Stock Lug Nuts having trouble tightening/loosening

[Yoshoobaroo]

Originally Posted by why?

Good quality parts are what counts.

I'll concede to that

[bmxr]

The stock lug nuts on these cars are not great. While they may be fine if you simply commute and rotate tires once a year for the life of the car, I can tell you that if you do track days (put extreme amounts of heat into the whole assembly) and remove the wheels frequently under these conditions (hot pad swap, inter-session rotation, tire swap, etc.), you may very well run into issues. I have had stripped nuts on this car and as well as my '15 WRX (same part #). I know, I know - "monkey with the wrench", "operator error", etc... I always thread the nuts on by hand and torque to spec. I NEVER impact them on. These things do not get "cross threaded". The threads themselves get damaged.


ps - check the calibration on your torque wrench. Most people use cheap wrenches, which is fine, but make sure they are calibrated or they are useless. Frankly, I would be more concerned about doing damage with under torqued nuts than over, but "correct" beats both!

[scottryan]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

There are a chain of events here that are both comical, and sad. You started going sideways when you assumed that, because the old guy didn't do much work on it, the wheels needed worked on. It's either that, or you've already realized that you did it to yourself but were holding out hope that it might have been the old guy's fault.

Sadly, you damaged them when you, without first verifying the torque, cranked on them extra hard in order to break them loose in the tightening direction to give them all "a small tighten."

All fasteners settle in over time. It takes WAY more than spec torque to break them loose. There are physical terms; hysteresis, static friction, whatever, but the main point is that we already know you over-torqued the lugs because you overcame that friction in order to get the nuts even tighter.

With or without a torque wrench, if checking a fastener, always start by breaking it loose. Then carefully re-tighten to torque.


With one, just go to spec torque. The fastener will not move.

Thank you for the response, for the record, I actually made it evident that it was my fault, I was just stating why I had further tightened the lugs to save any questions because I am aware now that it was a stupid move. Thank you for the tips though, I did break the lugs loose before doing the proper re-torquing but will definitely make sure I follow all the proper steps for the future. Just got new lugs in today so the mistake won't be made again!

Cheers!

[scottryan]

Originally Posted by BirdTRD

I agree. The hardware always seems to get the blame, but more often than not, it's the monkey on the end of the wrench. (or impact)

Let the record show in the OP I stated that I definitely tightened the lugs over 89lbs, had just bought the car, didn't know a lot about the etiquette. I own a torque wrench now and have new lugs, learned from my mistake haha

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by scottryan

Thank you for the response, for the record, I actually made it evident that it was my fault, I was just stating why I had further tightened the lugs to save any questions because I am aware now that it was a stupid move. Thank you for the tips though, I did break the lugs loose before doing the proper re-torquing but will definitely make sure I follow all the proper steps for the future. Just got new lugs in today so the mistake won't be made again!

Cheers!

I was just having a bit of a go at you.
If you loosened them before re-tightening, then that's half the battle. If you're a big guy, 89 lbft is pretty easy.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by scottryan

Let the record show in the OP I stated that I definitely tightened the lugs over 89lbs, had just bought the car, didn't know a lot about the etiquette. I own a torque wrench now and have new lugs, learned from my mistake haha

lololol...


can't






breath

[scottryan]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

I was just having a bit of a go at you.
If you loosened them before re-tightening, then that's half the battle. If you're a big guy, 89 lbft is pretty easy.

Haha no problem man thank you for the helpful tips I really do appreciate that!

[BirdTRD]

Originally Posted by scottryan

Let the record show in the OP I stated that I definitely tightened the lugs over 89lbs, had just bought the car, didn't know a lot about the etiquette. I own a torque wrench now and have new lugs, learned from my mistake haha

I'm glad you learned something! Bonus...you got a sweet torque wrench and new lug nuts out of the deal, but more importantly...no one got hurt!

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

lololol...

can't

breath

That's what my father referred to as "blue torque"...torque it 'til your blue in the face.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by BirdTRD

That's what my father referred to as "blue torque"...torque it 'til your blue in the face.

For me, axle nuts are the only thing that come close to that category. I have to be really careful. Small wrenches help.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

I was just having a bit of a go at you.
If you loosened them before re-tightening, then that's half the battle. If you're a big guy, 89 lbft is pretty easy.

Even for a big guy 89 should not be "pretty easy" unless your vocabulary consists solely of " Hulk SMASH". The second I read breaker bar in the first post I knew where this was headed. Sometimes the right job done with the wrong tool goes sideways fast.
I managed to break many a wheel stud back in the day and eventualy realized if I used an actual wheel wrench instead of a long handled breaker bar then it wasn't side loading the stud and taking it beyond its limits. The stock nuts and studs on these cars are up for any task (even track) if the proper tools and methods are used. They should not stretch, cross thread or fail in any manner if proper tools and methods are used. It is a simple nut holding a part on by friction so why would they fail just from being taken on and off?