lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
(OP)
Can anyone explain the reasons for lug bolts loosening on aluminum wheels?
I have heard that it is recommended to re-torque after a few miles especially on new wheels. Nobody has given me a good reason why.
I have heard that it is recommended to re-torque after a few miles especially on new wheels. Nobody has given me a good reason why.





RE: lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
RE: lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
Can you tell me why is this more critical with a new wheel compared to a used wheel? Are you actually yielding the material directly under the bolt or nut contact surface?
Wheels are heat treated so there shouldn't be any appreciable natural aging to change the physical properties of the aluminum.
RE: lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
On the same theme---Aluminum wheels with steel inserts for tapered lug nuts don't seem to suffer from this phenomenon.
I prefer tapered nuts and steel inserts but that is not available in all wheels. When you use the sleeve nuts use only top quality (if you can determine that). If possible, and it should always BE possible , make sure that some threads of the bolt sticks out beyoud the face of the wheel. Sleeve nuts are not safe and WILL shear at the sholder if threads don't go past it. 3/8" to 1/2" minimum IMHO for street and completely PAST the end of the nut for competition!
Rod
RE: lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
Cheers
Greg Locock
RE: lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
Natural aging is not really a consideration, as you mentioned. For all of the reasons mentioned previously, new wheels require some amount of "break-in" after which the surfaces remain more or less static with respect to each other.
RE: lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
I hate to contradict TVP, but his last post is not entirely correct - aluminium wheels do experience gross yielding (one of the few joints that does). Because there are five (or more) fasteners, and because the tolerance on surface planarity across the five seating faces is large, it is typical for one or more of the joints to plastically deform before seating. Thus, in addition to the other factors listed above, it is a good practice to loosen and retighten wheel fasteners after their intial tightening.
RE: lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
RE: lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
1) Should the lug nut draw the wheel down (or the rotor&hub up) to close that gap? (effect on mounted LRO & wheel retention)
2) Does the wheel deform/take a set thereby reducing the gap & degrading wheel retention?
Anybody know where to get reference/research material on this topic?
RE: lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
For this reason we create a .010 to .020 Concavity on the Mounting face of the wheel.
Re torquing may be ok or good safe instinct, but O don't think is need it.
RE: lub bolt loosening on aluminum wheels
Greg Locock"
We are the opposite. Our OEM AL wheels use the captive flat washer nut. This being said....yes, we actually want to go to the taper nut to reduce the cost. The cost is about $2USD per vehicle. I acutally prefer the use of whell bolts like all the German vehicle manufacturers use.