i just changed strip lights on my coupe and i took off wheels to do it.. and my question is is there certain torque number(?) when i tighten lugs up? or do i just tight it up as hard as i can? or is ther certain limit of tighten that i'm not suppose to do?

 

Alloy wheels, torque between 80 and 90 FT LBS. No more and no less and check again in a couple days after driving.

 

Check the owner's manual. I believe the correct torque amount is in there.

03 6MT Coupe, Silver/Willow, Premium, Aero, Splash Guards, Infiniti Chrome Wheels

 

You should always torque your wheels back down! Here's the general rule of thumb depending on your hardware / rims:

10mm - 45-55 ft lbs / 12MM - 70-80 ft lbs / 14MM - 85-90 ft lbs / 7/16" - 70-80 ft lbs / 1/2" - 75-85 ft lbs / and 9/16" - 135-145 ft lbs.

If you have alloy wheels, stick to the lower (or right in the middle) number, if you have steel rims, go with the larger number.

I generally tighetn up to roughly 80-85 ft lbs.



"See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a *****, but only enough blood to run one at a time."

 

only tools i have is the one in the car that came with it... how am i suppose to know i tighten too much or not?? sorry for keep askin dumb ques... should i just go to dealer and ask them to do it?

 

You need a torque wrench! If all you got is the jack handle that came with the car, then you wont be able to torque the rims properly. Get them, crank the handle till you can't get go anymore BY HAND FORCE, don't try stepping on it or banging down on it, and you'll be good to go.

To be certain, stop by your dealer or local tire shop and have them check the torque specs.

Lastly a good torque wrench will set ya back anywhere from $80 to upwards and over $100. You can however get cheaper one for like $40-$50 but they generally aren't as accurate. The higher end models will provide you with years of use, while the cheaper ones may need to recalibrated on a regular bassis.



"See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a *****, but only enough blood to run one at a time."

 

OH NO!!! AHHHHH!!!

but its ok if i just like... u kno... tightened it "tight" w/ out using nething else right?

 

Hey better tight and safe than loose and sorry...

The problem with going too tight is that you can end up warping your rotors. What happens is the force of the rim becomes uneven over the rotor, having one or more lug nuts tighter or looser than the others, and then you'll run into common warped rotoe problems such as the ever so infamous pulsating brakes, and those of you who have had this happen, know how much it sucks! In some cases you can even effect the rim....

Bottom line, if you're stuck on the side of the road and need to change a flat, then by all means, do what you gotta do, but for everyday use, you should always torque your lug nuts down!

Another thing to remember, after you torque them down, you'll need to check them again after approx 25 miles. That's VERY important!



"See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a *****, but only enough blood to run one at a time."

 

per the owner's manual, torque spec is 80 ft/lb.

my friend works in a shop and he knows a bunch of technicians at various dealerships. if you think they take the time to check all the torque specs, you are sadly mistaken.

they tighten as much as they can. any effects from overtightening will not show up anytime soon. by the time they do, you'll never know if it was because the lugs were overtighten.

try not to be too paranoid. if you can get your hands on a torque wrench, do it, especially if you like to work on your car. if not, just tighten the lugs as tight as you can. warped rotors are a lot better than your wheel falling off during the drive or losing a lug when it falls off.

don't know too much about cars, but warping your rotors due to tight lug nuts seems kidna far-fetched. my $0.02

6MT Coupe, DG/G, Prem

 

Actually on several cars it is a known issue that overtightening the lugs WILL warp the rotors. However, it is usualy a result of some simple minded tech giving it a hard hit from an air impact gun, you can easily hit the lugs with 300-400 ft lbs that way.

The RX has left the building, I have been driving the G for about 6 weeks!!!!

 

drsifu1....

Over-tightening or uneven-tightening of the lugs will and can lead to warped rotors. When the rotor heats under hard braking (and it can glow red hot), then it becomes just a little bit flexible, and the bolts holding on the rotor, if they're too tight and or in differing pressures can cause the rotor to warp as the rotors is going to be able to flex more twd the looser lug nuts than the tighter ones. Then by rapid cooling (a puddle) or whatnot, the rotor conforms and stay to that shape.

And regarding your statement "by the time they do, you'll never know if it was because the lugs were overtighten" I'm sorry but that is false! Having been and still are a certified ASE mechanic (holding every cert except for diesel and bus repair) there's a few things you learn and can check for that is the DIRECT result over tightening of lugs nuts, and one of those things is when you come across a warped rotor.

This is a critical issue with race cars, as they're constantly on hard stop and go situations, which makes the rotors heat cycle up down, thus the reason why they pay such close attention to torqueing the rims. Its not so they don't fall off.

As to your paranoid statement, by claiming warped rotors are better than having your wheel fall off, well in a sense anytime your wheel falls off is not a good thing (which means you simply did not tighten your lugs nuts enough - too loose or just not on), but I really can't say becouse you didn't take the time to check the torque on your lug nuts, that you should invite an unwanted problem and have to go out and spend $$$ on a set of new rotors and possibly pads.

Secondly, use your hand, foot or whatever you want to, but do understand, all those lug nuts are being wrenched down to varying torques, whether you agree to it or not, they are. If you're in a jam, that's cool - get to where ever it is you gotta go, but at the end of the day, check them with a torque wrench.

It's cheap insurance against furure brake, rim and mounting hardware problems.



"See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a *****, but only enough blood to run one at a time."

 

Very true on what you said and some cars are very sensitive about this specially newer cars. I bought a snap-on TW for about $350 if I recall correctly. It has paid for itself many times over one of the better investments I have in buying my tools.

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Overtightening can also lead to the snapping of your wheel stud.

 

Actually, you're more likely to strip and excuse the term "bust a nut" than break the actual stud, as the lug nut materal is much softer than the stud itself. Wheel studs are made of hardened steel.



"See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a *****, but only enough blood to run one at a time."