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Car Forum / Toyota / Toyota Cars / May 2005Sienna wheel nut torque
I have a Sienna 2004. I'm fed up with garages screwing up a simple job like changing my winter wheels for my summer wheels. Last garage lost one of the locking nuts. So I'm now looking at doing this myself from now on and maybe saving myself about $30 each time. So I need a decent jack. But I don't have an air compressor nor a pneumatic wrench to remove and put on the nuts. I could use old fashioned elbow grease, but I'm looking for a quick and easy way to do this. So I thought of the air wrench, but it's expensive if you don't already have the compressor. I have seen a 14 volt electric (Battery) impact wrench that puts out 1050 lb-in, or about 87 ft-lbs. There is NO torque adjustment on this wrench, only speed adjustment. 3 questions: 1) What is the recommended torque setting for Sienna wheels (I have the alloy in summer, steel in winter)? I have asked a few Toyota garages, and the numbers range from 60 to 80 ft-lbs, with one saying 87 is way too much and another saying 87 would be OK. 2) if 87 is OK, can I rely on an electric battery powered wrench to deliver consistent torque for this type of application? 3) Is there another solution to this? Thanks. >I have a Sienna 2004. I'm fed up with garages screwing up a simple job >like changing my winter wheels for my summer wheels. Last garage lost [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > >Thanks. What I do is buy my tires at Sam's club. Included in the price is unlimited balance/rotation. They actually use a torque wrench to tighten your bolts! Works for me!  SignatureScott in Florida I do the same thing on my Camry and Buick! >> I have a Sienna 2004. I'm fed up with garages screwing up a simple >> job like changing my winter wheels for my summer wheels. Last [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > Works for me! > I have a Sienna 2004. I'm fed up with garages screwing up a simple job > like changing my winter wheels for my summer wheels. Last garage lost [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > Thanks. I tend to use 75 lb-ft for alloy wheels and up to 85 lb-ft for steel. The trick is re-check them at 500 miles. I used to use an air wrench, but I switched to the following system. I use a 24" ratchet wrench to loosen to nuts. Then I use a speed bar to spin them off and on. The final torque is by a good digital torque wrench. Use flank drive or 6 sided sockets and you won't tear up the lug nuts. > 2) if 87 is OK, can I rely on an electric battery powered wrench to > deliver consistent torque for this type of application? NO! impact wrenches are only for REMOVAL. You should _always_ tighten by hand. > 3) Is there another solution to this? I use one of those cross (+) shaped spinners to get the lugs snug, then do final tighten to spec with an inexpensive torque wrench. I don't know how accurate my torque wrench is, but it is almost certainly more accurate than the power wrench. Previous to picking up a compressor, I used the same + shaped wrench to remove the lugs. Takes a bit of muscle and weight... Do you have a harbor freight retail location near you? They have good sales on tools like torque wrenches, compressors, impact wrenches, jacks, ... (Regular prices are not so good.) The web site has good sales also, but it is harder to inspect the merchandise and do a return if necessary, and it probably will be. http://www.harborfreight.com/ (mail order) http://www.harborfreightusa.com/ (retail store sales) sdb SignatureWanted: Omnibook 800 & accessories, cheap, working or not sdbuse1 on mailhost bigfoot.com Why would an impact wrench be OK for removal but not installation? If you're concerned about damage to lug nuts during installation if using an impact wrench, doesn't the same apply to removal? >>2) if 87 is OK, can I rely on an electric battery powered wrench to >>deliver consistent torque for this type of application? [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > sdb >Why would an impact wrench be OK for removal but not installation? If >you're concerned about damage to lug nuts during installation if using >an impact wrench, doesn't the same apply to removal? Because the torque on the nuts can vary wildly on an air impact wrench, and isn't consistent enough for safe application. The Pros can get it fairly close by sound and feel with enough practice, but even they overdo it and snap off wheel studs. That's why the studs are replaceable. I use an impact both ways (now that I have enough compressor to run it), but when installing the nuts the air is turned way down just to spin the nuts on and get to an initial 'snug'. Then I break out a torque wrench (or a hand lug wrench) for the final turn or two. If the nuts are put it on by hand and properly torqued now, you should be able to get them off by hand later. But if a gorilla at the tire shop cranks them on with an air wrench at 5 Zillion foot-pounds you may end up with a flat tire on the road, the factory hand lug wrench, and no way to get the (darned) nuts loose. You try jumping on the wrench, you try a pipe cheater on the handle, you watch the wrench handle bend like a pretzel... ;-P And the exact torque isn't critical, 5 foot-pounds either way from the "ideal" setting isn't going to stop the world. The nuts won't fall off, especially if you go back a week later and check them again like you're supposed to. Tripling it, though... <snap!> --<< Bruce >>-- SignatureBruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700 5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545 Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net. > Why would an impact wrench be OK for removal but not installation? If Because during removal you just need to get the nuts loose. How loose you get them doesn't matter. > you're concerned about damage to lug nuts during installation if using I am so not concered about damaging lug nuts. But if you were, you would realize that removing lug nuts has a max force that will be applied (just enough to loosen the nuts). Tightening the max force is limited to the power available in the wrench which is typically much more than needed or desirable to do the job. All I'm concerned about is proper torque during tightening, and an impact wrench is not accurate enough to apply proper torque. In addition to the other poster's concern about snapping lugs, too much torque has been known to warp brake discs and wheels. The only cure is to replace the warped part(s). If you want the job done right, don't use or allow an impact wrench to tighten lug nuts. A torque wrench is the safe and correct tool. sdb SignatureWanted: Omnibook 800 & accessories, cheap, working or not sdbuse1 on mailhost bigfoot.com |
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