[Kajtek1]

Whenever I remove a car wheel, I always use torque wrench to bolt it back, which for the MB cars is set around 100 inch-lb. Today I wanted to check brake pads on my 99 wagon and to my surprise the impact wrench wouldn't move the bolts. It is electric one, that suppose to give 220 ft-lb.
So I had to get my industrial wrench to break the bolts loose, but what I estimate around 300 ft-lb bend extended heads of those bolts and now I have to replace them.
In my quite extensive experience as an enthusiast-car owner something like it happened only once, when on motorhome I had to use 8 feet long pipe to break the lug-nut loose.
Does anyone has an explanation how those things can happen?
I am in CA, where corrosion is not an issue.

 

[bgoin]

Whenever I remove a car wheel, I always use torque wrench to bolt it back, which for the MB cars is set around 100 inch-lb. Today I wanted to check brake pads on my 99 wagon and to my surprise the impact wrench wouldn't move the bolts. It is electric one, that suppose to give 220 inch-lb.
So I had to get my industrial wrench to break the bolts loose, but what I estimate around 300 inch-lb bend extended heads of those bolts and now I have to replace them.
In my quite extensive experience as an enthusiast-car owner something like it happened only once, when on motorhome I had to use 8 feet long pipe to break the lug-nut loose.
Does anyone has an explanation how those things can happen?
I am in CA, where corrosion is not an issue.

1) CA, Bay Area = salty air

2) Washing car = corrosion

3) Also as I remember several people on the 170 forum had problems removing the wheel, after all the bolts where removed.

 

[Kajtek1]

I am guarded from salty Bay air by mountains, so again, corrosion is not an issue. I used to drive 35 years old Ford, that my neighbor originally bought new and the car had no corrosion at all, regardless bare steel in underbody. The wheel pooped right out after removing the bolts. So somehow the bolts got overstressed.
I wonder if different temperatures cold cost it. When we tight the steel bolt in the winter, the summer temperature will expand aluminum wheel more, than steel bolt. Giving it more stress, than originally applied?

 

[dragoncoach]

You must be in the East Bay then. But you must remember wheels do get wet, need it be in the rain or when washing the car and this could (but not often) present a problem as well. How long were the wheels on before you removed them? I must admit, it sounds as if they were REALLY on tight. Glad you didn't break the lug.

 

[GeeS]

I don't know, but that sounds a lot better than self-loosening...

 

[Kajtek1]

You never know what's better. If I had a flat, I wouldn't be able to take the wheel off with the car wrench.
Trust me, 300 ft-lb (corrected my error above) is not a peanuts on car bolts.
I am dealing with 450 ft-lb torque on my motorhome, so I am prepared for it, but either way, I don't like to loose the wheels while driving and I don't like them "welded". That was right (passenger side) wheel. My motorhome has right thread lugs on one side and left thread on the other. Somebody had an idea that might help in loosing the wheels.

 

[sokoloff]

Torque is supposed to be 110nm or 82ft. lbs. isn't it? Only time I find mine overtorqued is when I come back from a tire shop and now, even they are hand torquing the lugs for me when I remember to ask them.

Len

 

[lkchris]

Len is right regarding the torque figure--if you're using 100 inch pounds you'd better hope they're self tightening!

Your best approach to this is to ensure your wheels are rotated every 5-6K miles.

This will serve the purpose of providing best tire wear and to also ensure your wheel bolts haven't had time to corrode to your hubs.