Yer Nuts Too Tight???

[Great Eggstrications]

So, umm, well, are your nuts too tight? Yikes! Hope not!

Anyhow, I have a lug nut concern...

Several times now, when I've gone to take the lug nuts off of my E19, I've found them to be very difficult to remove. Even using a 4' length of 2" conduit over a 24" breaker bar, it feels like I'm having to apply an undue amount of torque - maybe 80 lb at 4' = 320 ft-lb! I have avoided abusing my jumbo 250 ft-lb torque wrench to see how much torque it takes to loosen them, but it's way more than I'd like. There is no visible corrosion or pitting on either the lug cone surface or the aluminum wheel pressed-in steel insert that would contribute excessive friction. Threads look fine (no pun intended). I never use any dressing on the lug stud or lug nuts - no anti-sieze, no lubricant, just clean and dry. The sticker on the side of the trailer specifies 90-95 ft-lb. The last time I torqued them was about 1 year ago, down to 85 ft-lb. I don't particularly want to go any lower. Interesting perhaps is that the after-market "locking", i.e. keyed, lug nuts, consistently come off relatively easily compared to the OE nuts.

Maybe when I do the monthly "bring it home from storage, use the brakes, spread grease around on the wheel bearings, run all the appliances, etc" routine, I need to jack it up and loosen / retorque the lug nuts?

Anyone have any comments or suggestions? I know that the debate rages: clean and dry vs. lubed or anti-seize. I plan to stick with clean and dry. There are already plenty of long forum threads regarding this controversy, so maybe let's avoid turning this into another one...

Thanks for any ideas!

[Rossue]

I use one of those 4-way wrenches and find I usually have to step on the left side to begin to loosen the lug nut. It was that way with the Escape aluminum and now with my Raceline wheels as well. I torque the lugs to 95 lbs.

[WillyB]

Clean & Dry always, to me at least, seem to be a little more difficult to remove. But I also never had them loosen by themselves.

Interesting to hear other thoughts/comments.

[Centex]

FWIW, I'm a lifelong 'clean-and-dry' guy myself

Originally Posted by Great Eggstrications

..... Interesting perhaps is that the after-market "locking", i.e. keyed, lug nuts, consistently come off relatively easily compared to the OE nuts. ....

That is interesting and perhaps holds a hint.

One might consider trying a fresh set of quality after market lug nuts (non-'locking / non-keyed' variety). Maybe, just maybe, your 'old OE nuts' (keeping a straight face, here ), though apparently clean and corrosion-free, have just enough wear on them that they are prone to a tiny bit of 'surface corrosion seizure' between your lug-nut R&R events.

Maybe try one wheel's worth of 'em before investing in a full set for the trailer.

Just a thought for your consideration, tight nuts doesn't sound comfortable, so I wish you luck. .

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Centex

FWIW, I'm a lifelong 'clean-and-dry' guy myself

That is interesting and perhaps holds a hint.

One might consider trying a fresh set of quality after market lug nuts (non-'locking / non-keyed' variety). Maybe, just maybe, your 'old OE nuts' (keeping a straight face, here ), though apparently clean and corrosion-free, have just enough wear on them that they are prone to a tiny bit of 'surface corrosion seizure' between your lug-nut R&R events.

Maybe try one wheel's worth of 'em before investing in a full set for the trailer.

Just a thought for your consideration, tight nuts doesn't sound comfortable, so I wish you luck. .

Hi: Centex... Sounds to me like a "Lube" problem. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Mike Lewis]

Last year while on a trip I had a flat trailer tire. When changing the tire it was surprising difficult to break the lug nuts free. They must have been over-tightened by a shop when they serviced my brakes and wheel bearings. I was just barely able to break the lug nuts loose while standing on a four-way tire wrench. Fortunately my strategic obesity paid off again.