We should encourage ....

[Bill Addy]

People change their tires/wheels during the day, there is no way to monitor this. Every driver is responsible to do a mechanical safety check prior to entering the track, EACH session, period.

This guy was obviously busy swapping smack talk with other drivers or stealing signals with his video camera, instead of performing the necessary checks on his car.

Maybe another tech session about track safety and even a club Torque wrench at the trailer for check out (with instruction of course.)

[Autobahn]

Just make a rule that pertains to Mazda owners, they are the ones that can't figure out how to check their nuts.

[ttweed]

...I check them when I come in...

Kary-
Have you ever found them loose after a session when they were properly torqued before it?

TT

[kary]

...I check them when I come in...

Kary-
Have you ever found them loose after a session when they were properly torqued before it?

TT

On occassion I find that they are loose than when I went out. When I have neglected them for two sessions they are definitely less tight then when I torque them down. Truth be told, I probably tighten them every other session, but I do it because I definitely see that they are loosening given the loads. Properly torqued, 95/96 ft/lbs is the spec for a 993, I have seen other do higher but risk warping the hub, if that is possible. I do not know.

[Bill Addy]

Sean, that picture alone evokes a NUT check...

[Tim Comeau]

I'm with Jad on this one...FAKE!
Regardless, Groskemper is spot on with what we, as a region, should do about this.
I have had lug nuts loosen up a little during the day. I check them a couple times during an AX on all my cars.
I did have the lug nuts come loose on some wheels I had just had painted a while back. They painted the entire wheel, including the mating surface. When I torqued the wheels down, the paint crushed off the surface.It fell off the wheel while I was driving. They were tight when I took off, but were loose when I went to torque them again. You live and you learn.

[ttweed]

They painted the entire wheel, including the mating surface. When I torqued the wheels down, the paint crushed off the surface.

Good point, Tim. When I spray-paint my wheels, I always mask the lug nut ball sockets. I have 20 quarters in my tool box, and dropping a coin into each lug hole and centering it does a perfect job of masking the right size circle for the nut, instead of struggling with cutting round pieces of tape or something. This is another reason I am leery of powdercoating wheels--it is the rare powdercoater who will take the time to mask this area, no matter how much you insist on it. Powdercoating is even thicker than paint, and while tougher, will still crumble under intense compression.

It is essential that the mating surface between the nut and wheel is absolutely clean, and to get an accurate torque setting, according to the factory repair manual, one should coat the domed portion of the lug nut lightly with a moly paste or anti-seize compound. The recommended 94 ft./lb. torque setting is for a lubed fastener, which can be different for a dry joint.

TT

[Dan Chambers]

They painted the entire wheel, including the mating surface. When I torqued the wheels down, the paint crushed off the surface.

Good point, Tim. When I spray-paint my wheels, I always mask the lug nut ball sockets. I have 20 quarters in my tool box, and dropping a coin into each lug hole and centering it does a perfect job of masking the right size circle for the nut, instead of struggling with cutting round pieces of tape or something. This is another reason I am leery of powdercoating wheels--it is the rare powdercoater who will take the time to mask this area, no matter how much you insist on it. Powdercoating is even thicker than paint, and while tougher, will still crumble under intense compression.

It is essential that the mating surface between the nut and wheel is absolutely clean, and to get an accurate torque setting, according to the factory repair manual, one should coat the domed portion of the lug nut lightly with a moly paste or anti-seize compound. The recommended 94 ft./lb. torque setting is for a lubed fastener, which can be different for a dry joint.

TT

+1. So very true. The first time I powder-coated my old wheels, I had to sand-off the coating in order to get the wheels to fit! I ended up sanding the inner surface of the hub portion (about 1" dia) and the inside of the lug-holes (itty-bitty Dremel wheel for that one) and sanding off the contact area between the inside of the wheel (backside of the lug-holes) and the flat portion of the hub. Too much sanding for fresh powder coating! Now I recommend people refinish their own wheels to avoid such over-coating in contact areas.

Well, I guess we've worn this thread out. Glas to see everyone responding about lug-nut torque issues. I'll be checking mine more often, for sure. Now ... If I could figure out how to tighten the loose nut behind the wheel....