Posted: 8/16/2026 11:18:12 PM EDT
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PSA - Check your lug nuts. Check to see if they are loose, obviously, but also check their tightness. I noticed that a tire had gone low on my truck last week as I was leaving work. I thought about changing it there in the parking lot, but since I don't live far from work, I decided to limp it home. Aired it up when I got home. The next morning it was flat, so I had to drive another vehicle to work. Saturday morning, aired the tire up again and drove it to a shady part of the driveway. Started to loosen lug nuts with a 4-way lug wrench. All of them were tight and took some effort to loosen, but one wouldn't budge. Tried an air hammer tool on it - nope. Finally got a 5-foot piece of pipe that fit over the lug wrench and broke it loose. The last place that had done any tire and wheel work on my truck was a tire shop rotation several months ago. I guess somebody wasn't using the right torque stick or whatever it's called. Tire had a puncture in the tread, no foreign object, so I put in a tire plug. Remounted the tire, looked up the torque setting - 140 ft/lbs  . This is for a 2009 GMC Sierra Z-71. I did 130 ft/lbs instead.So, I would have been in deep doo-doo if I had to change the tire somewhere else, if I hadn't been able to get the lug nut loose. I'm going to check the other lug nuts this week and adjust their torques. |
| 140 is the torque spec for for those and it exists for a reason. Wheels aren't going to fall off at 130 but why would you do that knowing what the proper spec is? |
Originally Posted By Steve_T_M:
Political correctness is nothing but left-wing religious fundamentalism.
Political correctness is nothing but left-wing religious fundamentalism.
| I always retorque my lug bolts/nuts every time a wheel is removed for any reason. |
David Mamet said almost two decades ago: In order for modern leftists and progressives to continue advancing a radical and extreme political ideology, they must pretend not to know things.
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Originally Posted By -Obsessed-: You don't rotate your own tires?  I DIY almost every single thing, down to major work. Tire rotations are free where I buy my tires, and I need the record of them to get any money back on the mileage warranty. Plus, on my truck, the tires/wheels are HEAVY, I always considered this a PITA on my back, when I can drop it off at discount tire and get it done for free. If it wasn't free, I'd DIY. |
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Originally Posted By Tejas1836: I always retorque my lug bolts/nuts every time a wheel is removed for any reason. This |
"Makes me realize why there are warning labels on hemorrhoid cream about not using it orally" - Weomi
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Originally Posted By jake03: 140 is the torque spec for for those and it exists for a reason. Wheels aren't going to fall off at 130 but why would you do that knowing what the proper spec is? When I had 20mm spacers on my 2015 Mustang I had to torque the spacers to the hubs at 90 lbs and the wheels to the spacers at 100 lbs. as per the spacer manufacturer. Stock lug nuts without spacers are 150 lbs. I drove for over 70,000 miles like this with no issues. Of course I did use a very tiny bit of red loctite on the nuts holding the spacer to the hub. I finally pulled them off because I got tired of arguing with the counter monkey at DT about NOT torquing to 150. Also use their services because I’m old and a shitty back and I get awesome discounts when the tires don’t even come close to the mileage rating. I live on a road that’s literally called “the mini dragon” by the biker crowd. Lots of hard curves and if I do over 25 mph coming home I can smell my tires when I get out of my car. 
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| Just did a rotate on the Miata yesterday, They come off with a Milwaulkee and go on with a manual speed wrench and a torque wrench, never power anything. |
Liberals are a curious mix of communism and fascism, they want to destroy you but want to use your own money to do it.
I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...
I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...
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Originally Posted By -Obsessed-: You don't rotate your own tires? I do mine on all the vehicles with each oil change....well, except the DRW trucks (too heavy for my lift). |
Stuff I learned from A-Team: 1)Always pity da fool 2)Carry wire cutters (you may need to defuse a bomb or start a car) 3)Never trust a crazy fool 4)Carry grenade launcher/machine guns in the van 5)Know how to weld 6)Love It When A Plan Comes Together
| After a near catastrophic event with my wife’s Titan, I check lugnuts freaking ALL the time. Dealership had done some brake work. Few weeks later wife was coming back from a longish trip and called saying the truck wobbled really bad when she slowed down. Got close to home and she called saying it was just to scary. I loaded my truck with jacks/stands/tools etc and headed out. Got there and of the 6 lugnuts on a back wheel, 1 was almost totally backed off. The other 5 were GONE. Some studs stripped entirely, some broken off. We had to have it flat hauled to the house. The dealership shop manager and I had a healthy and polite (genuinely) convo. He responded exactly as he should. But ever since, I check the damn things and confirm all good. Hell I even bought new lugnuts for it when the originals kept backing off slightly. Yeah I’m paranoid. |
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Originally Posted By Glynn863: So, I would have been in deep doo-doo if I had to change the tire somewhere else, if I hadn't been able to get the lug nut loose. I'm going to check the other lug nuts this week and adjust their torques.  Last flat I had, my Ridgid impact was in the back of my truck. It was like a NASCAR tire change that day. Use the right tool!!! |
Preferred pronoun: MARINE
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Last time I changed a tire I discovered that Ford alloy truck wheels can weld themselves to the hub. First time that ever happened. |
ProTip: Never pick a fight with a tree planter. He swings a hoedad for 9 hours a day, carries 30-40 pounds of seedlings on his back, and has 12-14 friends just like him hiding out on the other side of the junk butt pile. They will fuck your shit up.
