While driving, you may experience some problems here and there. The most common one is a flat tire. And because it often happens when we least expect it, we must face it head-on. While you are at it, you may wonder if it is possible to over-tighten the lug nut by hand.
Over-tightening is one of the dangers that not many drivers are aware of. I mean, you do not want the tire falling off anyway. However, that should not be the case. Often, people with just the necessary muscle tend to over-tighten the lug nuts. The right way is not to over-tighten or insufficiently tighten the lug nuts.
Tightening the lug nuts is usually the last step to ensure that the tire is put back safely and efficiently. This article outlines the danger of over-tightening and how to avoid it.
Can You Over-Tighten Lug Nuts by Hand?
Replacing a flat tire is not a time-consuming task—you are sure to be back on your journey in no time. Often, when tightening by hand, people naturally tend to over-tighten. The main concern is usually that the tire is likely to fall off, hence the misguided opinion that over-tightening the nuts is the only solution.
It is important to note that over-tightening lug nuts pose damage risks to your vehicle and related components. For one, the threads on the studs bend making them less effective and damaging in the long run.
Over-tightening by hand happens more often than not. Many people with the necessary arm strength tend to tighten the nuts more than the required torque. Consequently, it is vital that you learn the right way to properly tighten the lug nuts.
How Many Circuits Do You Need to Tighten Lug Nuts?
Lug nuts need to be tightened properly so you ensure they are not over-tightened or under-tightened. There are so many ways to do it wrong, and only one right way—and that includes the number of circuits required to adequately tighten them.
When it comes to properly tighten lug nuts, first ensure that the threads of the studs are clean, dry, and free from sand and debris. If they are okay, perform the first circuit of the ‘star’ pattern of tightening.
This should be done with the car still jacked up, and without fully tightening. The car is then lowered, allowing you to make the second-star pattern circuit. You do have to tighten to maximum torque. On the final circuit, ensure you go the full torque.
Therefore, three circuits of the star pattern of tightening are usually sufficient to properly tighten the lug nuts. Also, ensure that you re-torque the lug nuts after you have driven 50 to 100 miles. This will keep them properly seated till the next time the wheel has to be removed.
Symptoms of Overtightened Lug Nuts
You can always tell whether you have over-tightened your lug nuts. Here are some of the symptoms of over-tightened lug nuts.
- Before you note any mechanical damages, you might experience difficulty the next time you want to remove the tire.
- The brake rotor is likely to damage ultimately.
- The threads on the wheel studs will be ineffective
- Shearing off of the lug studs
- Damage to the entire wheel.
What Happens if Lug Nuts Are Over-Torqued?
Over-tightening lug nuts are not recommended at all. If let happens often, it could cause damage to some components. One of the damages includes the stripping of threads on the wheel nuts and wheel studs.
Moreover, the studs tend to be stretched making them weaker and susceptible to fracturing and ultimately, failure. The stretching could also cause the wheel nuts to work loose, making the tires more likely to fall off.
On top of that, the brake drums and disc brake rotors can easily distort and cause shaking and shuddering of the steering wheel especially when braking. In turn, this causes knock-on effects in damaging other related components in your vehicle.
Alloy wheels, which are made of softer materials than steel, are damaged along with their aluminum dress caps. These caps easily distort when any force is applied to loosen them and tend to spin around the nuts.
To access the wheel nuts, the only solution would be to remove the dress cap with a chisel. However, this course of action will destroy the dress cap as well as increase the risk of complete damage to the alloy wheel.
FAQs
What Is the Importance of Properly Tightening Lug Nuts?
When overtightened, they are likely to distort the brake rotor and cause greater damage to key components. Lastly, if they are too tight, you might experience difficulty trying to loosen them the next time you want to change a tire.
What Are the Tools Used to Tighten Wheel Lug Nuts?
What Typically Goes Wrong When Tightening Lug Nuts?
The right method to apply here is the star pattern of tightening and then repeating the process. This ensures that the tire is evenly tightened all around.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to properly tighten lug nuts is critical. If they are not under-tightened, you keep your wheels on to ensure your safety as well as that of others on the road. If they are not over-tightened, you prevent damage to the disc brakes, hubcaps, and wheel. Therefore, always aim to properly tighten them when changing a tire.
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