Lug nuts class A

[slickest1]

Most times when the lugs are torqued to 450 lbs they stay tight. They still should be checked because they sometimes do loosen a bit. On the otr trucks I drove we always checked them after a 100 miles or before. If you haven't got the tools most truck tire dealers will check them for free. A tell tale sign that they are loose is black or rusty streaks coming down the wheel from the studs after driving in wet weather.

[chuckftboy]

I've seen what a wheel can do when it leaves a SUV at 70 miles an hour. Trust me wheel lug nuts need to be torqued properly. A motorhome is no different. Just a little bigger.

[Sky_Boss]

I've checked my owner's manual but don't find anything on what they should be torqued to. I don't seem to find anything specific on this for my Workhorse chassis either. Any suggestions on where I would find this info or am I just missing it in my owner's manual?

[Midniteoyl]

450-500ftlbs...

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by athuddriver

I've checked my owner's manual but don't find anything on what they should be torqued to. I don't seem to find anything specific on this for my Workhorse chassis either. Any suggestions on where I would find this info or am I just missing it in my owner's manual?

Embedded into the lug nuts on ours are the correct torque value of 500 ft lbs, they also require lubing per instructions I found someplace. Can't remember right now, guess old timers disease is catching up to me.

[Jim_HiTek]

Had two new fronts put on by a Truck Tire shop and expected that they knew what the torques were suppose to be...NOT! They torqued to 125ft-lbs when they were suppose to be 450ft-lbs. A thousand miles later, hit a road transition and BANG, wump, wump, wump. Three lug nuts came loose. ERS sent out a Truck Tire service truck. No heavy tools. No compressor. No torque wrench. But we put 250ft-lbs on them and off I went to a tire shop with appropriate tools.

So, yeah, you should have them re-torqued some miles down the road. And I've learned that you have to tell shops what your torques should be.

[Clay L]

Originally Posted by RVhauler

Northern Tool sells a 3X torque multiplier kit for I believe slightly over a $100

They must have gone up. The one I got at Northern cost $250. Then there was the cost of an $80 250 foot pound torque wrench plus a $25 one inch drive 33mm socket plus a $4 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch adapter plus a $50 ten inch 1 inch drive extension.

It added up to more than I thought it would.
I did a search of their site and didn't find a cheaper one.

This is the multiplier I bought HERE

[distaff]

Everything I have read specifies that with aluminium wheels you should re-torque after 100km or 60 miles. It is critical that they get done right the first time because if they were torqued to 125lb the first time instead of 450lbs, when you re-torque them you will still have to put 100km on them and do it again as they were not done tight the first time.

Having said that, I have never had a lug nut that was required additional torque after the required 100km on any vehicle.

With my light trucks and cars I do the re-torque my self, for the big boy there is a truck tire store of the same chain at a town 125km down the road in the direction I usually leave the city, so it worked out pretty easily.

[sc3283]

I have always properly torques all my wheels and NEVER have had any come loose...even the race cars with high HP and 170mph speeds in the 1/4 mile.

Repair facilities, trailer sales dealers, trailer manufacturers wheel manufacturers all state retorquing required per their lawyers recommendations

[ottffss]

Originally Posted by athuddriver

...I've checked my owner's manual but don't find anything on what they should be torqued to. ..

Call Workhorse...

It's not typically an "owner serviceable" item and hence doesn't typically appear in an "owner's manual."

If it's a 33mm lug nut then its likely 450-500 ft lbs. but your chassis maker knows for sure.

[ottffss]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

...they also require lubing ...

I tend to doubt the lube statement, typically, lugs are torqued dry. If your chassis maker says something different, follow that!

Originally Posted by sc3283

...Repair facilities, trailer sales dealers, trailer manufacturers wheel manufacturers all state retorquing required per their lawyers recommendations

Probably more than just lawyers, the loose wheel/lug nut indicators (pictured below) are required by many state DOT and certainly is an indication that lugs can and do loosen allowing wheels to fall off. Goggling this there seem to be unreferenced reports of some 23,000 wheel detachments annually in the USA and the following pdf with lots of stats indicate very high numbers in the UK.
http://www.fera.org.uk/pdf/FERA%20Se...%20-%20TRL.pdf

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by ottffss

I tend to doubt the lube statement, typically, lugs are torqued dry. If your chassis maker says something different, follow that!

Exactly why I posted it, we have a Spartan chassis so there are lots of them out there like ours. I was kind of surprised to find they were supposed to be lubed too as most torque setting are dry torque.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by ottffss

I tend to doubt the lube statement, typically, lugs are torqued dry. If your chassis maker says something different, follow that!

I found the requirement in the Alcoa Service Manual on page 30, 31 and 32.
Here's the link to it so you can see for yourself.

[sc3283]

I have to ask...why is it only lug nuts that seem to mysteriously loosen themselves?
My way if thinking..if they were "properly" torqued to begin with why would they loosen??
Having installed most likely 10,000 plus wheels back onto vehicles after servicing the vehicle for 20+ yrs and never having a complaint of the wheel falling off in that period of time also makes me wonder. Yes I used a torque wrench set to proper spec on every one of these vehicles!
We don't retorque engine to bellhousing bolts, timing cover bolts, leaf spring bolts, bumper bolts etc etc etc