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Originally Posted By ScottsGT: I keep my Milwaukee M18 impact in my wife's Pilot. It's the car we take on trips. I'm sure with my back issues I'd mess something up (on me) trying to use the tiny ass lug wrench that comes with the car. Originally Posted By ScottsGT: I keep my Milwaukee M18 impact in my wife's Pilot. It's the car we take on trips. I'm sure with my back issues I'd mess something up (on me) trying to use the tiny ass lug wrench that comes with the car. Originally Posted By wildearp: ...Last flat I had, my Ridgid impact was in the back of my truck. It was like a NASCAR tire change that day. Use the right tool!!! For the truck, it's nice. I can use the big boy to rip the lugs off, the small drill/driver impact to snug everything back up, then a torque wrench to hit final spec. The lug-related part is about 7/8'ths power tools. : - ) |
Disclaimer - OP is bad at knowing things, and might catch on fire.
Vet - Op MMAMA
Every other species kills off their stupid......we cater to them. -- spin-drift
Nobody ever called 911&said I just did something smart. -- TheFlynDutchman
Vet - Op MMAMA
Every other species kills off their stupid......we cater to them. -- spin-drift
Nobody ever called 911&said I just did something smart. -- TheFlynDutchman
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I was on a lengthy trip in my Jeep TJ. Before I left home I serviced the Jeep and rotated the tires. Over 1000 miles from home, we were sightseeing. We parked for 1/2 a day or so at a public parking place while we rode a local steam train. We got back, jumped in the Jeep, and headed back to where we were staying. On the ride back, I noticed a vibration that hadn’t been there before. I checked my lug nuts and the front driver side lug nuts were loose. Not crazy loose but all slightly loose. Tightened them up, test drove it, and all was good again. Before I left, I had torqued the lug nuts to the specified torque for the aluminum wheels. I know with 100% certainty that they were properly tightened. I was paranoid the rest of the trip and kept stopping roadside to check them but they never were loose again. And, in the next two years, never backed off even after subsequent tire rotations. Personally, I think someone intentionally loosened them. No idea why someone would but it’s the only time I’ve ever had a loose wheel and it happened over 1000 miles after I rotated them. I now check my lug nuts periodically when traveling just to be safe. But, I have not had a loose lug nut since. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
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Originally Posted By ColtRifle: I was on a lengthy trip in my Jeep TJ. Before I left home I serviced the Jeep and rotated the tires. Over 1000 miles from home, we were sightseeing. We parked for 1/2 a day or so at a public parking place while we rode a local steam train. We got back, jumped in the Jeep, and headed back to where we were staying. On the ride back, I noticed a vibration that hadn't been there before. I checked my lug nuts and the front driver side lug nuts were loose. Not crazy loose but all slightly loose. Tightened them up, test drove it, and all was good again. Before I left, I had torqued the lug nuts to the specified torque for the aluminum wheels. I know with 100% certainty that they were properly tightened. I was paranoid the rest of the trip and kept stopping roadside to check them but they never were loose again. And, in the next two years, never backed off even after subsequent tire rotations. Personally, I think someone intentionally loosened them. No idea why someone would but it's the only time I've ever had a loose wheel and it happened over 1000 miles after I rotated them. I now check my lug nuts periodically when traveling just to be safe. But, I have not had a loose lug nut since. I preface this by saying that I have bought dozens of sets of tires from Discount tire. This one time, with a new set of tires installed, I was doing my double check and my right rear lugs on my 3/4 truck were finger tight at best. Two took a full spin before the wrench could get to work. I also found the shop keys to the entire store laying in my front seat. I called the store and they asked me to bring the keys over. I made the manager come to my house for them, after all, it was Friday night happy hour and nobody at the ranch was going to drive. I lit him up about the missing torque.  Always check. I bought this tool after lugs repeatedly snapped off during rotations. It was a FCA/Ram thing and they only recalled the 1 ton trucks, but 3/4 and 1/2 ton trucks both had the issue. Hell, I started carrying spare lugs under my rear seat and still do. They weren't over-torquing, the lugs were brittle.  |
Preferred pronoun: MARINE
| Thanks, while checking my lug nuts, I noticed I need new tires, brakes, front end alignment, body work, paint job, delete with tune, inspection and my registration goes out next month.... |
Been called many things: Asshole, hey you, Boats and a few others. The one I cherish is when a Marine called me "Doc"
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Originally Posted By ScottsGT: I keep my Milwaukee M18 impact in my wife’s Pilot. It’s the car we take on trips. I’m sure with my back issues I’d mess something up (on me) trying to use the tiny ass lug wrench that comes with the car. Preach it. |
Been called many things: Asshole, hey you, Boats and a few others. The one I cherish is when a Marine called me "Doc"
