Lug wrench

[porthole]

or maybe 15/16

 

[JohnDar]

or maybe 15/16

I don't think it's quite that big, but I've been known to be wrong before.

 

[lwmcguir]

I took the advice of the Heartland Manual and bought a torque wrench. The first 500 miles, I checked as the manual directed, and tightened lugnuts every time. Since then, I've been surprised that there are slightly loose lugnuts just about every time I check - at the start of every trip.

From the Heartland Manual:

Proper wheel nut torque is essential to safe and dependable trailering. The wheel and axle systems used
in RVs are similar in many ways to those used in cars and trucks, but they differ in several important ways. These
differences require special attention to wheel nut torque both while the trailer is new and throughout the trailer’s life.
Trailer wheels must carry much higher loads per wheel than passenger car or truck wheels. Furthermore, wheels
on tandem axle trailers do not steer, and are subjected to very high side load stress whenever the trailer makes a tight turn.
When you go around corners – especially slow, tight ones – the wheels on your trailer are subjected to these strong
side loads. This tends to flex the wheel and gradually loosen the wheel nuts. Although the materials and manufacturing
methods are maximized for this kind of service, these extra load stresses and flexing can cause loosening.
It is critical that the wheels be properly torque at the start of the trip and every 50 miles for the first 500 miles
of road operation. Although the wheels have been properly torqued before leaving the manufacturing plant, settling
and wearing in of components during the first few miles of operation may cause some loosening of the wheel nuts.
The wheel nut torque is 120 ft-lbs. Always use an accurate torque wrench to tighten wheel nuts. A torque wrench
with adequate accuracy is available at most automotive tool stores. Considering the overall investment in the trailer, this
is a very reasonable cost. Use of a torque wrench can also reduce the effort required to tighten the wheel nuts.

I use a small black permanent marker to note which lug nuts require tightening after the first couple of times. The third time the same Lug Nut is loose it gets tossed and replaced. Seems to work for me and after those are discarded we are good for many miles.

 

[lwmcguir]

I picked up two of the Husky Pro torque wrenches at Home Depot. The 250 and the 100 ft-lb ones. The bigger one for the lug nuts and higher torques, the smaller one for the spring bolts. I also like to work in the mid-range of the tool, rather than it's limit. For infrequent use, they should be all you need without taking out a mortgage on one.

Same ones I have. The large one is great for the TV and the coachl.

 

[lwmcguir]

Thanks, I'll just make sure I have a 3/4" & 7/8" with me. I'm also going to buy a new torque wrench. Stay warm.

Should be 7/8 inch. If by chance you have the smaller wheels then 13/16. All the stock 1/2 and 9/16 studs are normally fitted with 7/8 lug nuts.

 

[TeJay]

Gentlemen,
Good information about torque wrenches and her's some more. When used properly they can do a fair job but they do have serious limitations. Most are only 20-30% accurate at best. Even the best ($$$$) are most accurate in the middle of their range say from 30 to 70-lbs on a 100-lb wrench. You can use it as a ratchet but never to break the lug nut loose, especially if it was torqued with an air impact wrench. That type of excessive force will reduce the already questionable accuracy even further. The clicker style are great but they should always be brought back to zero when putting them away. That will prolong their accuracy.

Why do we even use them if they are not real accurate? When tightening a series of bolts on a cylinder head, crankshaft bearing or wheel even if your torque wrench is off by 30% at least ALL of the bolts will be torqued 30% more, & that's the key. The clamping force is off but it's off the same amount for every bolt & that's OK. Sometimes bad things happen when a series of bolts are torqued UNEVENLY. With an engine the heating & cooling may allow a gasket to blow if the torquing pressure is uneven. With a wheel, especially on a disc brake system uneven torquing, heating by the pads then allowing them to cool will cause the rotor to warp and it will stay warped.
The auto industry on aluminum block engines has gone exclusively to, "Torque to yield" bolts. They eliminate the inaccuracy of standard bolts. When installed they are purposely torqued beyond their elastic limit & they will stretch. When they stretch they will apply the exact same clamping force for every bolt. They are very accurate & necessary for aluminum engines. The downside is they can only be used once.
I do have a question because I have never had a travel trailer before. Cars will have different torque specs for lug nuts from make to make. Is the torque spec the same for all TT's ?? Someone said they are all torqued to 120-lbs. Is that accurate??

I hope this clears up some ideas about torque wrenches.
TeJay

 

[lwmcguir]

Torque for most of the 1/2 inch studs is 120 but the 9/16 should be 150 pounds or so. Alloy Wheels on trailers tend to relax a bit so you need to check the nuts after 50 miles or so and then again around 150. They should be holding their torque setting by then. On our 5/8 lugs on the 10K axles we torque them at 225. Sometimes it depends on the wheel type so always check with the manufacturer.