# Lug Nuts



## jetfan401 (Feb 7, 2007)

hello everyone i am looking for advise. I went on a trip this weekend not far from home to a campground in liberty harbor, on the way there my tire fell off my 32bhds on the turnpike put it back on and tightened the lug nuts, i checked the lugs before i went and they where all tight. all four tires loosed up after only 20 miles, when i got to the campground i removed the lug nuts and applied lock tight and reinstalled the lug nuts, by the way i put new aluminium wheels and tires on before i went. any advise ?


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

jetfan said:


> by the way i put new aluminium wheels and tires on before i went. any advise ?


Had you towed it anywhere since you replaced the wheels and tires? You need to be sure to re-torque the lug nuts after a few (I don't remember exactly how many) miles after a wheel swap.


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

WOW!!! That's crazy! I'm sure glad everyone is okay!

Did you check the lug nuts with a torque wrench? I'm not sure what the proper torque would be with aluminum wheel as it's probably different than steel wheels.

Also, some aluminum wheels require a different style of lug nut - some take the tapered type and some take the ones with washers. It's been a long time since I've dealt with this issue (I worked at a tire store as a teenager) so things may have changed and I could be totally off base. I do remember that _'loctite'_ is a big no-no. You are supposed to use anti-seize compound.


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## jetfan401 (Feb 7, 2007)

I JUST PUT THE RIMS ON THE DAY BEFORE NEVER WENT ANYWHERE WITH THEM AND I HAVE THE SLOTTED LUG NUTS


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

I would make sure they gave you the correct lug nuts first. Make sure they fit the angle correctly when they seat and also make sure they are not too long and bottoming out before the rim is tight. Aluminum wheels need to be rechecked more often after first installed but 20 miles is not very far. Using a torgue wrench is a little more important on aluminum wheels also.

John


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

jetfan said:


> I JUST PUT THE RIMS ON THE DAY BEFORE NEVER WENT ANYWHERE WITH THEM


Per my Keystone owners manual, revision dated 11/27/2002 on page 2-9:
"After approximately 50 miles of traveling, stop in a protected location and check the following:
1. Hitch attachment
2. Lights and electrical connection
3. Lug nut torque*
* Continue to check the torque every 50 miles during the 1st 200 miles of travel".


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

125 ft/lbs. Very important to use a torque wrench.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

As John and others said, Aluminum wheels can require retorquing more often until they are properly seated and compressed (remember Al is relatively soft compared with your old steel wheels). Make sure the lug nuts match the wheel, and make sure you torque correctly. I wouldn't reccommend Loctite either. Hopefully you got the stuff that is easy to break loose. When you do check them next time, you will need to break them loose and then torque them since now you will be just torquing the "glue" Remember, the torque isn't just to keep the bolts from falling out, it is to keep the wheel and hub clamped together. This friction is needed to keep everything working well. Loctite isn't your friend in this case if the aluminum is allowing the joint to loosen.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

H2oSprayer said:


> I JUST PUT THE RIMS ON THE DAY BEFORE NEVER WENT ANYWHERE WITH THEM


Per my Keystone owners manual, revision dated 11/27/2002 on page 2-9:
"After approximately 50 miles of traveling, stop in a protected location and check the following:
1. Hitch attachment
2. Lights and electrical connection
3. Lug nut torque*
* Continue to check the torque every 50 miles during the 1st 200 miles of travel".
[/quote]

He only went 20 miles so he never had a chance to reach the manuals recomendations.


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## 4campers (Jun 6, 2007)

CamperAndy said:


> 125 ft/lbs. Very important to use a torque wrench.


This will help you better I hope it comes up for you. Good Luck

http://www.keystonerv.com/media/pdf/Lug_Nut_Torque.pdf


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

H2oSprayer said:


> I JUST PUT THE RIMS ON THE DAY BEFORE NEVER WENT ANYWHERE WITH THEM


Per my Keystone owners manual, revision dated 11/27/2002 on page 2-9:
"After approximately 50 miles of traveling, stop in a protected location and check the following:
1. Hitch attachment
2. Lights and electrical connection
3. Lug nut torque*
* Continue to check the torque every 50 miles during the 1st 200 miles of travel".
[/quote]

Honestly...does anyone really do that every 50 miles for the first 200 miles? I check mine before I leave and then at gas stations, but never 4 times in the first 200 miles.

