Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2011 16:56:51 -0700
Reply-To: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Subject: Re: Question and parts request.
In-Reply-To: <173401cc7bd9$9788b3e0$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Scott, what a load of codswallop. Are you really advising to not tighten lug nuts to factory specs?
To the original poster, check your owner's manual and use the torque value listed there. For example my owner's manual states 123 ft lbs for my '86. Use the data published by VW for your van.
alistair
On 2011-09-25, at 4:19 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> Hi john,
> nice to see your note.
> what version of Bentley are you using ?
> mine is the 1980 to 91 version.
>
> and isn't this funny ..
> on my Bentley it says 123 ft lbs for wheel nut torque on pg 46.6
> and 133 ft lbs on page 42.4
> so ...........see, even Bentley doesn't know what they are saying sometimes.
>
> as for your 1333 ft lbs..
> better not try that.
>
> well......
> after I wrote that I tighten my by hand , with a half inch breaker bar and
> 3/4 socket until they are good and tight ..
> next thing I see is someone questioning that ........perhaps a little light
> I don't know what I am doing...
> and as I said, I have tightened tens of thousands of wheels onto cars
> ,working on cars 'just forever' , starting in 1964 ...........and most of my
> life full time.
>
> but I hesitate to share real solid 'back yard' methods ..
> because .............people can be so stupid they'll take that and make it
> into like I don't know what I'm doing..
> so I am cautious about sharing what really works for me sometimes.
> And believe me ..If I am not really sure about something I'll put on a
> qualifier like 'I believe'. I' careful about what I write ..and sometimes
> I'm cautious about what I write ...like sometimes people take one tiny
> thing and go nutty with it.
>
> here's what I suggest ..you get a ......and I did suggest half inch drive
> click type torque wrench that does up to 150 lbs ..
> and tighten the lug nuts in the rear to 133 ft lbs..
> Then see how easily the unscrew with your stock lug wrench under the back
> seat.
> and I will too.
> I expect that's going to be really, really tight.
> And we'll see.
> I can tell you this......in tightening head bolts with an say ..........17
> inch long torque wrench ..that is really, really tight feeling ...so , and
> I'll try it myself...133 ft lbs seems really awfully tight to me.
> But I'll check.
> OK.........I just did.
> As I expected 133 ft lbs is awfully tight.
> I tighten them to about 85 to 90 ft lbs.
> That they are evenly tightened is very important.......all very close to the
> same,
> and in a star pattern of course.
>
> But if you don't trust yourself, then do what's in the book.
>
> Here is what I suggest..
> tighten them very firmly, and evenly, by hand with a 1/2 inch breaker bar
> to roughly 90 ft lbs.
> Check them again in a few days after driving some.
> Check them twice a year.
> They won't go anywhere if you tightened them evenly and pretty firmly.
> Wheels are not coming off from being tightened to say only 70 ft lbs instead
> of 133 ..
>
> and of course...develop your own 'feel' for stuff..
> and check your work.
> heck........don't even trust tires stores..
> here's a typical story ..
> Road & Track magazine was doing a several day test drive on a hot turbo
> volvo sedan about 5 years ago.
> A pretty new car. They had just had it serviced.
> they got a flat tire.
> All the kings men and all the kings horses..
> the people driving the car, the tow truck driver, a CHP .nobody but nobody
> could get the flat tire's lug nuts off.
> It cost them about $ 500 in towing and repairs.
> Likely because some dealer tire jocky impacted the nuts on with an impact
> gun to 400 ft lbs....
> just do careful work
> and develop your own feel for things..
> and always, always check your work ..
> twice even .
> and if anyone touches your van ......for anything...check their work.
> I've loaned a van to someone and they went to get gas, the pump jockey stuck
> the ignition key in the gas cap and bent it ..
> don't trust anyone......and check your own work several times even.
> and develop your own feel for what works. Just make 'em very tight ..
> and use a toque wrench if you feel you need too..
> and if you want to take to 133 ft lbs..
> go right ahead. But make sure you can get it undone with the van's stock
> lug wrench, if that's what you plan to use if you get a flat tire.
> 'engineers' ..
> the 'real world' is very far away from 'engineer's world' quite often.
>
> just do good careful work.
> Scott
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Rodgers" <inua@charter.net>
> To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
> Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2011 3:22 PM
> Subject: Re: Question and parts request.
>
>
>> Scott,
>>
>> My Bentley says about wheel torque values:
>>
>> 1980 up to Nov 1984 - 170 Nm/125 ft-lbs
>> From Nov 1984 - 180 Nm/1333 ft-lbs
>>
>> If one doesn't use book values - what would one use. I know for many
>> "bolts" there are "standard" torques, but I wouldn't think that would
>> apply to lug bolts/nuts. Those values are what they are as determined by
>> the engineers. I only hope they got it right. By Guess and By Golly is a
>> bit scarey!
>>
>> John
>>
>> John Rodgers
>> Clayartist and Moldmaker
>> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
>> Chelsea, AL
>> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>>
>>
>> On 9/25/2011 4:28 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>>> ( does anyone really take the wheel lug nuts to 123 ft lbs ? ..that is
>>> really, really tight. )
>>
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