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Lugnuts, lube or not

I

IA Roy

Well-known Member
I got a car in January. Saturday I decided to see if I could get the wheels off, correct jack, and wrench etc. I found the first one, I could not get one nut off. I got out the impact wrench and still had to work it back and forth and finally had to pull it off with a vise grips. The threads had galled and were destroyed. I then had to use a dead blow hammer to pound it off the hub. Corrosion between aluminum wheel and cast hub and full of gravel dust. The rest of the lug nuts came off, but still had to pound the wheels to get them off. I put anti-sieze compound between the wheel pilot diameter and the hug. I cleaned the studs, lubricated them and then washed them off with carburetor cleaner. I had been told not to lubricate the threads as it can lead to over tightening even with a torque wrench as you get them a lot tighter than with dry threads.
What is the proper way to do this? The lug nuts have tin covers on them to try to keep clean, but evidently didn't do the job.
 
Anti sieze! I use it on almost every thing these days.Especially ground engaugeing parts.AND, lugnuts.....
 
I started my career as a mechanic in a rental yard in the '60's, and have changed thousands of tires by now .From little lawn equipment tires to giant Case wheel loaders ALWAYS use never seize or at least grease on the threads. If the wheel fits tightly on the hub , use it there too . Now we can start the baloney about the lug nuts backing off and over torquing , let the stories begin !
 
for years I never used a torque wrench on wheel studs ... steel wheels... now with some of my vehicles with alum wheels.. I do use torque.. I have been told and read about NOT using lube/antiseze on lugs, spark plugs, etc esp. when torqued... I have stopped on plugs and lugs but still spread on the back of wheels that touch brake drums etc. Usually thats where I have the problem braking loose esp if some time has gone by without removal..with so much different metals used anymore and some metals that react with other metals I will use some anti-seize.. just depends on the application..
 
the alum wheels are a royal pain, esp on a dualley truck. we use a little anti seize on the lugs and the some on the backside of the aluminum wheel where it meets the hub. with alloy wheels, use a torque wrench, then re-torque after about 50 miles or so. generally 75-80 lbs, depends on the mfr recommendation.
 
Another vote for anti seeze ! Just go sparingly on the threads and hub pilot so it doesn't go flying everywhere. I also use a torque wrench too !!!! Never had a problem so far (cross my fingers and knock on wood )
I have seen all the terrible things no lube on the threads and no torque wrench can do when I worked at a car dealer.
 
First, do your self a big favor, replace the chrome-shell lug nuts with some quality, one piece chrome nuts. The chrome shell is prone to falling off, then you're sitting on the side of the road with a flat, and the lug wrench just spins on the nut!

If any of the studs actually galled the thread, they need to be replaced. Easy job, just knock the old one out, pull the new one in with a grade 8 nut and some flat washers.

I do recommend anti-sieze or grease on the threads, especially in rust prone areas.
 
Clean the stud and nut,,,,,,,,,,,wire brush,,,,,,,,,,,light lube..........

That's how I do it and plan to continue as its worked so well like if youre on the road and only a cheap or wimpy lug wrench

Yall do as you please, but Im not changing

John T
 
Do yourself a favor. Never-seize the studs and the hub. Grease or oil everything at the very least. As mentioned below get rid of those stupid lug nuts and replace them with one piece lug nuts.
 
Anti seize on the wheel studs and the aluminum wheel to steel hub interface so you dont need a sledge hammer to remove the wheel next time.

Most times, oiled torque should be about 25% less than dry torque if you use a torque wrench.
My Toyota Prius with aluminum wheels will take full torque with lubed threads, although I reduce it 25% now. My Dodge Dakota pickup with aluminum wheels NEEDS that 25% torque reduction with anti seize on the threads. They would not go to rated dry torque, I suspect had I continued, I would have pulled the nuts right through the wheels.
 
Lube on lug nuts/studs is not recommended but the reason has to do with lawyers.

I use anti sieze and will continue to do so.

Dean
 
Dean is correct with the lawyer thing. Worked at a tire/front end shop for 20 years. Unless you want the wheels to be permanent use a light coat of grease. Couldn't help but notice that dry Volvo studs (Swedish steel) would gall all the time when removed. Been greasing my '90 ford studs since it was new. Still has the original studs and haven't lost a wheel yet.
 