...don't follow me...guess my wheels will be falling off.


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

There is an old expression...the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

I had a tire shred on my camper last summer while driving I-75. Fortunately no damage other than the tire. I put on the spare, checked the tire pressures, properly torqued the spare and checked the torque on the other tires.

50 miles down the road I pulled into a rest area and checked the spare that I had just installed. EACH lug nut had loosened and required a quarter turn to reach the proper torque setting.

50 miles down the road I checked again. This time there was no loosening. I did not check again the rest of the way home (75 miles).

The recommendation of checking the torque on a "newly installed wheel" at intervals of 50-100-150 miles should be followed..at least until the wheel maintains it's torque settings on the lugs. However, after the initial "break-in" period, the wheels only need to be checked before you set off on a trip.

Having a wheel fall off while on an interstate highway could ruin your day!

Dan


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

4campers said:


> This will help you better I hope it comes up for you. Good Luck
> 
> http://www.keystonerv.com/media/pdf/Lug_Nut_Torque.pdf


Great find.

Mods, can this be pinned in the maintenance section?


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## russk42 (Sep 10, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Honestly...does anyone really do that every 50 miles for the first 200 miles? I check mine before I leave and then at gas stations, but never 4 times in the first 200 miles.
> 
> ...don't follow me...guess my wheels will be falling off.


I don't either---after playing with my wheels, i usually drive around a few miles to check the brakes, etc...then check the torque when I'm done. Not again until I stop for gas on the next trip, but most of my miles are highway/interstate===mostly straight. My guess is that more turning/cornering would make the nuts more likely to loosen, and warrant more frequent checking? i hope someone will tell me if I'm wrong.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

On past trailers, I've always checked after 50 miles and found they needed a little more (if the wheel had been off). The second check has always been good so I will let that one go a little further.


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## Rubrhammer (Nov 27, 2006)

When I repacked the bearings on mine last year I checked after 50 miles and had to tighten all the lugs. I stopped about an hour and a half later and checked them again and had to tighten about half of them. So when I stopped for gas I checked them again andthis time only one needed an tightening. I was surprised that it took that many times before they seated completely. They didn't change for the rest of last season but I did always check them. I had a wheel come off a pop up once and I don't want to go through that again.
Bob


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## ColoradoChip (Jan 21, 2008)

FYI, Harbor freight has a 1/2 inch 200 lb torque wrench on sale for $9.99. Had to pay $6.99 in shipping, but that still seems like a great price for a torque wrench!


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## bentpixel (Sep 2, 2006)

Re-torque after *10, 25, and 50 miles *

1. After the first 10 miles of your trip, pull your recreation vehicle off the road into a safe work area.

2. Set your torque wrench to 110-120 ft/lbs (140-150 ft/lbs for the Cambridge).

3. Begin with the appropriate bolt for your wheel and apply torque to all lug nuts following the star pattern.

4. Reapply torque (at 110-120 ft/lbs or 140- 150 ft/lbs for the Cambridge) and repeat steps 1, 2, & 3 again at 
25 miles and at 50 miles of your first trip.

5. The follow up process is complete and you should refer to the general lug nut torque maintenance process 
described in section C "Pre-Trip Maintenance".

As I understand the manual I need to stop after about 10 minutes on the freeway, second stop after fifteen minutes, then the last stop and torque is after 25 minutes on the freeway. (your mileage may vary







)


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## Wolfpackers (May 31, 2007)

ColoradoChip said:


> FYI, Harbor freight has a 1/2 inch 200 lb torque wrench on sale for $9.99. Had to pay $6.99 in shipping, but that still seems like a great price for a torque wrench!


I have one from Harbor Freight, don't recall the price, but $10 sounds about right. I shopped several places and the one at HF was identical to one at the auto store, was much less $$$ AND it had a case. So far, works great !!
















Just looking at the HF site to confirm the above and saw the voltmeter I bought for the 5'er on sale for $2.99 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=90899

and a magnetic trailer alignment kit for you TT folks on sale for $7.49.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=95684

Glad there's a HF store in town.
Keep those lugs tight now, ya hear.


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