[Mgs] Wheel Nut Torque Setting - 1908 MGB LE

Paul Hunt paul.hunt1 at blueyonder.co.uk
Thu Jun 2 02:19:20 MDT 2011


60ft lb.  75 ft lb should be avoided but shouldn't do any damage on an MGB, 
but could on cars with a smaller diameter stud like the Midget.  A while ago 
I had two tyres replaced somewhere I hadn't used before.  Unlike other 
places I have used owners are forced to spectate from a separate enclosed 
area through a window for 'elfin safety'.  It looked to me like he used an 
air gun to do the nuts up until it chattered, and only used the 
torque-wrench to check that they weren't under-tightened (instead of 
spinning the nuts on with the gun or brace and then using the torque-wrench 
for the actual final tightening).  On return home I started checking how 
much force was needed to undo them with my torsion-bar torque-wrench.  The 
first needed 100ftlb, the second got up to 120 then the torsion bar snapped, 
I had to undo the rest with a breaker bar.  After that most of the nuts felt 
wobbly on the threads (loose on the stud, not clamping the wheel), whereas 
the rears didn't.  Swapping fronts to rears the rear nuts on the front studs 
felt OK, but the front nuts on the rear studs were still wobbly, so I 
replaced all the nuts (V8 so not cheap) as a precaution.  Of course, a 
complaint to the fitting company got nowhere, even involving Trading 
Standards.

Having said all that I never have used a torque wrench when refitting 
wheels, but simply lean down hard on the standard tool, stamping down on it 
always loosens them.  After the above and out of interest I did try 
tightening to 60 with my (new!) torque wrench and loosening as I usually do, 
and vice-versa, and found it came out at about 60-65 ftlb.  If you use one 
of those girly expanding wrenches you should tighten the nuts with it 
closed, or use the vehicle manufacturers tool, and only use the expanded 
wrench or breaker bar for undoing.

PaulH.

----- Original Message ----- 
> In any case, I can not find the wheel nut torque setting for the 
> distinctive LE aluminum wheels.  Over the years I have been using 75 ft 
> lbs but that may not be correct


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