Do you guys torque your wheels?

[gooniac33]

I just did a rotation last night and have no torque wrench but I though I had them tight enough and the neghibor works on trucks he said they were too loose. He sort of pushed on them a bit more and they did budge so they werent that tight I guess.

I will buy a wrench but I noticed that at only 5k my fronts look pretty freaking worn compared to the backs. I also talked to the neighbor and he said since the out side edges were more worn that the PSI was low and that I should up them. So I out 42psi front and 40psi rear to get the tire to ride more center and wear more even.

With the hand tool in the trunk I had to push pretty hard on the lugs but its so short that I bet I am some where around 80lbs torque although with a long wrench I realize I wouldnt have to push nearly as much. I didnt stand on it or get crazy but I did muscle it a bit more after the neighbor took the wrench and backed mine off super easy the first time around.

I really hope they will be alright and that I didnt over do it but I have never torqued a wheel before and the 2 neghibors dont either with zero problems. Also while at the dealer I watched them rotate my friends wheels and they just use a air gun. Unless I missed them finsih off with a torque wrench I dont think they used one either. Now days most shops dont torque which sucks but thats not to say its a good thing.

For these tires my new method will be to self rotate at 2500 miles and torque then at 5k miles oil change with balance and rotation again. They wear too fast to not rotate often and I want to buy them again so if I can get 20k out of them I will be happy and choose them the next time around.

PS after you guys torque to 80lbs can you still budge the lugs or are they tight when checked with a solid wrench?

80 LB-FT isn't quite as tight as you might think. But it is the right amount. As mentioned earlier it is important to check them about 10-20 miles after you have had to remove your wheels. Sometimes they will come loose a little and can warp your rotors or even worse you can lose a wheel. For me the best reason for torquing them is for the brakes. They will last a lot longer and since they are constantly heating and cooling you don't want them to warp because of the lugs being uneven. You can even bend your wheels by not under or over tightening your lugs. It is just a good general practice and the reason why I get over 80k miles on a set of rotors. Well with Hondas anyway. Only had Mazdas for a little over a year so will have to see with these cars.

 

[Rotus8]

I
I will buy a wrench but I noticed that at only 5k my fronts look pretty freaking worn compared to the backs. I also talked to the neighbor and he said since the out side edges were more worn that the PSI was low and that I should up them. So I out 42psi front and 40psi rear to get the tire to ride more center and wear more even.

Take your neighbor out back and shoot him. Then go back and put your pressure back down to the low to mid 30's. This is a FWD performance car with performance tires with performance alignment.
- You won't get a lot more than 10K miles from a set of decent tires
- The fronts will wear a lot faster than the rear
- You will wear out the corners of the front tires
Live with it, that's the car you bought. Drive hard, Rotate often.

 

[major error]

For reference, torque specs for the MZ3 (and RX8) are 66-86 ft-lb
...and like gooniac33 said, 80 doesn't feel like a lot of force.

If you're going to do a job yourself, you might as well do it correctly and with the proper tools! While you're at it, get some anti-seize and apply a very thin layer to the hub and mounting surface of the rotor hat (but NOT on the lug studs!)

The only valid reasons I can think of to go above 32psi are 1) autocross and 2) winter.

 

[Rotus8]

BTW, yesterday I was at my favorite alignment shop and while waiting for my turn to talk to someone I spy this chart on the wall showing the torque for wheel nuts on every car you can imagine. Yup, Mazda was there with the expected range. Lots of other cars with torque values from the 70's to like 150 for big trucks. Then I come to Ferrari. Several models with reasonable numbers. But the F-40 says 565 ft-lbs, and the Enzo is 581! This is F'ing impossible, you need a 20 foot wrench and a gorilla or a really big hammer. Yes, the wheels have a single big nut in the middle, but it still can't be done. I would guess there is a units mix-up. Or they really, really don't want the wheels to fall off a $1M+ car.

 

[whitey4311]

Well s*** I figured the extra pressure was needed since I can see that my front tires look a bit sagged at 34 psi compared to the backs.

I ran 42 front and 40 rear today and it felt good.

I checked the lugs when I got home today and you were right a few randomn ones were a tad loose compared to before I drove it today. I may be slightly over torqued but I will buy a torque wrench this weekend and go back through them to check.

I cant imagine being able to over torque with that POS stock wrench since my freaking hands hurt worse then anything. You cant get ehit for leverage on that hand tool so I figure it would take a real gorilla to over tighten using that thing.

When I got home as I said there was a few that when I put a bit of muscle into them they budged just a hair to be completly tight like the rest of them are. Atleast they are all equally tight but I may have more torque then I need but I doubt I have under torqued them.

From here on out I will do a rotation at 2500 miles and a balance and rotation at the dealer every 5k with my oil changes. I hope to get 20k miles on them and if I do I will buy them a second time but if 10k is it **** that!

Will running them a few days using the hand tool hurt anything until I can get that torque wrench and redo them?

 

[SAVAGE70]

According to the owners manual it it calls for 66-86 ft/lbs

 

[whitey4311]

Yes I know that but have no way of knowing where I am at with out that torque wrench.

Like I said I just got them tight to where they wont turn any more but not much past that at all. I didnt get them tight them stand on the wrench but this weekend I will back them off and go back at it with 80lbs like I know I need to.

I just hope and also doubt that no damage will be done with out a torque wrench if oyu do the cross pattern when tightening them and then recheck after a moderate drive. My guess is that I am over the 80lbs right now but I think it would take alot more to kill the studs.

 

[mcb]

i usually torque my wheels at 90lbs/foot wich is what i was told by the dealer mechanic. Anyway anything between 75 and 95 should be good. over 100 is like you want to break something. And plz dont trust the ajustable impact gun... they are mostly not calibrated.

