Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 07:57:07 -0700
Reply-To: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Subject: Re: lug nuts torque-
In-Reply-To: <20100625104534.DY3Q1.619951.imail@eastrmwml38>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
get the breaker bar as a few of us advised before
as is, with your 4 way, each arm being 8 " (0.75 ft) you have to
apply 130/.75 = 173 lbs on end of one arm, or, 87 lbs (173/2) on
each wrench arm - pulling up and pushing down at same time.
Maybe you feel ok doing that exercise routine on a nice day in your
driveway... but try doing it at night, when its raining and cold, and
the lug nuts have not been off the van for a while.
I really don't understand the reluctance to get a real wrench, ie
1/2" breaker bar and socket for this job.
oh well Dave, to each his own.
alistair
On 25-Jun-10, at 7:45 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
Several of you indicated that using a 4-way lug wrench one would
likely be unable to take off the lug nuts on my camper ('91 VW
Vanagon GL Campmobile). One problem mentioned was that tire shop
techs might be prone to set their impact wrenches at too high a
torque. So, I decided I needed to run a drill to make sure I could
loosen the nuts if need be. I also wanted to run a drill with the
OEM jack again, to see how I went with that (it'd been a while since
I tried it).
1. I think the jack is ok, maybe better than I formerly thought. It
raised the van perfectly well, and seemed as stable as one might
expect of any except a floor jack. I chocked the wheels with 4"x4"
wooden blocks before jacking.
2. I was able to loosen the lug nuts perfectly well with the 4x4,
which has torque arms about 8" each way, giving me 16" of torque (8"
for each of my arms). No problem. I then tightened them as tightly
as I could with the 4-way.
3. Does this mean, in your minds, that the nuts might not be
adequately tightened (the owner's manual states 130 ft lb or 180 Nm,
and that any person of average strength should be able to obtain that
with the OEM lug wrench). I do have the OEM wrench, but it looks
completely inadequate, and I did not try it.
4. I'm taking the van in to the tire shop today to have the five
wheel rotation and balance. I'll make it a point to tell the tech to
torque to 130 ft lb, then I will check the nuts again myself when I
get home. Should I still get a breaker bar, or is torquing as
tightly as I can with the 4-way wrench ok? I have never had a heavy
vehicle like this before, and have always been satisfied with the
torque that I could get with a lug wrench.
Thanks, David McNeely
