2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Dually lug nut torque

[SAndreasen]

What are you guys torquing your lug nuts to on your 3500 duallys? I just lost a set and am in the process of replacing the studs and nuts

 

[NIsaacs]

My '01 FSM says 145 and my owners manual says 130-160. Was it the left side?

Nick

 

[SAndreasen]

Left side yes I went 170 with blue loctite don't know if it was a good idea thought I'd try it though

 

[NIsaacs]

Are you running aluminum wheels? Are they factory Dodge type? Looking at the picture, it looks like your wheel center is larger than your hub. I don't see any shinny rub marks, like a hub centric wheel would make on that rusty hub, as they come loose and wallowed around. It looks like the wheels may have been supported by just the studs??

Nick

 

[SAndreasen]

Running dodge wheel on the inside aluminum on the inside

 

[NIsaacs]

Running dodge wheel on the inside aluminum on the inside

Okay cool, I assume you meant aluminum on the outside. Don't mind me, I am always trying to trouble shoot reasons for unusual failure's. You are the second one this week with a dually falling off.

Nick

 

[SAndreasen]

I'll take all the help you can offer .yip dodge wheel inside aluminum outside I really think the tire shops are way way over torquing the nuts I've set my wrench to 200 and still haven't got a nut to move . Wish I had a reverse able torque wrench

 

[RustyJC]

I really think the tire shops are way way over torquing the nuts I've set my wrench to 200 and still haven't got a nut to move . Wish I had a reverse able torque wrench

Wow!! I've been torqueing the lug nuts on my duallies to 130-150 ft-lb since 1996 and have never found a loose one. If they're torqueing to over 200 ft-lb, the studs/nuts may have yielded and lost their prestress!

Rusty

 

[Bill Stockard]

I'll take all the help you can offer .yip dodge wheel inside aluminum outside I really think the tire shops are way way over torquing the nuts I've set my wrench to 200 and still haven't got a nut to move . Wish I had a reverse able torque wrench

That's why I rotate my tires myself. I toque the lug nut in two steps... 100 then 140 then recheck the nuts at 140 once more before calling it done. I use a calibrated torque wrench that hasn't been abused and thrown around on the shop floor. On the 3rd gen trucks with the flanged lug nuts, I follow the instruction by lubricating the flange to nut area with one drop of oil in order to obtain the correct torque on the nut.

Bill

 

[SSage]

I always shoot for 150 lbs in two stages on my dually trucks if I'm doing it manually.

200lbs is easy to achieve if your using a 1/2" high torque impact with 120psi or better using the mid setting. I think the low setting is 95 lbs at 120 psi. I need to check mine and see, but 150 lbs is not easy for me using a normal size 1/2" drive click type torque wrench. So, mid setting on my impact makes life easy, my impact is a beast at 150 psi. I just did some suspension work with it, makes removing rusty bolts a non-issue. The 1200 lbs impacts are very helpful. Very useful on lower ball joints etc. I don't really know what mine actually does, but its north of 200 for sure, gotta remember to use the mid setting and not over torque the lugs.

 

[SAndreasen]

I set the wrench to 250 ft lbs and still couldn't get any of the nuts to move I am trying to find a torque wrench that will read in reverse does anybody know of one ?

 

[SSage]

I guess your trying to set the studs? Or remove lug nuts? I had a Tire Kingdom shop tighten mine tight, had to go out and buy a longer breaker bar and use a cheater pipe when rotating tires at home. Even with lots of leverage the breaker bar flexed a lot. That convinced me I needed to get a real impact air gun or two, If money is an issue, Harbor Freight has cheap air tools, even 3/4 and 1" drive with decent sockets. I run their Pro series impact sockets in 3/4 drive on my equipment and trucks. My 900 ft lbs 1/2" drive ATP impact is plenty strong for Dodge truck stuff. I just did ball joints on my 95, my air tools pay for themselves over and over again when I can do the work myself at home.

 

[NIsaacs]

Try this one.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM11716897630

Nick

 

[SSage]

Try this one.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM11716897630

Nick

Ouch, talk about one expensive hand tool. I always wondered how much those things cost.

 

[NIsaacs]

Ouch, talk about one expensive hand tool. I always wondered how much those things cost.

He asked:-laf

Nick

 

[SAndreasen]

I guess your trying to set the studs? Or remove lug nuts? I had a Tire Kingdom shop tighten mine tight, had to go out and buy a longer breaker bar and use a cheater pipe when rotating tires at home. Even with lots of leverage the breaker bar flexed a lot. That convinced me I needed to get a real impact air gun or two, If money is an issue, Harbor Freight has cheap air tools, even 3/4 and 1" drive with decent sockets. I run their Pro series impact sockets in 3/4 drive on my equipment and trucks. My 900 ft lbs 1/2" drive ATP impact is plenty strong for Dodge truck stuff. I just did ball joints on my 95, my air tools pay for themselves over and over again when I can do the work myself at home.

I was trying to see where the tire shop had them torqued to . I torqued the new ones to 175 just to seat the studs took several re torques to get them to stay

 

[SAndreasen]

He asked:-laf

Nick

That's a lot of money for anything that says craftsman on it . How often do you guys check your lug nuts with a torque wrench

 

[SSage]

I don't have a torque wrench big enough to hit 150 easily, so not often. I just use a 1/2" drive breaker bar and put all my weight on it, nothing has ever fallen off.

 

[NIsaacs]

That's a lot of money for anything that says craftsman on it . How often do you guys check your lug nuts with a torque wrench

Actually it is a Stanly-Proto I don't use a torque wrench, just an air gun or my electric impact. Not a recommendation, just the way I do it.

Nick

 

[JR]

Right or wrong I don't torque my wheels either. I generally run them on carefully with my little 3/8 cordless impact which I know is good for 100 ft lbs (with a good battery). Then once the truck is back on the ground I go back through with my breaker bar and finish them off. Once you get the feel for the required torque I can get them close enough to not have a problem. (Never have either, by the way). People will disagree but after spending 18+ years working with anything from 1/2" flanged pipe up to 36" (and occasionally up to 84") I can comfortably say exact torque is not nearly as critical as achieving proper alignment and even torque. We've successfully drawn up pipe with pretty substantial misalignment with an 1-1/2" drive impact capable of 3,000 ft lbs of torque countless times. Just gotta draw the gap up evenly.