Wheel stud lube

[Bilbo]

Hi all

 

Well I have always copperslipped mine on all cars and just done up to recommended torque. Never lost me nuts so far (should I say all in best working order ... no best not) 😬 Current milage on the Caterham err 55,000 ?

 

I have snapped the studs on two cars years ago when undoing them before using copperslip a REAL PAIN to replace. Both were Alli wheels so may be some salt reaction comes into play. Also could be caused by overtighten by Mr 'fastest replaced tyre mechanic'

 

Torque setting 40-45 as my 1988 manual, de-dion car.

 

'Can you hear me running' ......... OH YES and its music to my ears 😬 😬 😬

1988 200 bhp, 146 ft lbs, 1700cc Cosworth BD? engineered by Roger King, on Weber's with Brooklands and Clamshell wings, Freestyle Motorsport suspension.

[J A T Richardson]

humm.. so much different practice; so few problems. My Caterham manual recommends 55 lb/ft for the wheel nuts (I've just looked it up). I'd forgotten this, so have been running at 65 lb/ft for a LONG time, with threads that get the odd spot of WD-40. Never had a problem (except once, when a Kwik-f*****r forgot to torque them up at all...)

 

 

[paul jacobs]

So, the concensus of opinion is that all books say that wheel nuts and studs should be torqued up dry, but we all know that they will corrode and freeze so how can the two states be achieved?

[elie boone]

I think its more importend to torque then up evenly rather than use'ing lube or not.

If you hit the wheel key (+ type) with the palm of your hand you can get 5 to 6 mkg easely when the wheels are unloaded. Then you put it back on the ground and torque them up correctly.

 

[Asklepios]

Paul ,

As most of us fettle, or should that be "fiddle", we probably have the wheels off more often than most tin tops. This is probably the best wat to stop the nut seizing on. However ,I wonder what the concensus is on using the copper finished nuts ( Walkers Garage Lancia Intgrale etc), which seem ,and this is only an impression, more rust resistant. Note this is not coppaslip.

 

[Grim Reaper]

I have the Copper coated nuts (from Walkers which is just down the road as well incidentally), look good, work well but of course you can't get copper coated locking nuts so they are a little 'insecure' as a consequence.

[conorkaby]

Horrifying example...Several yaers ago my father lost a front wheel whilst racing a Mallock U2 at Snetterton. Not sure if the threads were lubed but I suspect that in the rush to change rubber the nuts were not torqued. He hit some old railway sleepers at high speed, the nosecone seperated and hit him in the head. Result was fortunately only a broken nose and a wrecked car. I follow the no grease line but would prefer a locking device of some sort. Do they exist commercially or has anyone used locking wire?

[Luke Beaumont]

You could always dab a bit of the weak pink Loctite (222?) in there.

[Vortex]

Of course, Copaslip isn't actually a thread lube in its strictest sense - it's an anti-seize compound. When ARP etc refer to a thread lube they're talking about an oil with a proportion of molybdenum disulphide which is very much slipperier than a copper grease.

 

I've always used Copaslip and correctly-torqued nuts, bearing in mind two of my vehicles have had ally nuts and would seize very easily in wet/salty conditions if not used. Never lost a wheel or discovered a loose nut.

 

Ed

[stevefoster]

I've had a wheel come off.

That was due to over torqued nuts where the threads were pulled (done by the previous owner).

Unless you check the threads very closely you will not see this.

I was running slicks for 2nd or 3rd time that track day and braking very hard after a long straight for a hairpin.

Anyway, on the other side of the circuit through a chicane the steering felt a little strange.

No clonking at all. Back on the main straight I slowed and waggled the steering wheel and bang off came the front left. NO warning other than a slight looseness. No clonking etc.

 

Now shes all fixed up with long studs and racing wheel nuts.

 

I am not impressed by the quality of some of the wheel nuts on offer. i believe the standard studs can be too short on some wheels.

 

I lube the threads sparingly with light oil and torque to 55ftlb.

I check the nuts torque after each track session or every couple of road weeks and have never had a problem since.

 

Hants (North) and Berkshire Area club site here

My racing info site

here

 

 

 

 

Edited by - stevefoster on 13 Feb 2004 06:46:31

[Phil Bishop]

At the risk of going off at a slight tangent (like a loose wheel on a bend...) I recently took off my car's front hubs to grease the bearings. I was horrified to realise for the first time how little actually holds the whole assembly on. This thread seems to me to be ignoring the fact that however you deal with the four wheel nuts, the whole lot is actually held onto the rest of the car courtesy of a single greasy nut, done up little more than finger tight and held in place by a split pin that looks no more reassuring in its dimensions than a paper clip.

 

As for the wheel nuts, I have always used a bit of copperslip, checked them regularly, and never had a hint of any of them loosening. But in future I am tempted to replace the copperslip with superglue.