IMPORTANT: New Model S torque specification for mounting wheels

[shiny]

Is anyone worried about issues with their wheel locks since they are torqued on so tight?

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Yikes! That's awful! My wife's Pontiac uses those lug nuts, and I had to replace 13 of them (at $10 a pop at the dealer) because they had distorted to the point of being useless. I had been using an impact gun on them, but won't any longer. Ditto for the Model S if it also utilizes these type of lug nut.

mknox, unless those Pontiac lug nuts are something special, I'd probably go with McGard or Gorilla... they make decent stuff for less $$.... (or try Costco! in tire shop)

 

[artsci]

Is anyone worried about issues with their wheel locks since they are torqued on so tight?

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mknox, unless those Pontiac lug nuts are something special, I'd probably go with McGard or Gorilla... they make decent stuff for less $$.... (or try Costco! in tire shop)

Just checked mine. They were all very close to spec, none off more than a lbft or two

 

[JohnQ]

Just checked mine. They were all very close to spec, none off more than a lbft or two

Todd's selling a lot of new torque wrenches, isn't he?:biggrin:

Though I expect artsci already had one of his own.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

4. Advice from the Tesla rep I spoke too: Tell ownership (email etc.) about your ideas and concerns. It does matter. They do listen. And new features do come from it. (This was in reference to some comments I made about things like "adjustable cruise control tolerances".)

Very cool to hear this. The Model S could indeed be the first crowd-sourced automobile. Ten thousand heads are better than a hundred, especially if the hundred don't actually own the car and drive it every day.

 

[artsci]

Todd's selling a lot of new torque wrenches, isn't he?:biggrin:

Though I expect artsci already had one of his own.

Actually I have three

 

[brianman]

Just another data point...
Took my Sig Perf (with 21s) by the Seattle Service Center. They were "about 10" N.m. low.

I forgot to mention that the car felt a bit less "wiggly" in the rear after doing this. No idea if just a mental projection or reality though.

 

[Thumper]

I wouldn't stress much about lug nut torque accuracy. I know I did opine on poor quality torque wrenches but really five giant fine thread nuts are just not going to be a big problem. They are not going to come off and if they are all the same, they will not distort the disc brake hat. Those are the only real issues with lug nut torque to the best of my somewhat experienced opinion. Just torque them the same, near the spec and in a criss-cross pattern. Take them down about 2/3 all the way around and then bring them down fully. If anyone has any problem after that I'll be surprised. (disclaimer, I HAVE been surprised on occasion.)

 

[tdiggity]

I bought a kobalt torque wrench awhile back. Got it from lowes and haven't had a problem. You can even have them test the accuracy at the store (ymmv).

 

[EarlyAdopter]

Thank you for posting this. My Model S had developed what felt like a slight "stickiness" to what I thought was the motor, noticeable when starting from a stop or engaging/disengaging heavy regen. I just torqued the lug nuts to this new spec - they all needed considerable tightening - and it's gone. Problem solved.

 

[wycolo]

>The old spec was 140N.m. (103 lb/ft) . . . The NEW spec is 175N.m. (129 lb/ft) [TRL]

You do not give a source for the old spec, so I repeat myself: this is pure nonsense. The working spec from day one as the Sigs rolled off the line was 125 lb/ft. And no mechanic worth his salt would ever torque this car to a measly 103 lb/ft. Never happen - would violate the very core of his being.

Use of Torque Wrenches by a busy tire/alignment shop makes sense. They achieve consistent results across the board and can afford the initial tool cost plus regular re-calibrations. For the DIY home gamer it makes zero sense. The only torque wrenches that might make sense in a small automotive shop are the low-torque ones for precision assembly work. And forget about impact wrenches; power wrenches are used to save time threading up, but then use the TW or breaker bar.

Photo: 24 inch breaker bar with 13/16 inch socket. THIS should be inside every ModelS, or at least in the home garage. You throw about 70 pounds of shoulder force into this at the 21 inch point (center of grip area) and the result is about 130 lb/ft of torque. 125, 129, 130 lb/ft = no statistical difference, its all good.
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[Jello]

Does this torque spec apply to aftermarket wheels on my Model S, or only factory wheels?

 

[Birger]

At the behest of this thread, I checked my lug nuts today. They were fine but I thought I noticed that the nuts were chrome sheet-metal covered type. I pulled one all the way off and sure enough they are. This type of lug nut is nothing less than an abomination.

I'm not familiar with the english here (being a Norwegian), but I fear that I understand what it is. Could you pleas post a picture of the nuts?
If it is the same as I have on my Ford Mondeo... then it's realy not good.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

>The old spec was 140N.m. (103 lb/ft) . . . The NEW spec is 175N.m. (129 lb/ft) [TRL]

You do not give a source for the old spec, so I repeat myself: this is pure nonsense. The working spec from day one as the Sigs rolled off the line was 125 lb/ft. And no mechanic worth his salt would ever torque this car to a measly 103 lb/ft. Never happen - would violate the very core of his being.

Apparently, you did not read my response to your prior missive. Here is the pertinent line out of an email I received from Tesla Service in Watertown, MA on March 15, 2013:

"The torque spec is 140N.m, and there are jack points in the four corners, all just inside the wheel well."

(The 103lb/ft was my own number, taken off the dual scale on my own torque wrench in an attempt to equate lb/ft to 140N.m.)

On May 2nd, I received this followup:

"There has actually been an update recently, the new torque spec is 175nm for both styles of wheel. We’ve got two systems with that different information right now as we transition to a new software… so I’d err on the side of the higher number!"

I hope this resolves your doubts for once and for all. Make of this what you will. Perhaps 140N.m. was given to me in error, but it wasn't my error.

 

[Jello]

Does this torque spec apply to aftermarket wheels on my Model S, or only factory wheels?

 

[ToddRLockwood]

Does this torque spec apply to aftermarket wheels on my Model S, or only factory wheels?

I'm not an expert, but I assume that it would be the same. The real issue is the torque being generated by the motor, and that won't change with alternate wheels.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

I was told at the Fremont Factory that the torque spec for wheel bolts is 180Nm and it was never 175Nm, the service rep said that number only came from other websites (here?)...

 

[Klaus]

I was told at the Fremont Factory that the torque spec for wheel bolts is 180Nm and it was never 175Nm, the service rep said that number only came from other websites (here?)...

Interesting!

Let's just hope the bolts are not high tensile strength steel susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement <snicker>

 

[Kaivball]

Interesting!

Let's just hope the bolts are not high tensile strength steel susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement <snicker>

Only the best that $6 billion can buy...

 

[yme]

I was told at the Fremont Factory that the torque spec for wheel bolts is 180Nm and it was never 175Nm, the service rep said that number only came from other websites (here?)...

It probably doesn't matter much, since the two numbers are so close, but page 19 of the Model S Safety Information booklet, available at https://www.teslamotors.com/mytesla/manuals/, says 175 Nm.

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I don't understand the joke about hydrogen embrittlement.

 

[yobigd20]

you know, I had my tires rotated early last week (by tesla) and ever since then I feel like my MS is 'sticking to the road' better. It's pretty noticeable. I feel a lot less like I'm "gliding around". I wonder if its due to them tightening the bolts.