Lug Nut Torque

[KGP]

I was aware of this article (you've posted it b4 I think) ...

He has, and it's a great article. Each time I have taken in one of my other cars for shudder and the service writer tells me it's probably because of a warped rotor I feel like telling them to read it.

I like nsxexotic's idea of raising and spinning the tire and re-torqueing. Seems very logical. My biggest fear by far, at least at our local track, is rounding the high bank and losing a wheel or blowing a tire and ending up in the wall. Would not be fun. With that said, I see no reason why anyone would not check the lugs after each and every session.

 

[NSX 3.0]

I have an inexpensive "turn the handle" kind of torque wrench, and have not bothered resetting it to zero. Ever.

I had it calibrated after several years of such use and it was still dead accurate.

Just another data point...

Ken I can't believe you wouldn't have the best torque wrench around being such a stickler on safety etc. Here is mine I just picked up I wanted one of the best ones around and got a Snap-on TQFR 250C 50-250 ft lbs.

 

[DanO]

My biggest fear by far, at least at our local track, is rounding the high bank and losing a wheel... With that said, I see no reason why anyone would not check the lugs after each and every session.

Amen about checking lug nut torque regularly!

My limited experience with loose lug nuts is that you can feel the loose wheel as a serious vibration in the car. Keep in mind I have experienced this only once, in a student’s car and the vibration got progressively more noticeable until we decided to pit and check it out. Turns out the student forgot to tighten the right front wheel after switching to track tires—whoops.

My point is that I don’t THINK that the wheel just comes off without warning. The NASCAR guys seem to know when to pit to fix the problem too; the driver knows they have a loose wheel and pit within a few laps.

Going a little off topic here, here’s my track ritual:
At the track before first session: check oil, lug nut torque, coolant, tire psi
Before second session (cool car): check oil, check lug nuts
After lunch: check oil, check lug nuts, brake*, coolant
After every hard session: check brake/tire temps, adjust bias, tire pressure

*if you know your starting brake fluid level, then you can get a pretty good understanding of pad wear just by looking at the fluid level in the reservoir. An abnormally low fluid level means that something is wrong. I never fill the fluid reservoir without bleeding out an equal amount. “topping off” the brake fluid reservoir is pointless, but I digress.

DanO

 

[RP-Motorsports]

Are you calling me a liar ?

Not a liar, just that you came up with the wrong conclusion.



If you had taken the time to read my post correctly, you would have noticed that I stated it was my first event WITH the NSX, not my first event ever. You seem to be jumping to conclusions a bit easily...

I was just being sarcastic.

Also, FWIW the warped rotors were the front ones, kinda difficult to warp them with a E-brake, no ? whaddayathink?


So, if I follow you correctly, this should extend to the NSX as well... or NOT, and you might just be jumping to more conclusions too easily...

Torque is not car specific, it is stud size, thread size, lug style, and even rim design specific.

Just think about the argument you are making ? How does it relate against the FACT that the NSX manual clearly states 80 ?

PLease read my 4th paragraph again on my previous post.

 

[nsxtasy]

He has, and it's a great article. Each time I have taken in one of my other cars for shudder and the service writer tells me it's probably because of a warped rotor I feel like telling them to read it.

Well, they don't know any better. Why? Well, what do they do if there is a shudder and they think it is a warped rotor? They turn the rotors or replace them. Either way, the material deposits on the rotor are gone, and the shudder is gone, and they think they diagnosed it properly. (Although you would need to re-bed the pads either way.)

Incidentally, if rotors are truly warped, they vibrate all the time you use the brakes, not just when you're doing a heavy stop from high speeds the way a deposit/hot spot problem manifests itself...