Wheel torque specs

This was posted on another newsgroup but is of interest for many here also

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Reply to
Ed Pawlowski
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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".

Reply to
Plague Boy

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.

Reply to
Brian Matthews

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

Matt

Reply to
Voyager

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

Reply to
Voyager

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?

Reply to
Plague Boy

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.

Reply to
Voyager

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.

Reply to
Brian Matthews

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

Reply to
Voyager

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.

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Reply to
Brian Matthews

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

Reply to
Voyager

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.

Reply to
hyundaitech

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