Remember when some cars used knock offs instead of lug nuts? I remember once working on a Triumph that had well weathered, beat up, and seized knock offs on it. That was about 30 or so years ago, and I will never forget that one. That was miserable. Got them off and put new tires on it, but was miserable. I could pick the car up, couldn't get the knock offs off without beating and heating them. They were pretty much welded on when the young lady limped the car in, and pretty much welded onto the drums as well. Back then with the equipment available, change a set of tires in about an hour. That car? Several hours work just to get them off, and then they were spoked wheels too. She was given the car, drove it, didn't take care of it. That was an awful little car. I'll bet it was an awful little car when it was still setting on the dealership floor brand spanking new.

Mark
 
I am surprised there was no negative responses. I have been lubing lug nuts, spark plugs and most any bolt-nut situation for years. I prefer anti seize but will use oil or grease if none is available. I have heard the horror stories but have never witnessed any detrimental effects. I have never had a spark plug froze in an aluminum head after anti seize either! :)
J
 
If they are clean and no rust, than torque properly and you will have no problems, if they are rusty than a drop of oil or so thats all. I have worked on cars for many years, and rule number in the shop is no anti-sieze on lug nuts, period. It will affect the torque to tighten them and to loosen them, i dont like tires comming off going 75 mph. A lot of people have said that they have never had a problem, glad to hear no one got hurt. my two cents
 
Every British thing I've ever owned, I've loved it, but I always come around to the same thought; "But but but, why would they design it like THAT???"
 
I don't use oil, grease or antisieze on lug nuts if it's a road vehicle. I have used a rust penetrant spray. I've heard of guy's with salt trucks using a light threadlocker to prevent some of the corrosion.
 
(quoted from post at 04:13:34 05/20/15) Lube on lug nuts/studs is not recommended but the reason has to do with lawyers.

I use anti sieze and will continue to do so.

Dean
Click to expand...

What he said... If I remove a wheel and the studs are gobbed up with anti-seize it gets cleaned off and leaves DRY. Its noted on the bill and I charge for the extra service...

If it has a bad stud are missing a lug nut and you don't want it replaced I will not allow it to be drove off the lot it has to be towed...

Its OK to lube the hub flange with high temp brake grease... I guarantee you a lawyer can pin all the blame on your arse you will be up chit' a creek with our a paddle...
 
I will almost always use oil or grease on wheel nuts/bolts when re-installing. Especially is they were difficult to remove. I even went over the wheel bolts with a thread chaser the other day when replacing a cultivator wheel. It was a heavy drag on the air wrench all the way out but much nicer putting back together. I've never used a torque wrench on wheel bolts yet. Never lost a wheel either.
 


The two piece lugs on my 2002 dodge 3500 dually.. say to put a drop of oil on each nut, not the lug itself... its a nut with a washer built on the end of it. Its in the owners manual.
 
The manufacturers are covering their behind by stating that the lug nuts are to be installed without lube. But they must also be clean, no rust or damage allowed. The reason for this is because different lubricants affect friction differently. They only way to insure a uniform torque is to not use any lubricant.

That being said I have seen many more loose wheels that were installed with dry lug nuts rather than lubricated. Local tire shop here did tire repairs and replacements for the same fleet I did service work for. They always insisted that the lugs and studs had to be dry. They would hammer on the nuts with their 3/4" air wrench until they deformed the nuts and still had problems with wheels coming loose. When ever I had to remove the wheels for brake work or whatever I would drop the nuts in a can of oil as I removed them. When I put them back on I would just use my 1/2" air wrench. Did it that way for 25 years and never had a lug nut come loose.
 
The concern about using anti-seize on lug nuts is it will prevent them from being torqued properly. But that's because they might be OVER-torqued, not under-torqued. And it's only likely to happen if you use a torque wrench. It seems most of the folks who are anti-anti-seize don't have a problem with using impact wrenches to tighten lug nuts. Impact wrenches are the culprit behind most broken studs and lost lug nuts.

Clean the stud with a wire brush, if necessary. Put a dab of anti-seize on the stud. Do the final torque by hand and you'll be fine. If you insist on using a torque wrench, just under-torque the nut a little bit to compensate for the lubricant.
 
The original poster brings up a good point.
If you live in the rust belt........
rotate your tires often or do some routine maintenance.
If you leave those lugnuts undisturbed for years,
lubed lugs or not...you'll never get them off in one piece.
 
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