Dorman part number 610-566

Dorman Products - 610-566

M12-1.25 Serrated Wheel Stud - 14.38mm Knurl, 43.5mm Length

www.dormanproducts.com

 

@aleekat I've done the same. I have also watched some use the torque wrench, it clicks, they say it's correct. The only problem is the socket never turned when using the torque wrench, so they claim to use it and some have no clue it isn't correct. I had that conversation once.

 

it clicks, they say it's correct

Correct as in the fastener is tightened with that minimum torque….

 

@Botnik Yes, it's at least that. The problem is torque is an absolute, not a minimum. When the wrench clicks (we'll just say set at 89 ft/lbs. for these wheel studs), if it clicks at that setting without turning the nut, that nut could be torqued to 89 or 200. No way of knowing.

 

that nut could be torqued to 89 or 200. No way of knowing.

I just use my 90 ft-lb torque stick. I never retorque. The one time I checked with the torque wrench, the torque wrench (set to 89) tightened the nuts slightly more. But I've never calibrated the torque wrench.

A lot of people do the final torquing when the wheel is on the ground and supporting the partial weight of the vehicle. If the seating is conical, now you have that weight pushing against the torque wrench too. I guess you could have all the nuts loose, like half a mm away from seated, and then put the wheel on the ground and use the torque wrench, and after torquing, you could still have that half a mm. That's why you should torque when the wheel is still in the air, and just prevent the wheel from turning, instead of having it on the ground. You could use a chock or something, or just have the other 3 wheels on the ground but not the one you're working on. Or the brake or whatever. Or just torque in the air with the torque stick.

 

@Slacker78700 - You might like to believe it's a supervisory problem, but all it takes for a problem to happen is the person who tightens (or doesn't) the lug nut. It isn't hard to find incompetence in the service sector these days.

It doesn't help that some shops hire people who have difficulty walking and chewing gum simultaneously, and give the "seemingly" simple jobs to those with less experience, thus the threads on overfilled engine oil and drained CVT's.

BTW - Even though you take your Forester to the tire/mechanic shop, any tire installer establishment worth using will tell you that the wheel stud nuts torque should be rechecked after the car has been driven.

Why? The wheels can settle, might have had some debris that dislodged, a tool could be out of spec and even a thoroughly competent person can occasionally make a mistake.

Even though it's an easy 5 minute DIY, If you don't have the ability to check the torque yourself, most shops worth patronizing will do a recheck for free.

 

The conversation was about people having their work done.
There's a difference between doing a job carefully yourself and having a shop do it.

Yes, you can do whatever you like and you may not feel the need to recheck torque after driving.
I am careful myself, but I also recheck torque after driving the first time.
IMO it's a good idea.

 

I was always taught to retorque after 5 to 10 miles of driving. Ive also been living in the mountains for the last 45 years and learned real quick to hit evety lug with at least pb blaster or anti sieze if i got it ( which i alwsys try to) that said ive never had trouble with lugs on any of my subarus but i took my superduty to discount tire and pointedly asked them to not use the impact and be sure to use a torque wrench.
I didnt make it a mile before my left front came off and all 8 lugs were busted from overtorque with the impact.

 

I find it difficult to believe some of the stories in this thread and wonder if half the people explaining how to use a torque wrench have ever actually done so.

This thread ranks up there with the best oil change threads in terms of bad advice and misinformation.