Lug Nut Torque Setting

Hey guys,

I don't have a manual for my 02 golf and I'm installing new tires right now. Does anybody happen to know what torque I should set the lug nuts to? The search button didn't really help me out on this one. TIA

Collin

the lug bolts get tightened to 89 ft-lbs/120 Nm

Let's say your changing a flat tire on the side of the road somewhere, and don't have your NASA certified torque wrench handy. How much force would bring the lugs to 89ftlbs? Would ~150lbs of weight partway on the wrench do the trick?

-Jason

compu_85 said:

Let's say your changing a flat tire on the side of the road somewhere, and don't have your NASA certified torque wrench handy. How much force would bring the lugs to 89ftlbs? Would ~150lbs of weight partway on the wrench do the trick?

-Jason

Click to expand...

Use the German torque spec "Gut n Tight", and then retorque when you get home.

It's simple math. If you have a 12" lug wrench, and you weigh 150lbs, you should be fine if you were to stand on it at 2/3" of the way out. Torque is linear in that respect.

That said, I'm a bit of a nerd and keep a torque wrench in my vehicle... but for those of you who don't, take a best guess. Systems like this are designed with a significant safety factor. I'm 235lbs, so I usually put one knee a couple inches from the end of the wrench, stabilize myself against the car and quickly lean on it.

"significant safety factor" is right. I don't torque lug nuts on any vehicle any more than can be readily and conveniently removed with the lug wrench supplied with the vehicle.

I haven't noticed, how long is the lug wrench's handle end? Can it be made to contact the ground while afixed to the lower lub bolts? If that is the case then the bolts can practically always be removed. Put the wrench on a bolt with the handle touching or nearly touching the ground. Then roll the car, the handle contacts the ground, the wheel rolls and the forces add up to more than the mechanic and his powered wrench used. Desperation is a great teacher.

I helped a lady change a flat on her Windstar the other evening... the lugs were so loose, I just had to press down lightly on the wrench to get them off She said the front wheels had never been off... so I guess they came that way from the factory!

-Jason

Probably it had steel wheels which have more "give" where the nuts seat. My Suzuki was the same when new - easily removed by hand.

Nope... it had alloys.

Alloys are notorious for wheels falling off when a properly torqued lug nut works itself loose. Only solution is to re-torque the lugs a week after any tire removal. Steel wheels don't have this problem.