Torque lug nuts help

[rootedoutside]

Hi all!

Any tips on removing the lug nut plastic cap on the 5.0 TA’s wheels? Looks like there is a small slot to lift it out, but I’m cautious to keep attempting until I know for sure that’s the correct way to remove the cap

Also, can someone verify what torquing in stages means? I’m interpreting it as first torque the wheel in a star pattern at 20-25 ft-lbs then go again at 50-60 ft-lbs then lastly at 95-115 ft-lbs. Is that right? And why are there ranges, can’t we torque at specific amounts? Are the stages meant to ensure we’re not over-tightening? (Newbie torquer here)

And the manual says to torque before every trip but then says separately to torque at 100, 200, and 300 kilometers.

Any advice on best practices and when to torque trailer’s lug nuts is appreciated!

Thanks all!!!

[Rossue]

If you want to do this right loosen the lugs first. Then set your torque wrench at 25 lbs. and torque all the lugs. Then crank it up to 50 and repeat. Then crank it up to 95 and do it once more. No need for more than 95 lbs

[camp4528]

ETI has a short youtube video on tightening the lug nuts. It might help you to visualize things.
https://youtu.be/GY_EJaRaYJE

They have many other how-to videos there as well, straight from the horse’s mouth.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Rossue

If you want to do this right loosen the lugs first. Then set your torque wrench at 25 lbs. and torque all the lugs. Then crank it up to 50 and repeat. Then crank it up to 95 and do it once more. No need for more than 95 lbs

I’ll agree, “A range” is not a good way to look at things.
Personally I go 35-65-95. I’m not knocking or recommending any particular wrench but I do feel there is some validity in verifying your wrench against a couple others if your not sure about when it was verified if ever calibrated. I have a Proto. It was fairly expensive. We had 6 wrenches at one of our torque your nuts contests. The $20 Harbor Freight showed 93 lbs against two Protos, a USA craftsman and another name
Brand which showed 95. Now that ain’t bad for a twenty dollar tool. Another craftsman (newer) was ten pounds light at 85. If you buy a wrench, don’t forget to back it off to the recommended setting for storage. Read the instructions.

The snap on lug nut covers can be tight but will come off. I never broke one on the 19 . I used a plastic Harbor Freight chisel ( four for $10) as opposed to a screwdriver so I did not garf up the wheel.
“Garf” a technical term, Germaine to shade tree mechanics, just like a BFH.
Iowa Dave

[dfandrews]

Garf: to booger up, mar, or slightly deform.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by dfandrews

Garf: to booger up, mar, or slightly deform.

If you are a shade tree mechanic you probably have friends to help you. They criticize your work, drink your beer while you’re under your car, and play country music, Notably the Garf Brooks hit “Friends In Low places”. They will hand you the BFH if they don’t have to get up to get it.
Iowa Dave

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

If you are a shade tree mechanic you probably have friends to help you. They criticize your work, drink your beer while you’re under your car, and play country music, Notably the Garf Brooks hit “Friends In Low places”.
Iowa Dave

You've got the same friends!! I haven't seen them since I quit doing my own work on the vehicles*. Did they move to IA ('cause I drink my beer in the house, now)?


[ P.S.: *I quit working on my own when I saved $200 labor by replacing a clutch assy. on my wife's car, then spent at least $200 at the chiropractor taking care of my poor back. ]

[fudge_brownie]

I use a mini prybar to remove the plastic hub.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rootedoutside

Are the stages meant to ensure we’re not over-tightening?

No, the stages are intended mostly to get the wheel centred. Unlike modern motor vehicles, trailers typically still use a "lug-centric" approach (and that includes all Escapes), which means that the only things making the wheel on-centre with the hub are the tapered nuts on the studs. If you tighten one nut all the way first, you risk trapping the wheel slightly off-centre; working your way around in stages improves the chance that it is on-centre.

[Mike Lewis]

I've been able to yank the hubs off with my hands, and my grip isn't excessively strong, either. Just act like you're mad at it.

[Hollybee]

or use a church key instead of the driver...to pop off the caps. Lugs were mostly ok..a few were low and we set all to factory rec #..95lbs, I think

[rootedoutside]

Thanks all! I watched the video, and we were able to pop off the lug nut covers and torque them all down in stages.

We'll be traveling for the next few weeks and will be in/out of campsites every couple days. We'll be covering around 2,200 miles total. Should we re-torque the trailer's lug nuts before we depart from each camp site or should I torque at certain mileages? The manual says before "every trip" but not sure how "trip" is defined since we'll be camping and traveling every couple days.

