborate about L & R hand threaded studs on D/C vehicles, but the bride was banging on the wall to let me know that din-din

was on the table. anyway, excellent points made CM. One note: our neighbor worked for many years as a heavy equipment operator for the

Township Public Works Dept. One time, coming over the bridge to the Island, he noticed a wheel gaining speed as it passed the truck he was

driving. One of the rear wheels broke all the studs, because the lugs were not installed tight enough. True story.

Guys, you should try a Torque Limiter extension, if you dare. It will give you an exact torque, and save you a lot of time. But, even w/o a T.L.

you will be able to feel the torque that the gun is giving you, once you get a "feel" for it. Most "old" mechanics will agree with me. Not saying you

are wrong to do it as you say, just saying that if you need to speed up production, there are other suitable ways of doing the job to book specifications.

(It ain't rocket science.) As far as dry or wet goes, when you set a torque, it is kind of a personal thing, unless the FSM, or SAE recommends one way

or t'other. I also have my preferences when torquing fasteners; some dry, some wet, all reused fasteners chased to clean the threads before assembly

Uncle Bob

 

[Lumpy]

... you will be able to feel the torque that the gun is giving you, once you get a "feel" for it. Most "old" mechanics will agree with me...

I think for stock, steel wheels, pretty much any method of application is probably acceptable. So I'm not bonking anyone's use of guns, but consider this...

I've heard all my life about old mechanics that can "feel" a certain torque through a gun. But there's no way to test that they really can or not. Putting a torque wrench on in reverse doesn't tell us how much torque was used to put it on in the tighten direction. And putting a TR on in the forward direction will only tell us that it's AT LEAST the setting on the wrench. ie a TR set to 100 Ft/Lb will click/read/bend the needle to 100 if the nut is at 100, 110, 200, 500 lbs.

I take my wheels off several times a year. So for me, anti-seize and torque'em. I'll take the lugs OFF with a gun, but to put 'em on I want a bar and two hands.

Lump

 

[chevymaher]

... you will be able to feel the torque that the gun is giving you, once you get a "feel" for it. Most "old" mechanics will agree with me...

I've heard all my life about old mechanics that can "feel" a certain torque through a gun.

Lump

I am old, and I hold the extension and spin the lugs on after starting them by hand. I am pretty good at it. I then torque them. I usually get less than a 1/8 turn before it clicks.