Can studs spin when tightening lug nuts on the RV?

[vipermanden]

I just picked up my RV from being serviced for our next season of adventure, and as I double checked the torque on the lug nuts on the 5th wheel, about two on every wheel, just turned about 1/2 -3/4 of a turn before my really nice torque wrench clicked? Is this because their air wrench lost power on two out of 8 lug nuts for each wheel, or are the studs spinning? Plus they would not fix the clanking center caps, because they said it was liability issue??? So how are all of you new buyers quieting your noisy center caps from clanking at low speeds. We checked about a dozen Montanas on the lot, and all of the center caps are loose, and clank when driving slow, so it sounds like a newlywed couple arriving at each RV park!!

[MARK A]

The nuts were probably just loose unlikely they would spin in the hub.
You can take the wheels off and gently 'egg shape' those center caps by hand. Then they won't rattle.

Mark

[BB_TX]

The studs are press fitted into the hubs. Sounds like the lug nuts were not properly tightened if they needed that much turn after not towing very far. Or your torque wrench and theirs are not calibrated the same. That may be only a couple lbs difference.

My older model hubs are not loose at all. Must be something about newer models.

[Dam Worker]

Always check the torque after pulling your unit twenty miles or so. As for the center caps, at least on mine, look at them carefully as my has some raised spots that if aligned properly with the rim takes away any slop. My old Vangaurd's center caps did not have this feature and always clanked.

Tom Marty

[twindman]

I thought I read that you should check torque at 50 miles and again at 500 miles after rotating or putting on tires.

[Mudchief]

I would say they were not properly tighten. We are on our 3rd Montana and none of them made a clanking noise. On mine the center caps have a flange on the back that press against the hub when the lug nuts are tight.

[vipermanden]

I checked the lug nuts "before" I left their lot. They had serviced my bearings and axles etc., and I do not trust anyone but myself. It was weird that two out of 8 on every wheel needed lots of tightening. It is almost like the tech is used to a 6 lug wheel, and was counting, and left two not finally torqued on each wheel? I will check again when it is cold out, and before we go on our long trip next week. Then at our first park after 300 miles. As far as the center caps go, egg shaping sounds good, if I can do it cosmetically? I was thinking of using that high temp RTV orange silicon glue. I told the dealer while they were servicing it and had the wheels off, to just put some duct tape strips in there to take up the small amount of space, and they said it was a liability issue, and that they might catch on fire some day????

[PSFORD99]

Originally Posted by vipermanden

I checked the lug nuts "before" I left their lot. They had serviced my bearings and axles etc., and I do not trust anyone but myself. It was weird that two out of 8 on every wheel needed lots of tightening. It is almost like the tech is used to a 6 lug wheel, and was counting, and left two not finally torqued on each wheel? I will check again when it is cold out, and before we go on our long trip next week. Then at our first park after 300 miles. As far as the center caps go, egg shaping sounds good, if I can do it cosmetically? I was thinking of using that high temp RTV orange silicon glue. I told the dealer while they were servicing it and had the wheels off, to just put some duct tape strips in there to take up the small amount of space, and they said it was a liability issue, and that they might catch on fire some day????

You can usually flare out the small flange on the back of the caps with some pliers, and that will allow it to tighten up .

If they are leaving lug nuts not torqued up to spec, I would be pretty concerned how well they did your bearings. Reading post like yours keeps me away from dealers for anything, other then the last resort.

[phillyg]

I've never had, nor have I ever heard, of studs spinning. I suspect they were not properly torqued, or they loosened up a bit.

[kdeiss]

Very important to check the Lug nut torque I check it frequently when traveling.

[Irlpguy]

What you describe with your lug nuts in no way would indicate a stud turning, if you put enough torque on the nut the stud would more than likely break before it spun in the hub. It is not unusual for one torque wrench to tighten a nut a 1/2 or 3/4 turn after being torqued by another wrench and might amount to only a couple of pounds. The fact that you did not get that effect with the other 6 or so might just as easily indicate they were torqued higher than the setting you had on your wrench and might have been slightly over torqued from what ever your setting was.
As to the noise from the caps, I have seen this on some trailers and as was suggested can often be eliminated by bending the flange a small amount to make a tighter fit between the rim and the hub. My 2012 has never made any noise but I have done this on other wheels.

[vipermanden]

I'm guessing the air torque wrench they used just was not very accurate, or like I said before the guy was thinking of 6 lug wheels, and counted to six and stopped? You know how you are supposed to torque them to the final foot pounds in 3 stages, I'm guessing the final stage he forgot two on every wheel. It just scared me that I was pushing down 3 times on my long torque wrench before it would click, and yet the other 6 on each wheel clicked right away? I should have called over a service tech to let them see what I was getting, so they could fix their procedures? As far as the clanking center hubs go, I will take off each wheel one at a time, and use a center punch, and punch a few divots in each hub, until it has resistance pushing it back on the wheel.