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Originally Posted By wildearp: They forgot to torque your lugnuts. I always check after I get home. This little deal is stupid accurate and turns any wrench into a torque wrench. I preface this by saying that I have bought dozens of sets of tires from Discount tire. This one time, with a new set of tires installed, I was doing my double check and my right rear lugs on my 3/4 truck were finger tight at best. Two took a full spin before the wrench could get to work. I also found the shop keys to the entire store laying in my front seat. I called the store and they asked me to bring the keys over. I made the manager come to my house for them, after all, it was Friday night happy hour and nobody at the ranch was going to drive. I lit him up about the missing torque. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/41996/torque-3813869.jpg Always check. I bought this tool after lugs repeatedly snapped off during rotations. It was a FCA/Ram thing and they only recalled the 1 ton trucks, but 3/4 and 1/2 ton trucks both had the issue. Hell, I started carrying spare lugs under my rear seat and still do. They weren't over-torquing, the lugs were brittle. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/41996/Ram_lug_JPG-3013391.jpg Originally Posted By wildearp: Originally Posted By ColtRifle: I was on a lengthy trip in my Jeep TJ. Before I left home I serviced the Jeep and rotated the tires. Over 1000 miles from home, we were sightseeing. We parked for 1/2 a day or so at a public parking place while we rode a local steam train. We got back, jumped in the Jeep, and headed back to where we were staying. On the ride back, I noticed a vibration that hadn't been there before. I checked my lug nuts and the front driver side lug nuts were loose. Not crazy loose but all slightly loose. Tightened them up, test drove it, and all was good again. Before I left, I had torqued the lug nuts to the specified torque for the aluminum wheels. I know with 100% certainty that they were properly tightened. I was paranoid the rest of the trip and kept stopping roadside to check them but they never were loose again. And, in the next two years, never backed off even after subsequent tire rotations. Personally, I think someone intentionally loosened them. No idea why someone would but it's the only time I've ever had a loose wheel and it happened over 1000 miles after I rotated them. I now check my lug nuts periodically when traveling just to be safe. But, I have not had a loose lug nut since. I preface this by saying that I have bought dozens of sets of tires from Discount tire. This one time, with a new set of tires installed, I was doing my double check and my right rear lugs on my 3/4 truck were finger tight at best. Two took a full spin before the wrench could get to work. I also found the shop keys to the entire store laying in my front seat. I called the store and they asked me to bring the keys over. I made the manager come to my house for them, after all, it was Friday night happy hour and nobody at the ranch was going to drive. I lit him up about the missing torque. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/41996/torque-3813869.jpg Always check. I bought this tool after lugs repeatedly snapped off during rotations. It was a FCA/Ram thing and they only recalled the 1 ton trucks, but 3/4 and 1/2 ton trucks both had the issue. Hell, I started carrying spare lugs under my rear seat and still do. They weren't over-torquing, the lugs were brittle. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/41996/Ram_lug_JPG-3013391.jpg “They” didn’t forget anything. I was the one who tightened them. I have a system in place where I tighten lug nuts and then go back around the vehicle and verify each one again. With a torque wrench. Each one was properly tightened. In years of working on vehicles, I’ve never had a loose lug nut. I haven’t had one since. But, I have added during trip lug nut checks just in case. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
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Originally Posted By GaryM:
Good idea to check them occasionally. I have see many lug nuts just laying out on the roadway, they came from somewhere. |
Stuff I learned from A-Team: 1)Always pity da fool 2)Carry wire cutters (you may need to defuse a bomb or start a car) 3)Never trust a crazy fool 4)Carry grenade launcher/machine guns in the van 5)Know how to weld 6)Love It When A Plan Comes Together
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used to get my winter tires installed every fall at a big box store tire shop. I ran in to that problem in the spring when I tried to remove the winter tires. In the fall when I took it in to get the winter tires back on I said tell whoever puts them on to torque the lug nuts... Same story in the spring. whoever the idiot was that put the winter tires on must have used a 3/4 or 1" impact because he stretched the studs so bad I had to replace them..after spending pretty much a day fighting to get the lug nuts off. |
To say that you are on thin ice would be a vastly optimistic view of your current situation. The ice has melted. You are being supported by the surface tension of water.
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Well, this came and bit me in the ass..... New tires on Monday. Pulled my trailer with tractor 59 miles today (Combined weight 30,000 pounds). Unhooked and the entire front end was wobbly. Without the trailer. Pulled the hubcap off and found this....Attached File One stud broken, one lug nut completely unscrewed, wedged into the hubcab, bottom three lug nuts finger tight, top two were tight..... I have no idea how it stayed together. Waiting on a tow truck now. |
Been called many things: Asshole, hey you, Boats and a few others. The one I cherish is when a Marine called me "Doc"