Wheel torque specs

This was posted on another newsgroup but is of interest for many here also
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/brochure/info/tmpInfoWheelTorque.jsp

 

Thanks, I've bookmarked this. I actually bought a new "clicky"
torque wrench when I did the brakes on the Sonata; figured it
might be a reason why so many people were having warped rotors.
since I put new rotors all around, I figured it behooved me to
make sure they were torqued correctly.

Of course, the first thing that happened after I did the brakes
is I took the car in for inspection...and they removed the tires
(I presume, it says they did) and torqued them to heaven knows what.

When I get it inspected this time, maybe I will check the
torque. I didn't have the huevos to *tell* a tire shop what to
torque my wheels to. Still, you never really know, the "tire pro"
may be some ape who thinks "all lug nuts must be tightened as
tight as they will go with the pneumatic wrench".

 

I take a copy of the torque setting into any mechanic I go to.
Since I mostly go to the same place, the guy already knows the
settings. He's the one who replaced my tires and rotates/balances them
as needed. It's a real PITA to use a torque wrench to set them and I
still think that should be a recall by Hyundai. The damage that can be
done is beyond just the rotors. It can also damage the bearing, hub,
wheel rim and cause vibration and shimmy to the steering wheel. It's a
serious problem that Hyundai should have addressed to each and every
vehicle with this problem, IMO.

 

You did read the manual, right? So you know how to properly store the
wrench, right?

Matt

 

This is good, but if the mechanic doesn't already have access to such
basic information about your Hyundai, do you really want him working on it?

Why is it hard to use a torque wrench on your lug nuts? I rotate my own
tires on my Sonata and torquing the lug nuts on a Sonata is no harder
than any other car I have owned. What model Hyundai do you have?

How does improper torque damage the bearing and hub? Yes, it can damage
the wheel rim over time. It is very unlikely to case vibration or
shimmy unless the overtorque is so high that you break several lug studs
or the undertorque so low that several lug nuts come loose.

You seem prone to exaggeration.

Matt

 

Voyager wrote:

Um. If there was a manual, I probably read it. I don't recall any
specific instructions on storage. I'll check tomorrow. Does it
need to be set to zero or something?

 

Yes, generally you want to release pressure on the spring so it doesn't
take a set with age and throw off the torque settings.

 

It's the info that came out on the service bulletin on my 2004 Sonata.
Bulletin number 04-50-005.
Most shops don't look up each and every vehicle to see if there's a
setting for the lug nuts. And I never said it was hard, just that I
make ANY shop that's going to take a wheel off of my car aware of this
setting.

 

You said it was a PITA, which generally indicates that something is hard
to do. If it was easy, it wouldn't be a PITA.

Then you said there should be a recall. A recall because a mechanic
can't look up a torque value? Why?

Do you have a copy of the SB? They really said that improper torque of
lug nuts can cause all of the issues you listed?

Matt

 

Yes, the SB says all that. After re-reading it, the only thing it
doesn't mention is the bearing. As for it being a PITA, it is. But not
for me, I don't rotate my own tires. I get free rotation and
balancing.
It a pain because it's something I have to watch to make sure the
mechanic does it properly. Here's a link to the SB.

http://tinyurl.com/ycht7c6

 

Seems fairly benign if a little on the sensational side. However, I
still don't see why it is a PITA. Torquing the lug nuts on a Hyundai
looks no different to me than any other car. I still don't see the
reason for your claim for a recall.

Matt

 

It *is* no different than any other car. It's the mechanic's job to
know the proper torque or to look it up-- on every car on which he (re)
installs wheels. Practically speaking, most cars are 80 or 100 lb-ft,
so remembering the exceptions isn't that difficult. For those that
have trouble remembering the exceptions, there are books and charts
that have this information.

Similarly, a recall does nothing to insure the next mechanic that
works on your car torques the wheels correctly. If your mechanic
cannot be trusted to properly torque your wheels, methinks you need
another mechanic.