What is the general rule of thumb for torqueing the nuts on a wheel stud (more specifically tsws)

My studs were hand tighten plus a generous twist little using a torx screwdriver + blue loctite.
I applied anti seize on the nuts and torqued my Tenzo type M 18x8 (front with 5mm spacers, rear no spacers) to 96 foot pound. According to a DIY coilover install, they suggested 103 foot pound for the R56

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ll-how-to.html

I am not sure as of now and dont want to over/under torque my wheels

I would hate to have anything fall off...

 

103 is about the stock spec. One of the best ways to not have them fall off is to torque once, then torque again after your first trip.

I think I would have used jam nuts to snug the studs more than you can get with a screw driver. Did they have no instructions? "Hand tight" you may find you remove the nut and stud like a bolt. Usually, the stud is tighter than the nut.

 

stud is tighter than the nut? I was told by many as well from way @ way motor works that the studs should be torqued to 8 feet pound.

When i had lugs, the shop that mounted my wheels torqued the lugs to 90. I added an extra 6 to the nuts because of the anti seize.

I do agree with re-torquing after the first trip. That shouldnt be a problem.

 

Hand-tight for the studs is fine.

For the nuts, 103 lbf-ft is the correct spec, but putting anti-seize or any other other lubricant on the threads means that your torque wrench will read artificially *low* (that is, you're applying more stretch to the bolt than the wrench reading would indicate), so the fact that you only torqued them to an indicated 96 lbf-ft is probably just about right.

 

Just worried cuz these arent oem wheels but if that doesnt matter... than i guess i hit it right on the spot

 

pillar is correct on torque measurements. If the thread is not lubed, you really have no idea how much torque you are applying. This is why really critical bolts in race engines are torqued to a measured length, not a torque reading. (I run AS on all mine. Torque at 100. Stock bolts. Wrench has not been calibrated in 30 years. Hmmmm. better make a jig. ) As Pillar says, you would REDUCE the wrench reading for the equivalent stretch/clamping force. Not increase. The shop that did them at 90 either was very smart and saw the lube, or was really stupid and did not know the spec. 80 to 90 is what most cars run. ( Except old Spitfires, which are 54. Trust me, they mean 54!)

The only problem I have with hand tight is if the stud decides to back out rather than the nut coming off. Once torqued, all the stress is uniform, which is what I gather you are saying. AS on the nut, stud lock on thread it should not. I would just have snugged them a tad more. My preference.

 

I've seen a lot of shops that still list 88 lbf-ft for the torque spec since that's what the earlier MINIs used. Or as you said, they just used 90 lbf-ft as a "typical" value. I doubt they intentionally took the lube into account.

 

Then torque to 103 foot pounds on a R-56

I can't tell you about anything older.

Also it is a good idea to use a little "neversieze" on the hub lip (A very little) that the wheel slides onto. Rememer, just a little. You can get a tube of it from any auto parts store.

 

The R53 had 12mm lug studs and the torque was the same as BMW bolts at 88lb-ft

The R56 uses 14mm lug bolts, and the torque spec is 103 lb-ft.

With the use of studs, the torque spec really depends on what material the nut is made of. Some are steel and some are aluminium. You really need to talk to the vendor or the manufacturer for the correct spec.

 

The wheel bolt changeover didn't correspond exactly with the switchover from the first-gen cars (R50/R53/R52) to the second-gen cars (R56), although it's close.

All MINIs produced after about mid-July 2006 got the larger bolts, so there are quite a few first-gen cars (especially convertibles) running around out there with 14 mm bolts. You're correct that all the R55/R56/R57 MINIs will have the larger bolts, though.

 

2 out of the 4 nuts on each of my front wheels with spacers needed to be re-torqued. Ill just continue to check my studs every 100ish miles. Not that big of a deal. I love using a torque wrench. I think its one of my favorite tools.

The reason I torqued to 96 was because I though it would need an extra 6ish pounds due to the anti-seize applied on the nuts. This was assuming that 90 ft lbs was the standard for aftermarket wheels. I guess I torqued it properly for the wrong reason!