Lug nuts - how many turns?

Hey guys, did a quick search and couldn't find anything. Just wondering what the minimum number of turns on a lug nut would be to be considered safe. With my stock sport wheels the lug nuts turned around 12 times before they were tight, on my aftermarket wheels and new lug nuts I get between 6 and 7 turns before they are tight. Just want to make sure it's still safe. Thanks for any info!

 

Torque is your friend and it should be about 80-85lbs. Please don't rely on "how many turns til tight"

 

The issue isn't torque, his issue is thread engagement, and it is a valid concern.

80ft/lbs with only 3 threads engaged is not good.

 

+1

Longer shanks on the nuts, or longer studs.

 

This if the threads are cross threaded then that's no good. I usually start it by hand and then pull it down with the t-bar until it's nice and tight.

 

Yes, I have them torqued correctly, but I would think the number of threads would come into play as well. If you are at 85lbs but only have 2 threads holding, I don't think that will cut it. 7 threads seem reasonable, but I was just wondering if there is an actual minimum to go by. Thanks for the responses.

 

I jumped to conclusion, and reading comprehension failed me. Sorry!

 

Agreed... and that works fine for stock wheels and stock lug nuts.

But he's got wheels that are thicker than stock, or is using the cheapie wheel spacers that move the wheel 1/2" or less.

That is pushing the lug nuts out and creates two issues....
The nut is not fully engaged (and I agree that 7+ threads is enough to hold the wheel), but it is also putting the stress riser from the end of the lug nut's shank in the middle of the stud. The end of the lug nut should be within a couple of threads of the hub face.

There is more than one reason that the "plate" type wheel spacers are not a good thing.

 

I did the same on first read... then on re-read I thought "WTF? He's only threading them on halfway before reaching torque?"

 

I'm actually running aftermarket wheels (dick cepek dc2's), which have 4" backspacing and -12 offset. The lug nuts are a different style than the stock ones, so that's probably the main difference. Rich91710 - your post makes sense about having the end of the lug nut close to the hub face instead of the middle. I'm going to go take one off just to see how close it is.

 

Hard to tell, but it looks like the end of the lug nut is about 3/4's of the way down the stud towards the hub. I'll just stop by a tire shop tomorrow to make sure I'm safe.

 

I seem to remember lug nuts should grab minimum their width in thread. So, a 1/2 lug should grab 1/2" of thread. That should be about 6-7 turns.

 

I would get longer studs installed. If Toyota decided 12 turns was enough and designed a margin of safety into the design, then you're probably still okay with 7. But I wouldn't risk it.

 

I just did a bit of research and found this answer come up quite a bit. According to this I should be safe, but I'll still double check with a tire shop for peace of mind.

 

90 is fine.....

I use 100ft lbs on all my vehicles and have for many many years.

 

Found this on another website:

. Check the lug nut thread engagement. Every stud must be long enough to thread into the lug nut a legnth at least equal to the stud diameter. For example, a 1/2" thread diameter must thread into the lug nut at least 1/2". Check for this problem on every stud, some may be of different lenghts. Less than one stud thread diameter engagement is unsafe and will cause loos of lug nut torque. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE PROPER THREAD ENGAGEMENT, DO NOT INSTALL WHEELS.

 

go to a tire shop and get a different style lug nut with the proper shank

 

I recently bought wheelspacers form motorsport tech and they said you want at least 8 turns on the lugs for it to be safe.


I'd recommend getting some ET (extended thread) lug nuts for your aftermarket wheels. Or some longer studs if you want... But apparently "8" is the magic number.

FWIW, torque is 83 ft lbs

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/wheels-tires/119883-wheel-studs-too-short-what-do.html

 

So the .25" spacers that Wheelers Offroad sells are bad? Its only a 1/4" and I have the ET lugnuts. I just want the extra clearance from the calipers