Wheels
How to Torque Lug Nuts with a Click Torque Wrench
A wheel is held by five or six nuts and one number. Tighten by feel and you get it wrong in both directions. A click torque wrench gets it right in two passes.
Get the number from the manual
The correct torque for your vehicle’s wheels is specified in the owner’s manual.
Continental Tires, Retorquing wheels
Do not borrow a figure from another car. Wheel torque depends on the stud size and the wheel, and the manual has the one for yours.
Two passes, crisscross
Lug nuts must be tightened in a crisscross sequence according to the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications to ensure even load distribution and correct torque.
Continental Tires, Retorquing wheels
Set the torque wrench to half of the required torque and tighten all lug nuts in sequence. Then adjust the wrench to the full torque value and tighten them again.
Continental Tires, Retorquing wheels
- Snug by handWith the wheel off the ground, run each nut down with a lug wrench until it seats.
- Half torqueLower the car until the tire grips. Set the wrench to half the figure and go around in a crisscross order.
- Full torqueSet the full figure and go around again. Pull smoothly and stop at the click. Do not pull through it.
The click is a signal, not a stop. Keep pulling after it and you add torque the scale never showed.
| Size and range | Use | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 3/8 in. drive, 10–80 ft-lb | Engine bay fasteners | $39.97 |
| 1/2 in. drive, 10–150 ft-lb | Car and SUV wheels | $36.87 |
| 1/2 in. drive, 25–250 ft-lb | Trucks and high figures | $63.87 |
Check again after a short drive
When new wheels or tires are installed, the nuts are tightened properly, but normal driving can cause them to shift slightly as the wheel settles into place.
Continental Tires, Retorquing wheels
After you have driven approximately 50 kilometers on the new tires, the lug nuts must be checked out and, if necessary, retorqued to the same values as before.
Continental Tires, Retorquing wheels
Fifty kilometers is about 30 miles. Put the wrench back on at the same setting. A nut that turns before the click had settled, and now it is right.
What a torque wrench is not for
Do not break nuts loose with it. That job belongs to a breaker bar or a lug wrench. Our 24 in. breaker bar gives you the length for a rusted nut, and the torque wrench keeps its calibration for tightening.
Store a click wrench at its lowest setting. The spring inside rests, and the scale stays true to its ±4% for longer.
Quick answers
What torque wrench do I need for lug nuts?
A 1/2 in. drive click wrench. The EPAuto 10–150 ft-lb model covers most cars and SUVs, and the 25–250 ft-lb model covers trucks with higher figures.
Do lug nuts need to be retorqued?
Yes. Continental advises checking them after approximately 50 kilometers, about 30 miles, on newly fitted wheels or tires.