Re: Alloy wheel nuts torque

[Mike Wattam <101714.1343@domain.elided>]

I agree the suggested torque of 100lb-ft for wheel nuts sounds really
stupid.

However, I did take this up with Rover themselves a few years ago and got
the reply that 100lb-ft is in fact correc, even with the alloy wheel nuts. 
They also say the nut/stud combination sohuld be 'dry', that is without
Coppaslip, grease or oil and this is actually significant because a lot of
the torque used is going into friction between the various surfaces.

Before I started using 100lb-ft, I did have BOTH rear wheels come loose,
fortunately I was on a Stag Treasure Hunt or something so noticed the
noises before any damage was done.  This prompted me to write to Rover in
the first place as there was no mention of any torque for alloy wheels in
my drivers handbook or workshop manual!.

One day I might find the Rover letter, if so I will bang it into the
digest.

Like you Brian, I go to the tyre shop with my torque wrench and intimidate
the spotty youth with the torque-happy air gun, they too think I am mad (I
am) but I know better than them, that's for sure.  I won't have them use
the air gun at all, in fact I feed the nuts on using my own tools so I also
know I will not be cross-threading them!

Hope you ae by now in the rudest of rude.

Mike Wattam
Triumph Stag Register