[rohrmann]

It is very possible the six nuts that were already tight were actually over-tightened, and the two that you were able to get a part of a turn were not. If it were me, I would loosen all the lug nuts on all the wheels, and then re-tighten in the proper sequence to the proper torque, and then follow up with re-torquing after pulling the trailer down the road. At this point, you really have no idea what the nuts were torqued to.

[Phil P]

Hi

Irlpguy has it correct the studs on the Montana would fail before rotating on the flange the only studs I have had rotate like that are on big trucks and they were the double nut wheel arrangement that requires a large stud that the inner nut had corroded so it would turn also on these vehicles we use a 1 inch impact wrench much larger than anything you would use on these small studs.

As for the rattle of the hub cap I never experienced that and have removed mine so it is easier to service the EzyLub hubs.

I check the torque of my wheel nuts at least once every trip normally at the first stop.

I would say the dealer used what is called a rattle stick on their impact wrench instead of a torque wrench to set the torque and this is contrary to the instructions of the wheel manufacturer.

Phil P

[kdeiss]

https://rv-roadtrips.thefuntimesguide.com/rv-wheels/

[vipermanden]

Fun video! Now i have a dumb question. Since I have the longest and heaviest Montana, I just assumed I was supposed to be torquing my lug nuts to the 140 ft. lbs., but since the lug nuts are only 3/4" and i am assuming the studs are 1/2", it says i should only be torquing to 120 ft. lbs.? The owners manual i got from Keystone does not say which torque mine is supposed to be at? So I guess I have been over-torquing all this time? Does everyone else with the 2016-2017 Montanas have to use a 3/4" socket, and the studs are 1/2"?

[rohrmann]

I have 7,000 lb Dexter axles with 1/2" studs, and the nuts need a 7/8" socket, and they get torqued to 120 ft lbs. Only if you had 9/16" studs would you torque to 140 ft lbs, and I'm pretty sure you do not.

[cw3jason]

Right out of the manual
Re-torque lug nuts after first 10miles, 25miles, 50miles, then check torque before each trip. this is very common to have lug nuts loose and the need to be re-torqued until they stop settling in.

Wheel Reinstallation After removing a wheel from your RV for any reason, you must carefully follow a 2 step process: 1. Wheel Reinstallation 2. Follow-up Step 1) Wheel Reinstallation During wheel reinstallation, the lug nut torque must be applied in 3 stages. This will ensure the wheel studs are centered in the wheel holes, and will help the lug nuts maintain proper torque. Start all lug nuts by hand. Stage 1: Set your torque wrench to 20-30 ft/lbs (50-60 ft/lbs for 9/16” stud). Begin with the appropriate bolt for your wheel (12 o’clock position for 8 and 6 hole wheels and 2 o’clock position for 5 hole wheels, as illustrated) and apply torque to all lug nuts following the star pattern indicated. Stage 2: Increase your torque wrench setting to 55-60 ft/lbs (90-100 ft/lbs for 9/16” stud). Begin with the appropriate bolt for your wheel and apply torque to all lug nuts following the star pattern indicated. Following stage 2, the wheel can support the weight of the trailer and can be lowered off of the jack stand. Stage 3: Increase your torque wrench setting to 110-120 ft/lbs (140-150 ft/lbs for 9/16” stud). Begin with the appropriate bolt for your wheel (as illustrated) and apply torque to all lug nuts following the star pattern indicated. Step 2) Follow-Up: Retorque after 10, 25, and 50 miles: 1. After the first 10 miles of your trip, pull your recreation vehicle off the road into a safe work area. 2. Set your torque wrench to 110-120 ft/lbs (140-150 ft/lbs for 9/16” stud). 3. Begin with the appropriate bolt for your wheel and apply torque to all lug nuts following the star pattern indicated. 4. Reapply torque (at 110-120 ft/lbs or 140-150 ft/lbs for 9/16” stud) and repeat steps 1, 2, & 3 again at 25 miles and at 50 miles of your first trip. The follow up process is complete and you should refer to the general lug nut torque maintenance process described in “Pre-Trip Maintenance”.

[vipermanden]

Well I am in luck. I guess my old click torque wrench, which I bought when I was autocrossing 35 years ago, was erring on the light side by 10-15 pounds. I bought a real nice click stop torque wrench today, and tested them against each other on my Truck. So I have probably only been torquing my Monty to 125 pounds. I will undue and start over before our next trip.