Just realized my mentor was right about using a torque wrench on every lug nut

He told me that back in '08, and I thought it was overkill until I warped a rotor on a customer's Civic last month. Now I see it's the only way to be sure you're not creating a bigger problem down the line. How many of you actually torque every wheel, or do you still go by feel sometimes?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan_perez29d ago

@paul_nguyen that cracked wheel story makes me wonder how many garage owners actually check their guys' work?

paul_nguyen2mo ago

My buddy Jake in Milwaukee had a customer come back with a cracked wheel last winter. Turns out his new guy just zapped the lugs on with an impact and didn't check them. Cost him a grand to make it right.

william9172mo ago

Honestly, going by feel has worked fine for me for years. A torque wrench just adds time to a simple job, and you can get a good sense for it after doing enough tires. Maybe it's just me, but I've never had a problem with rotors warping from uneven lugs. Feels like extra steps for something that rarely goes wrong.