Torque wrench needed or willl the regular spanner do?

[ekashyap]

Hi,

Can I use the regular wrench supplied with the car to change tires(all season to snow tires) or do I need to buy a torque wrench (apprx $90 from CT)? Or is it better to get the change done at a proper shop?

Thanks.

[rems]

Hi,

Can I use the regular wrench supplied with the car to change tires(all season to snow tires) or do I need to buy a torque wrench (apprx $90 from CT)? Or is it better to get the change done at a proper shop?

Thanks.

You can

[TenzoR]

I find a lot of shop just impact the wheels on without caring about max torque

[l69norm]

I find an X wrench works better than the one that usually comes with the car. Less than $20
http://jeep.us41.org/tools/xwrench.gif

Ideally, a torque wrench is best but people have been using hand wrenches sucessfully since cars first went on the road

[baillieul]

A torque wrench will prevent over torquing a nut as well as unequally torqued nuts. This could lead to warped rotors if too tight. I used regular wheel wrenches for years, but have been using a CT torque wrench for the last couple of years. You need a 1/2" drive wrench to get approx 90 ft/lbs . They are regularly 50% off the $90 at CT. Good RFDers never pay list!:)

[maniacshopper]

you can use the tire iron to open and tighten your wheel nuts. But I'd prefer to properly torque them. So that in the spring, the bolts are not seized. My dad had his wheel lock crack. A lesson learned.

[ES_Revenge]

You should use a torque wrench. However I wouldn't bother having it done at a "proper shop" either. Most "proper shops" ain't so proper. The majority of shops, they will just air on your lugs like morons :rolleyes:

Do it yourself, and do it right. Get a torque wrench. :)

[mreza]

The X wrenches posted above are much better than supplied wrench and aren't that expensive.
I change mine every year (twice) with them and no torque wrench.
You can approximately guestimate how much torque you are putting: the lengths of these X wrenches are a bit shorter that 12" on each spoke (you can measure). If they are say 12" and your force (by hand) is about 90 pound then it is enough. It won't break or damage the rim/nut if you are over bit (unless you are super strong!).

[tikus]

I let shops changing my tyres, but I will torqued again at home, I don't trust the impact wrench and will damaging my alloy wheels.

[look30]

I did my van with an X Wrench to the point where I taught it's OK and then checked with a Torque Wrench .... I was WAYYYYYYYYYYYY off.

Boss Tools has some interesting deals on Click Wrenches or you could get the simple one from CT For $23

[Arrow]

I always torque and would recommend that others do the same.

[CaptSmethwick]

Torque wrench - I did it for years without one and never had a problem. I now care a lot more for my cars and worry that the softer alloy wheels put a greater emphasis on proper torque. Nowadays, I only use an X-wrench to remove and install the lugs and a torque wrench to do the final adjustment.

I prefer the old bar-type torque wrenches to the dial-in style as I trust the calibration on my bar-type wrench. Also quite a bit cheaper - $20-$25 at CTC or Princess.

[Pete_Coach]

A torque wrench will prevent over torquing a nut as well as unequally torqued nuts. This could lead to warped rotors if too tight. I used regular wheel wrenches for years, but have been using a CT torque wrench for the last couple of years. You need a 1/2" drive wrench to get approx 90 ft/lbs . They are regularly 50% off the $90 at CT. Good RFDers never pay list!:)
That is wrong. The wheels and rotors, while on the same axle, are not dependent on each other for proper function. Improper torque on the wheel will only affect the rotor if the wheel is so askew that it also wobbles.
OP, a torque wrench is always the best thing but, you can be safe and assured if you use the old X wrench properly. I will not go into it but there are many sites that give instruction on how to do this.

[npinc]

Most "proper shops" ain't so proper. The majority of shops, they will just air on your lugs like morons :rolleyes:

Do it yourself, and do it right. Get a torque wrench. :)

I don't think that's fair to say, as the torque is set on the air gun, hence the "clatter" at the end.

[ES_Revenge]

I don't think that's fair to say, as the torque is set on the air gun, hence the "clatter" at the end.

:confused: Torque cannot be "set" on air guns. The clatter is just the hammer banging away when the tool stops moving. This could be at 160lb*ft, it could be at 200lb*ft or 280lb*ft--there's no way of knowing what it's going to tighten to. Just depends on the particular nut/bolt and the tool's capability. They can use "torque sticks" which [usually] appear as coloured extensions and are made from spring steel and have a certain point where they are supposed to flex thus causing the impulse from the wrench to be absorbed and the output to stop spinning (along with, again, the clattering noise). However most shops don't even bother to use torque sticks and the spring metal type I don't trust anyway.

Further reading on how an impact tool works in this context:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_wrench#Effects_of_impact_drive

You will find that most good dedicated wheel/tyre shops will use hand torque wrenches because they know about the adverse effects of not doing so and don't want customers coming back complaining. On the other hand most garages that do general mechanic work don't give a damn and will just air the lugs on any given vehicle. Trust me, I know. I've seen them do it at countless shops; and, I've had to take off enough lugs on various cars to know that the last person that put the wheels on (invariably a "mechanic") just aired them on. When you're jumping on an 18" breaker bar and the lugs still don't break loose, I think you have a pretty good idea of the fact that they were aired on, you know?

[npinc]

You can't manually set it, this much I do understand. I just know they have that "point" at which they stop. I'm not sure what the torque is.

I've had to jump on tire irons myself, when I actually used to change my own tires. I always thought that by the nature of their design they would tighten somewhat on their own whilst driving.

[ES_Revenge]

You can't manually set it, this much I do understand. I just know they have that "point" at which they stop. I'm not sure what the torque is.
LOL that's exactly what I mean. You have no idea of what torque the lug is at when the wrench stops turning it. Furthermore each nut will likely stop at a different torque meaning you'll have uneven torque on the lugs holding the wheel in. One thing you do know is that it will be well in excess of the engineering spec. for wheel nut/bolt torque.

I've had to jump on tire irons myself, when I actually used to change my own tires. I always thought that by the nature of their design they would tighten somewhat on their own whilst driving.
I've never had to jump on a breaker to remove lugs on my cars since I stopped letting "mechanics" touch my cars, lol. However it's almost certain that when I go to do something on a friend or family member's car, the lugs are usually way overtightened because the last person to put them on was a "mechanic".

Even with included maintenance on my newer car, which includes tyre rotations, I make sure the stealer doesn't touch the wheels on the car--no sir, not on my watch!

[starchland]

best to buy a GOOD torque wrench if this is something your going to be doing at least once a season. Technically, you should also have the wrench calibrated to assure the proper torque settings. too loose=your wheel falls off. too tight=your lugs could brake. take into the change of ambient temperature and the heating/cooling process that is your rotor/hub/wheel assembly. the princess auto torque wrenches are unsafe, they fall apart. It is your best interest to buy a torque wrench you dont want that wheel falling off or your in big trouble with the law.

[tferrei]

Once the nuts have been overtorqued, the studs are stretched and will not return to original length. Use an X wrench and use reasonable force. the wrench is designed for average strength. use equal force on all nuts and tighten in a star pattern. after you drive a few days, check if bolts are loose. If not, you ars safe.