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Model 3 delivered with 75 foot-pounds lug-nut torque [Update: 75 ft lbs to loosen, not tighten]

Discussion in 'Model 3' started by EVnut, Sep 15, 2018.

  1. Lunares

    Lunares Member

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    Metal caps are perfectly fine, but you do need to coat the valve stem with antiseize first (I used a copper antiseize)

    If you just let aluminum and steel be next to each other bad things happen
     
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  2. FielderJones

    FielderJones Member

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    • Informative x 1
  3. BikerPeaBody

    BikerPeaBody Member

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    used metal caps on cars for a couple decades, never came close to having an issue at any point taking them off
     
  4. GoergeJetson

    GoergeJetson Member

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    Just to add to this thread, rotated my tires the other day, lugs were torqued to around 80 ft-lbs from the factory. I torqued the lug nuts up to 129 ft-lbs when I was done.
     
  5. kevinhanff

    kevinhanff Living the dream

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  6. brur

    brur Member

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    Who knows, conjecture says it is a new engineer who isn't factoring in standard realities. There is not anything special about a tesla's wheels or circumstances that haven't been dealt with in many other cars and light trucks.
     
  7. prestonp

    prestonp Member

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    #47 prestonp, May 21, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: May 21, 2020
  8. prestonp

    prestonp Member

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  9. FringeGlock

    FringeGlock Member

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    129 foot pounds is about the limit of my physical ability. I am not as young as I used to be 60 years ago.
     
  10. brur

    brur Member

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    thank god there is no spare, there is no chance of pulling a wheel with a small jack on the side of the road for all but a few Arnold Swart... types.
     
  11. SomeJoe7777

    SomeJoe7777 Marginally-Known Member

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    Larger/longer torque wrenches make it easier. I recently replaced the one I had been using (Tekton) with this one:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XMSFIM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    This is a Precision Instruments split-beam torque wrench. It's quite long, so less force is required for the same torque compared to a shorter torque wrench, and the split-beam internal design is 1) more precise than the spring design on most other torque wrenches, 2) does not require that you reset the torque to zero to store the wrench (if you leave the setting of 129 ft-lbs on the Tekton when storing it, the spring will weaken and the torque values will get more and more inaccurate over time), and 3) one of the only torque wrenches left that's USA-made (Precision Instruments makes the ones for Snap-On as well).

    It's expensive, so maybe not the right tool for very occasional use. However, I rotate and swap tire sets myself all the time on 2 vehicles, so for me it was worth it.
     
  12. KenC

    KenC Active Member

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    I carry an 18" pipe, in addition to my lug wrench. Use as extension, and it provides just enough leverage for me to remove the lug nuts.
     
  13. elptxjc

    elptxjc Member

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    Just checked my 2021 LR, and all lugs nuts were around 110 ft/lbs; definitely above 100. I set them at 120, since I don't like, nor think it's required, to use more than than on aluminum hubcentric wheels, but that's just me. Removed a lug nut from the Tesla and my other car (also at 120), and felt almost the same, plus all Tesla lug nuts took very little rotation to get them to 120, hence my estimated 110 figure. I use a Gorilla telescopic wrench, by the way, which offers plenty of leverage for 120 ft/lbs. Anyway, manufacturers nowadays go for the highest numbers on everything, from tire pressures, to lug nut torque, just to avoid a potential lawsuit. But the truth is if you're not going to track the car, or push it to its limits on the streets, you'd be perfectly fine with less torque, but since I like to have fun with my vehicles sometimes, I set them to 120.
     
  14. SomeJoe7777

    SomeJoe7777 Marginally-Known Member

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    Dangerous advice.

    Love it how everyone nowdays considers themselves to be the expert on everything, and all the other people who do the job for a living and/or have studied the issue for years are to be ignored.

    Next time you have stomach pain, please remove your own appendix and let us know how well that worked.
     
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  15. elptxjc

    elptxjc Member

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    Guess you don't have common sense then. If you notice, you don't have settings for just a driver, etc. You only get one set of factory recommendations, meaning they're good for up to the absolute max on everything, be it payload, lateral forces, etc. And I didn't give any 'advice'; just mentioned that you don't necessarily have to adopt to factory recommendations. And from 120 to 129, it's the margin of error of a torque wrench man, so hardly 'dangerous'. I'm a mechanical engineer by profession, and have worked on cars all my life, so know better than the average Joe. But yes, those without mechanical knowledge, should stick to factory recommendations.
     
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  16. Gasaraki

    Gasaraki Active Member

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    Yeah... armchair engineers on here think that Tesla came up with 129 lb ft out of their asses.

    Engineer 1:
    "Yo guys we need to make up a randomly high number to put in the manual for lug torque. How about 130 lb ft?
    Engineer 2:
    Na that's too obvious, make it 129 lb ft.
    Engineer 1:
    Yeah that sounds good. Wait why we have to choose such a high number?
    Engineer 2:
    Beats me, it sounds safer.
    Engineer 1:
    Yeah, true. I don't even know why they need to hire us. We just fu*kin making up numbers for everything anyway.
     
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  17. KenC

    KenC Active Member

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    Let's not assume that because it was 129ft-lbs, that that odd number implies some level of precision.

    It could be that the figure is 175Nm, that got translated to foot-pounds, which is 129.
     
    • Like x 1
  18. The_Observer

    The_Observer Member

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    Just metric to imperial unit conversion things, from 175Nm to 129lb/ft.
     
  19. CDN-Build

    CDN-Build Member

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    I’ve read that you mostly can’t accurately check the “tare torque”, using a torque wrench. Most articles I’ve read indicate that it’s not an accurate way to check.
    One article indicated a dial type torque wrench would be more accurate, but the consensus seems to be you can’t tell.

    So to the many posts here indicating the torque was at 80Lbs;
    Is it possible that it just can’t be read correctly, and the torque was right, or pretty close to 129Lbs ?
     
  20. Phlier

    Phlier Bluebird

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    I just tighten 'em up until my shoulder clicks. Works for me.
     
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