Hi, I just had 3 of my 5 rear wheel bolts shear off inside of the lugs. I recently switched wheels back to stock. The previous wheels had the lugs on WAY too tight. I'm talking 400lb/ft tight. Had to use a 4ft breaker bar to get most of them off.

My question is, are the tight lugs responsible? Should I press to have all of my axle hubs replaced, as any of them could have this problem? I think the place that tighened the lugs so badly is responible, is there any way to prove this?

Thanks!

 

you should be able to remove the lugs with the little lug wrench that came with the car. Lugs were DEFINITLY overtightened IMHO.

 

"Does a bear crap in the woods?".... um, YEAH!

I believe 80 ft/lbs is the correct torque setting for the lugs. 400 is just a tad too much.

BTW, a torqstik will help prevent overtightening: http://www.procutinternational.com/html/to...k/torqstik.html

 

Correct.
Have your Honda dealer replace all the lugs. The idiot who tightened to 400 ft lb is responsible. I doubt you'll have any luck having him accept responsibility.

I bought a torque wrench JUST to swap my wheels every November and May.

 

Great. The manager of the store knows they tightned them too much, because I took the car back and had him personally take them off. He said they were the tightest lugs he had ever seen. Not that they will own up to it though.

Are there any other parts the dealer should look at?

~PC

 

All threaded fasteners are spec'd out to have a certain torque applied to them. This torque causes the threads and the stud itself to stretch to a desired amount. It is the reactive force of being stretched that holds something on. If the torque is kept within the ball park, the fastener will rebound back appropriately and all is well. To put over 400 ft #s of torque on a fastener that was designed for 80 is stretching it waaaay beyond its design parameters and it will never rebound back from this. It is permanently stretched and weakened. All the remaining studs should be replaced and I would even get new lug nuts, too.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by xviper
[B]

 

"...Are there any other parts the dealer should look at?

Yes, check your brake discs for warpage, overtorqued lug nuts will warp the brake discs.

 

400lb/in is nothing! My dad's Freightliner FL70 requires 835! We had to buy a $300 torque multiplier just to loosen them! Sheesh.

But, ya, I think our car calls for 85 units.


And if you replace your brake rotors, you might as well go with some Spoon cross-drilled pieces and some Spoon/Nissin calipers all-around.

 

Is there a reason the rotors would have to be replaced? Can't just the outermost hub be swapped?

~PC