Re: Do you put Never Seez on your lug nut studs?
Never put lube on wheel nuts...<br />Unless you see a spec. for a specific application that gives a specific torque for a specific lubricant, clean and dry is the rule!<br /><br />Better to rust than loosen.<br /><br />If you lube, lube the threads after assembly and after torque to prevent rust.<br />If you DO lube before assembly, cut the torque by at least 25%.. but it's a guess at best, you're really taking a chance, the actual stud stretch varies a lot with different lubes. Stretch those studs past their elastic range, into their plastic range and LOOK OUT for yielding bolts and flying wheels....<br /><br />Generally, 10%-30% of dry coarse thread torque turns into stretch. 70-90% is overcoming nut to rim friction, uncleanable debris, and thread friction. The torque spec. they give you is based on this.<br />Add a lube like moly and that number for stretch can go to 60% of the input torque!<br /><br />(This is why the guys building race motors don't use a torque wrench on con rod bolts, they use a vernier caliper to measure stretch!.. bolts and studs are like elastic clamps -& they have a very small range of stretch before they yield)<br /><br />On cars that have only 4 studs per wheel it is even more critical torque is applied properly.<br /><br />Here in Ontario, flying truck wheels were at epidemic levels into the late 90's...there were some horrific deaths on the 401 highway through the Toronto corridor....it got no better when techs started increasing torque values thinking they were helping... we really learned a lot of stuff about torque in the few years that was going on... seems almost a non-issue now... despite poor roads, 53' trailers, 600+HP and 75 mph a typical combo
<br />
