Wheel nut torques

[oakleaf]

Needed to change the track width of one of the tractors here which I recently did. Book said to tighten up rim bolts to 300 Nm and wheel nuts to 350 Nm which is exactly what I did.
Checked them and they were all loose so did them up to 350 and 400 but after a few days they loosened again. This time I did em up to 400 and 450 so will see what happens now.

Anyone got an idea as to how tight you should go. Obviously the book is a bit out.

 

[Dave W]

Getting some new bolts may be a good place to start at those sort of torques

 

[ridger]

I generally tighten with inch drive air gun til it stops turning

 

[Derky]

You lot!!!! If the nut has a washer behind it like lorry wheels as soon as you go over the torque it compresses and will keep coming loose. A common thing on lorries is where people shear wheel studs. Because they are not done up evenly and then stretch the wheel studs. You should do the nuts up gently with a gun then torque nuts opposite each other. Then do it again after a few miles.

 

[oakleaf]

You lot!!!! If the nut has a washer behind it like lorry wheels as soon as you go over the torque it compresses and will keep coming loose. A common thing on lorries is where people shear wheel studs. Because they are not done up evenly and then stretch the wheel studs. You should do the nuts up gently with a gun then torque nuts opposite each other. Then do it again after a few miles.

Yes , but thats exactly what I did and when it was at the "correct torque" they would not stay tight.
Always tighten gently with a 1/2 inch socket at first and always go opposites and then go around with the torque wrench twice on opposites as well.

Tractor is on hedgecutter so that may effect things . Anyway book torque values were simply not enough to keep things tight.

 

[Boohoo]

How soon after the initial tightening were the nuts retorqued? Lorry wheels should be retorqued 30 minutes after the wheels are fitted and ideally again after 50 miles according to the tyre fitters at work. They try to fit new tyres without removing the wheel whenever possible. I'd assume similar applies to tractor wheels. After 400/450 Nm through them I'd say it's time for new studs, bolts, washers and nuts

 

[Dave W]

Did you grease the bolts? Always fall out with old man about that. He wants to put half a tube of grease round everything but can't see its counter productive

 

[multi power]

Did you grease the bolts? Always fall out with old man about that. He wants to put half a tube of grease round everything but can't see its counter productive

I always grease the THREADS but dad wants about half a gallon of oil all over the whole wheel.
Don't want any oil or grease between the nut and the rim

 

[oakleaf]

How soon after the initial tightening were the nuts retorqued? Lorry wheels should be retorqued 30 minutes after the wheels are fitted and ideally again after 50 miles according to the tyre fitters at work. They try to fit new tyres without removing the wheel whenever possible. I'd assume similar applies to tractor wheels. After 400/450 Nm through them I'd say it's time for new studs, bolts, washers and nuts

Redone the following day and again the day after that.
Seem to be holding ok now after the 400 / 450 round.

 

[oakleaf]

I always grease the THREADS but dad wants about half a gallon of oil all over the whole wheel.
Don't want any oil or grease between the nut and the rim

No but did put 2 or 3 drops of engine oil on the threads only.

 

[bobk]

2 jumps on the scaffold pole tightens them here.

 

[Mydexta]

We used to use a major national tyre company for our hgv tyres.

30 minute re-torque
Re-torque after 50 and 200kms, each of which had to be signed for on a ticket that they have after removing a wheel.


They also never used grease or thick oil on nuts or studs, as it affected the torque, or so they said. They used a special " thread lubricant" which was just like water with a funny smell.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

oil the threads, if they are dry, they will bind and give a false reading on the torque wrench

 

[Right-arm fast]

Redone the following day and again the day after that.
Seem to be holding ok now after the 400 / 450 round.

Might be worth getting your torque wrench checked for accuracy. You never know the bolts might not be getting as tight as you think. Must be quite a big one to go to 450.

 

[gone]

Needed to change the track width of one of the tractors here which I recently did. Book said to tighten up rim bolts to 300 Nm and wheel nuts to 350 Nm which is exactly what I did.
Checked them and they were all loose so did them up to 350 and 400 but after a few days they loosened again. This time I did em up to 400 and 450 so will see what happens now.

Anyone got an idea as to how tight you should go. Obviously the book is a bit out.

JD recommend 480Nm on fronts and 500Nm on rears
http://manuals.deere.com/omview/OMAL201481_19/OU12401_0001ABA_19_22SEP08_1.htm

 

[oakleaf]

JD recommend 480Nm on fronts and 500Nm on rears
http://manuals.deere.com/omview/OMAL201481_19/OU12401_0001ABA_19_22SEP08_1.htm

Yes thanks for that . It sounds a bit more like a realistic figure to me.
The old way of a few jumps on a 6 foot pipe I reckon would tighten them up to about 700Nm!

 

[barleybasher]

why not use some of those HGV style visual markers to keep track of things? After doing them up FT of course...

 

[Strawgalore]

Always put a bit of oil on the threads but not grease as it creates a barrier between threads so I'm told , FT for me !