Stainless Steel Lug Nuts----Don't Use Them!
Some of you may remember an earlier post of mine where I had galled all the lug bolts on my 5th wheel. After a month of many problems I won't bore you with, we solved the problem. Turns out, about...
Forum Discussion
I always use a lube on wheel studs because of the problems I had before using it: namely the nuts being "frozen" onto rusty studs and the horrible screeching when trying to remove them and the excessive force it sometimes takes changing a tire on the side of an Interstate.
My lube of choice is engine oil. I follow the recommendations contained in the "Pocket Ref" manual by Thomas J. Glover. This handy reference book specifies various torque reductions for various applications. I'm certain they can be found elsewhere.
Since my preference for always-available engine oil, I reduce the normally specified torque by about 30% as recommended by the book. If I were to use dry moly film or graphite and oil, the reduction would rise to about 45% to 50% as recommended by the book. It depends on the lubrication value of the substance being used. Never-seize is not specifically mentioned in the book.
So it's true that the use of lube can cause excessive torque, but only if the specified torque value is not known and a torque wrench is not used (which is actually true of non-lubed studs too, if you're strong enough or heavy enough or use a cheater pipe or use air tools, etc).
My lube of choice is engine oil. I follow the recommendations contained in the "Pocket Ref" manual by Thomas J. Glover. This handy reference book specifies various torque reductions for various applications. I'm certain they can be found elsewhere.
Since my preference for always-available engine oil, I reduce the normally specified torque by about 30% as recommended by the book. If I were to use dry moly film or graphite and oil, the reduction would rise to about 45% to 50% as recommended by the book. It depends on the lubrication value of the substance being used. Never-seize is not specifically mentioned in the book.
So it's true that the use of lube can cause excessive torque, but only if the specified torque value is not known and a torque wrench is not used (which is actually true of non-lubed studs too, if you're strong enough or heavy enough or use a cheater pipe or use air tools, etc).
