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[VXL V6]

Right! Having a nighhtmare! As i'm off on holiday tomorrow I thought i'd check that all the wheel bolts aren't tightened to 'kwik fit spec' (Too 'kin tight), the four normal bolts seemed ok on each wheel so i've re-torqued them up to 55nm but do you think I can shift the locking bolts? No chance.

To make things worse they are the free spinning type so hammering a socket onto them isn't going to help, i've sprayed some WD40 all around them in the hope it'll free them off but I hold out little hope.

The really annoying bit is that it's one of the first things I was going to check when I got the car...   Oh well, can of tyre weld in the boot and fingers crossed while i'm away.

Anyone got any idea's? Something like 'press the hazard warning switch while standing on one leg and the locknuts will just fall off'?

Thanks!

[VXL V6]

I've now ordered a new key from the dealers, it's £20 and I had to give them the serial number off the old kit (thankfully in the boot!), the chassis number, the registration number and my home address!

Got to be worth a try, i'll keep spraying a bit of WD40 as close to the back of the locknuts as possible in the meantime. Even if I only get a couple of them off it'll be a cheaper bill at the garage.

[Jay w]

i had this issues a few years ago with my Citroen......

Ended up tightening the wheel bolts really tight in the hope that they would be tighter than the locking ones and so they would release easier, it worked but there is a risk of damaging the wheel or bolt or both.....

the other alternative was to allow the butchers have a go at it (national tyre centre) and they couldn't be sure they wouldn't damage the wheel  

[Marks DTM Calib]

55Nm is half of what they should be!

[VXL V6]

Should be 110? OK will re-do... oops! Don't know where I got 55 from

[Andy B]

55Nm is half of what they should be!

You sure? 80 ft/lbs seems to ring a bell for me ......

[Grumpy]

80 lbf/ft is 110 Nm ........... give or take 1 lbf/ft  

[VXL V6]

Yep it's 110Nm, just checked the manual.  

Will go and torque them up.

Was looking at the key and it's obviously a softer metal than the bolt, will be applying copper ease to all the threads when I finally get the lock nuts off. Never had a problem on any car that i've done that too before.

[Grumpy]

applying copper ease to all the threads

Be aware that if you grease a thread, that you will put a higher
loading on the bolt at the same reading on your torque spanner,
than you would without greasing the bolt at the same reading
on your torque spanner.

[VXL V6]

Done three wheels now... but just snapped the socket on the fourth wheel..... Snap On..... Nah Snap Off.... Going to get some proper British made sockets tomorrow.

Or i'll have to use my halfords set (oh heck)

[VXL V6]

Grumpy,

How much would this affect it? I've always done this on the wheel bolts on my cars. I just torque them up to the click then a grunt on top if you see what I mean?

[Grumpy]

How much would this affect it?

Hi VXL V6, I can't give you a definitive answer, but it is considerable.
Enough to put a tensile loading on a bolt to take it close to 'necking',
if the threads don't strip first.

When you torque load a bolt, you are putting it under a 'pre-load' tensile
stress. You measure this, with a torque spanner, that is actually measuring
the turning force required to overcome the friction on the threads between
the nut and the bolt. If you lubricate the thread, you reduce the friction, and
require a higher tensile loading on the bolt to reach the same torque
reading.

The designer will specify the correct 'wet' or 'dry' torque figure for the
particular application.

To give you an example of the pitfalls. On a certain aircraft, no names no
pack drill, we suddenly kept getting a failure on a critical component.

It was eventually tracked down to the same guy who was doing the job.
Being what he thought was conscientious, he thought he was doing good by lubricating the bolts
and nuts before torquing them up.
The bolts were being put past their tensile strength. When the component
was put under stress, during landing and braking, they sheared off.

It does make a considerable difference, that's why you don't torque a 'wet'
connection to a 'dry' torque figure.

Hope that helps.

[VXL V6]

Right, think I get the gist of what you are saying. I've done them to 110Nm with a light smear of copper ease, so potentially I guess they could be tighter than I think then but they aren't as tight as some of the ones I took off!

Thanks for the information, never knew there was a difference between wet and dry values, I guess it's common sense really if you think about it!

[Andy B]

...... I just torque them up to the click then a grunt on top if you see what I mean?

I used to work with a bloke who tightened everything to a value of "till you fart & then another quarter turn!!" And he was a BIG bloke.

[Pete Elite]

applying copper ease to all the threads

Be aware that if you grease a thread, that you will put a higher
loading on the bolt at the same reading on your torque spanner,
than you would without greasing the bolt at the same reading
on your torque spanner.

Hi Grumpy,
               I understand what your saying, but if that's the case why don't they give wet and dry Torque Values especially on something as important as a wheel nut/bolt :question.