I torqued lug nuts to 150 ft-lbs for a decade because a guy at a tire place told me tighter is safer

Amy Walker · 2026-10-14T19:20:03.842907+00:00

A 2019 Chevy Malibu came in last Tuesday with warped front rotors and the owner said two other places told her it was just normal wear. I checked the spec, it was 100 ft-lbs, and I had been going way over on everything from Civics to F-150s because some old timer told me back in my lube tech days that you can't over-tighten a lug. Pulled out my torque wrench and actually read the door jamb sticker on the next five cars and every single one was 80 to 100. Stretched studs and warped rotors make a lot more sense now. Curious if anyone else got taught the same bad habit starting out or was that just my shop.

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I torqued lug nuts to 150 ft-lbs for a decade because a guy at a tire place told me tighter is safer | Auto Mechanics - HW Forums