Lug nut tightening
We moved from a pop-up to a used 26 ft. TT. While reading the owner’s manual it seems the manufacturer seems to be insistent that you check the lug nut torque quite often. Not only while the trailer w...
Forum Discussion
What you are doing is tensioning a bolt, in reality stretching it. You do this
Torque is simply a measure of the twisting force required to spin the nut up along the threads of a bolt, whereas tension is the stretch or elongation of a bolt that provides the clamping force of a joint. Bolts are designed to stretch just a tiny bit, and this elongation is what clamps the joint together. Torque is a very indirect indication of tension, as many factors can affect this relationship, such as surface texture, rust, oil, debris, thread series and material type just to name a few. There are tables that will tell you which torque value to use for each bolt/lug-nut size and lubricated vs dry.
This is one example http://www.countrytrailer.com/WNDisplayItem.ASP?NUMBER=25
I use antisieze and the lower torque value, take the lugs to 10 foot pounds below value do one sequence then 5 below and the final tightening.
Torque is simply a measure of the twisting force required to spin the nut up along the threads of a bolt, whereas tension is the stretch or elongation of a bolt that provides the clamping force of a joint. Bolts are designed to stretch just a tiny bit, and this elongation is what clamps the joint together. Torque is a very indirect indication of tension, as many factors can affect this relationship, such as surface texture, rust, oil, debris, thread series and material type just to name a few. There are tables that will tell you which torque value to use for each bolt/lug-nut size and lubricated vs dry.
This is one example http://www.countrytrailer.com/WNDisplayItem.ASP?NUMBER=25
I use antisieze and the lower torque value, take the lugs to 10 foot pounds below value do one sequence then 5 below and the final tightening.