The indoor sticker show that wheel should be inflated at 34psi in the front and 32 on rear tire.

 

[whitey4311]

Well I havent torqued them yet but have checked them with the hand wrench and they are all still tight.

I havent seen the dealer torque them either but thats not to say I dont think it should be done. I will be getting a torque wrench this weekend and will go through and give it a check over and see just how tight I made them. I doubt I could do more then 100lbs with the POS 10 inch wrench but I will still check.

As for the tires they look better with more PSI in them and the fronts sag less. I realize if you are at a track maybe lower them down but for daily driving this means better MPG and better wear of the tire from what I can tell so far.

 

[gr3y]

Well I havent torqued them yet but have checked them with the hand wrench and they are all still tight.

I havent seen the dealer torque them either but thats not to say I dont think it should be done. I will be getting a torque wrench this weekend and will go through and give it a check over and see just how tight I made them. I doubt I could do more then 100lbs with the POS 10 inch wrench but I will still check.

As for the tires they look better with more PSI in them and the fronts sag less. I realize if you are at a track maybe lower them down but for daily driving this means better MPG and better wear of the tire from what I can tell so far.

Rebuttal, anyone?

The car may be performance, but I believe Mazda knew what they were doing when they said 34/32.. I mean you went up 8PSI in front.. that's quite a bit, imo. I could see if you went, say, 36-38, maybe.. Or, perhaps your pressures were wrong and you just need a more accurate pressure gauge. i dunno!

 

[MikeHTally]

... I rotate my own tires and torque them etc. Yes, I know rotating the tires are a simple job, but the time it takes me to drive to the dealer, sit, wait and drive home, I would be finished in my own garage.

Hear, hear!! The time element is the primary reason I DIY. Plus, no one gives me grief 'bout my insisting it be done my way.

 

[neox.286]

Well s*** I wonder if I over torqued them?

Wouldnt you have to really wrench on them hard to over do it with a hand wrench?

Maybe when I get my nice rims I will take it to a nice shop for rotating to be sure they torque it right.

uhm, 80 ft.-lbs of torque is a LOT to get out of a hand wrench, and you said above that you only 'snugged them up'

Id torque them a bit more than 'snugged up', and I would highly recommend you do it before you drive again

a torque wrench tells you when you hit 80ft-lbs so you dont overtorque it, but with wheels I would recommend too much torque than too little if you dont have a torque wrench...so tighten them up some until you can get a torque wrench

harbor frieght has a good deal on a rather nice torque wrench, its where I picked up my last one....some argue their quality isn't there, and I agree, but if you need something to get the job done for a great price, thats a good deal

 

[MicaSp33d]

Well s*** I figured the extra pressure was

From here on out I will do a rotation at 2500 miles and a balance and rotation at the dealer every 5k with my oil changes. I hope to get 20k miles on them and if I do I will buy them a second time but if 10k is it **** that!

Will running them a few days using the hand tool hurt anything until I can get that torque wrench and redo them?

needed since I can see that my front tires look a bit sagged at 34 psi compared to the backs.

I ran 42 front and 40 rear today and it felt good.

I checked the lugs when I got home today and you were right a few randomn ones were a tad loose compared to before I drove it today. I may be slightly over torqued but I will buy a torque wrench this weekend and go back through them to check.

I cant imagine being able to over torque with that POS stock wrench since my freaking hands hurt worse then anything. You cant get ehit for leverage on that hand tool so I figure it would take a real gorilla to over tighten using that thing.

it looks like its kinda sagging because all the weight of this car is in the front. Upping the PSI like that will probably decrease wear on the out side but you will not get the contact patch you will need to corner or have straight line traction. It will feel more responsive because its more inflated and harder but you loose out on traction, braking, etc. Over inflating might just do the opposite and wear your inside tire instead. Just rotate often, this is fwd car so the front will wear like that. The rear has more negative camber so it does not wear the sides as much.

 

[ericrapp]

Not for nothin' but different wheels may require different torque specs. But for stock wheels the shop can set the air ratchet to a different torques before it declutches. I had one shop a long time ago torque my alloys to 135lbs and warped my rotor. It is something we should pay attention too. And it is still true that you should tighten them down in specific manner. 80lbs is easy to over do with a half inch drive imo. Torque wrench is a good investment imo also!

 

[nhluhr]

I didn't use to use a torque wrench on my wheels but recently I started because it really doesn't take much extra effort.

Anyway, regarding the tire pressure - 42 is way too high. If you REALLY want to figure out optimal pressures, you need a skidpad and a pyrometer.

Drive around in a circle for several laps at high speed (almost full cornering speed) until you're sure the tire is HOT then jump out and quickly measure the outside tire in three spots - inside edge of tread, middle of tread, and outside edge of tread. If the temps are equal all the way across, then both your wheel camber and tire pressure is perfect.

If the inside temp is higher than the outside, you have too much negative camber. If the inside temp is lower than the outside temp, you have too little negative camber (this will probably be the case but don't worry about it unless you're competing).

Now, take the average of the inside and outside edges... if that average is higher than the middle temp, then your pressure is too low. If that average is lower, the pressure is too high. Start from the pressure specified in the doorsill of the vehicle and make 1psi adjustments from there.

 

[ericrapp]

How much temp difference from inside to outside would you say before you should adjust pressures. And I wondered on the roundy rounds your method would and is very effective for camber but on the road course, would you not have to check tires from left wheel to right wheel before adjusting camber. I will not explain in full because you already know what I mean, N. also cold pressure and hot pressure. Should this be taken into account?