R56 lug nut torque
3rd Gear
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 164
Likes: 2
From: League City, TX
As a side note, I use the Nickel based anti-seize. If it gets a little hot, it dries to the consistency of dried toothpaste, effectively acting as Loctite. It definitely does this in exhaust applications, and used to do it on the lugs of the WRX, but not on the Mini wheel studs so far. I guess I need to work on putting a little more heat in those rotors...
-JL
3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 165
Likes: 0
From: Virginia
OK. Called the service department at the dealer. The advisor I talked to confirmed that torque is 103 ft/lbs (+-8) for R53s with 14mm lug bolts too. But he claims anything over 80 and there's really no chance the wheel is going to come off. He further said that they have torque set to 90 ft/lbs when tightening all lug bolts regardless of which Mini or BMW it is on. I'll increase my torque setting when checking my lub bolts from now on but I'm not too worried about making in home.
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,054
Likes: 10
Are my bolts under-torqued? 
If you stop and look at 'em, it's pretty easy to see the difference... not only in size but also in thread courseness.I'd be willing to bet that many service techs are still setting all torques to 88 ft-lbs.
6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,129
Likes: 4
About 3 months ago I had a set of custom wheels installed on my MCS and the tire dealer said the lug bolts where to be torqued to 88 ft. lbs. Ten days later, I was going to work one morning doing about 75 MPH when the steering started shaking violently. I was on the freeway on the inside lane and started trying to work my way over to the shoulder to stop. I had just reached the shoulder and was doing about 20 MPH when the left front wheel came off and rolled out in the freeway where it was hit by another car. This creates a pucker factor of about 9.5!! Needless to say it messed up my day and the fender well, rotor and associated steering components. My car was towed back to the Tire dealer and the rest of the lug bolts where checked for tightness and all were about 1/8 turn loose. The tire dealer had my car repaired and replaced the lost wheel and recommended checking the torque weekly to 88 ft. lbs. This I did and ever week the lug bolts would be about 1/8 turn loose. Finally I purchased some Loc-tite thread sealant and sealed all of the lug bolts with this. Since then I have had no problems with the lug bolts working loose. Now I wonder if the lug bolts had been torqued to 103 ft. lbs. if this would have happened??
Lyn
Lyn
Old thread - But just a reminder to MINI peeps to re-torque your wheels after 50 miles of changing them. Had a wheel come loose yesterday - tightened much sooner than the above experience when I felt a slight thump, thump, thump. Luckily no damage to lugs or wheels. Local Les Schwab torqued them to more like 50 ft lbs. Manual reads 103 ft lbs!
Found a good little wheel torque tech page here:
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/...jsp?techid=107
Last edited by MCS Fever; Aug 17, 2010 at 09:16 AM.
1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Arnold, MD
actually bmw's spec for wheel bolt torque is 120nm which is 90 ft. lbs. and 90 ft. lbs with the amount of tires i've done or rims taken on and off, no ones come back saying there wheels have fallin off. the only cars bmw changed wheel bolt torque on is the 7, x3, x5, x6 is 140nm every other bmw including mini is still 120nm.
6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,129
Likes: 4
actually bmw's spec for wheel bolt torque is 120nm which is 90 ft. lbs. and 90 ft. lbs with the amount of tires i've done or rims taken on and off, no ones come back saying there wheels have fallin off. the only cars bmw changed wheel bolt torque on is the 7, x3, x5, x6 is 140nm every other bmw including mini is still 120nm.
4th Gear
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 470
Likes: 1
From: Harleysville PA
This is a very interesting thread. I had new tires put on today at a local independent tire store. I asked about torquing the wheels and the guy at the counter said they used an air gun and then tightened them by hand. I decided that I wouldn't raise a fuss, just get my torque wrench and check them when I got home. I took the torque wrench and tried to tighten them to 103 lbs and they didn't move. So I thought I'd try and loosen them. Wow, I think Superman works there. I initially tried using the torque wrench and when I couldn't budge them at 140 lbs. I decided to get my breaker bar. I was able to break them loose on three of the wheels. The fourth wheel I had to get a piece of pipe to use as an extension to the breaker bar! I have torqued them all to 103 lbs. I guess my concern is, Are the bolts stretched or weakened and should they be replaced?
4th Gear
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 470
Likes: 1
From: Harleysville PA
I checked everything as soon as I got home. It was only an hour or two and about five miles. Thanks for the quick response.
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