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I think the reason LDKO is saying it's a grey area is that if you slavishly use the torque figures given to you by the manufacturer, that depends very much on the threads being clean and free-running.  A thread that has been in service for a while, and subject to weather, always has a bit of rust and dirt in it.

What you need to do is wire brush all the threads, then run the nut up and down until it's completely free, so that you can turn it easily just with finger and thumb.

Then you can use the torque figures with confidence.  If you just don't bother, and stick the dirty nut back on to a dirty thread, the torque figures will almost certainly be too low to keep the wheel on safely.

I agree that you should not lubricate the threads

Jim

Quote: Originally posted by LegsDownKettleOn on 21/1/2010

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Greendemon has hit the nail on the head. The specified torque settings are correct if you use new nuts in a new hub. Once the hub or nuts have started to rust then these figures will not be valid. The friction on a rusty nut is far greater than that on a new one. The friction on a lubricated nut will be very close to that of a new one.

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Greendemons recommendations for cleaning the threads and ensuring free-running, then tighten to the manufacturer's specified torque, is the correct way to go.

Lubrication, if you retain the specified torque figure, will greatly increase the risk of the bolts working loose.  For a lubricated thread you would need to check the tables for the appropriate higher torque; and you might not get it right.

Bertie.

Having worked in a Garage and seen wheel studs come loose on a Renault becouse the owner decided to put them back using copper slip, I would say clean them and put back DRY then torque to recommended setting and re-check frequently.

Dave

You could always use these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230417929839&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Mike

In 45yr as a motor mechanic, I can honestly say that I have never repeat never come across a car, van or lorry that has had a wheel come loose due to the application of coopaslip or any other anti-seize compound. i have how ever come across a dozen or more that have had the bolts/studs stretched to almost breaking point by some plonker who doesn't know one end of a torque wrench from the other.I would like a pound for every time I have watched so called trained fitters( I won't call them mechanics ) give it a tweak just to be sure. I suspect that a large number of these incidents of wheels coming loose is caused by the same thing, continually checking the torque without first releasing the bolt or nut almost always results in over tighening.

Steve W

I wouldn't grease a wheel thread myself. Oil will run through & off but grease will remain & could effect stability of the wheel nut.

We use a little oil on the threads of our lorry wheel studs & put a little copperslip on the hub flange. This is ideal with Alloy wheels because they'll grow onto the hub &can be hard to remove. We sometimes have to jack ours off, I realise the nature & size of the wheel is very different but I don't like the idea of greasing the threads.

BB

I'd never do them dry,  we always use just a small drop of oil on the threads.

BB