Thanks!

[ritacasita]

Careful how you pry off the caps. The paint chips easily on the wheels. The pry bar suggested earlier is what I used.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by rootedoutside

Thanks all! I watched the video, and we were able to pop off the lug nut covers and torque them all down in stages.

We'll be traveling for the next few weeks and will be in/out of campsites every couple days. We'll be covering around 2,200 miles total. Should we re-torque the trailer's lug nuts before we depart from each camp site or should I torque at certain mileages? The manual says before "every trip" but not sure how "trip" is defined since we'll be camping and traveling every couple days.

Thanks!

My experience has been that after the initial couple of times then maybe a third time where I might find one that could take a tiny bit of torquing, that was it.

Ron

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rootedoutside

We'll be traveling for the next few weeks and will be in/out of campsites every couple days. We'll be covering around 2,200 miles total. Should we re-torque the trailer's lug nuts before we depart from each camp site or should I torque at certain mileages? The manual says before "every trip" but not sure how "trip" is defined since we'll be camping and traveling every couple days.

Each time you leave home, at the very most, after the initial couple of times after the wheels were put on the trailer... certainly not every day that you tow the trailer. There are probably trailers that have been used for a decade without ever re-torquing the nuts (as long as the wheels haven't been removed), and while tire failures are common on trailers problems with loose nuts are rare.

[Calicia]

Originally Posted by Rossue

If you want to do this right loosen the lugs first. Then set your torque wrench at 25 lbs. and torque all the lugs. Then crank it up to 50 and repeat. Then crank it up to 95 and do it once more. No need for more than 95 lbs

I was under the impression that the loosening and three stages of torquing was only at the beginning when a new wheel has been installed. After that, just torque in the star formation to 95 before each trip from home.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Each time you leave home, at the very most, after the initial couple of times after the wheels were put on the trailer... certainly not every day that you tow the trailer. There are probably trailers that have been used for a decade without ever re-torquing the nuts (as long as the wheels haven't been removed), and while tire failures are common on trailers problems with loose nuts are rare.

I totally agree with Brian. After removing a wheel for whatever reason, I will verify torque after 50 miles and again after 100 miles (or the equivalent in KMs). After that, I may (not always) check them again in preparation for the camping season. However, I can honestly say that in more years than I care to admit, I haven’t found a single lug nut that had not retained its initial torque value. In other words, I could say that all the stops to verify that the lug nuts were still torqued to the proper specification were “unnecessary” but for peace of mind and insuring safety. I have always torqued lug nuts in three stages as I was taught many, many years ago. Loose nuts are indeed rare, and I would venture a guess that when they are found loose, it is more likely a result of improper torquing than not in the first place. Without going into the specifics of the physics as to what torquing accomplishes, it would be very unusual for a properly torqued nut to loosen.

Originally Posted by Calicia

I was under the impression that the loosening and three stages of torquing was only at the beginning when a new wheel has been installed. After that, just torque in the star formation to 95 before each trip from home.

When checking for proper torque, you obviously wouldn’t loosen the lug nuts first. You would just set the wrench to the torque value originally used and make sure that the value is still the same. However, if that aforementioned rare situation occurs and one or more lug nut is substantially loose (not a malfunctioning torque wrench), it would be prudent to loosen all the lug nuts and redo the three stage torquing procedure.

[75thRanger]

After my initial torqueing the nuts after picking up my trailer the nuts have not needed it. I check them but they don't take any even a fraction of a turn.

[UncleTim]

Here is a problem I am having torquing down the screws holding the offset to the king pin. I am using a 1/4" hex ratchet on a 3/8" drive.

The problem I have is this shaft is too short. I can bring the screws up to 38 lbs of torque but then this socket cams out inside the red Anderson offset. I need to get it to 40 lbs.

So I need a longer 1/4" hex socket. Anyone know where I can purchase one? I am having a little difficulty finding one.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by UncleTim

Here is a problem I am having torquing down the screws holding the offset to the king pin. I am using a 1/4" hex ratchet on a 3/8" drive.

The problem I have is this shaft is too short. I can bring the screws up to 38 lbs of torque but then this socket cams out inside the red Anderson offset. I need to get it to 40 lbs.

So I need a longer 1/4" hex socket. Anyone know where I can purchase one? I am having a little difficulty finding one.

Hi: UncleTim... What's 2#'s of "Torque" between friends? Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie