I can't imagine a breakdown service or tyre fitter not having a torque wrench, touch wood never had caravan tyre trouble but I have had more tyre changes when I was on the lorries, never liked the hard shoulder one when I was dicked to go on night trunk for a couple of months in winter the nuts always got torqued up, apart from one occasion when I had a trailer wheel bearing go just after coming off the M25 at the A2, a fitter turned saw the wheel was still on the trailer and just removed the bearing hub cap , removed the wheels and hub cap in one replaced the bearing and nut put a big socket wrench on his torque wrench, I was on my inside forty five minutes.
On three different occasions the breakdown person has never used a torque wrench. He simply tightened up as much as possible the "old" way. First time was on M4 near Porthcawl, second time near Upton on Severn and 3rd time was in France. First time was a blow out on a 2 year old tyre, second time was a tyre and third time was a slashed tyre.EH52ARH said:
It has been common practice now for several decades for car manufacturers to issue torque settings for wheel fastenings, and I seem to recall that a few years ago there were some test cases where fitting companies were taken to task for not using the correct torques settings, resulting in the major fitting companies reinforcing their procedures with double checks on wheel nut torques. Certainly over the last 10 years I cannot recall any tyre change or event where the wheels of my car have been removed where the fitters did not use a preset torque driver/ torque spanner to tighten them.
But these have all been under the controlled conditions of a permanent work shop. I can certainly imagine that some less scrupulous mobile fitters who don't have their boss standing over their shoulder may cut corners, but equally I'm sure there will be plenty who do the proper job.
But I do wonder about some caravan workshops, and whether they all fully appreciate the importance of correct tightening of wheel nuts/studs. Perhaps the NNC should be reiterating the importance to all their members.
But these have all been under the controlled conditions of a permanent work shop. I can certainly imagine that some less scrupulous mobile fitters who don't have their boss standing over their shoulder may cut corners, but equally I'm sure there will be plenty who do the proper job.
But I do wonder about some caravan workshops, and whether they all fully appreciate the importance of correct tightening of wheel nuts/studs. Perhaps the NNC should be reiterating the importance to all their members.
This morning I had my caravan serviced by a NCC mobile fitter, on the service form was the torque setting and his and his 2 nd fitters signature for the wheel bolts torque, and then he showed me the bolts being Torqued again. So next time out a 8 mile run home and then a retorque by myself.
We check ours at home and about 10 miles later. We had a wheel come off 3 miles from home. We had a puncture at home so fitted the spare which was steel. Our van had alloys. As the wheel was carried under the van - as are many, surface rust was around the bolt holes. Although torqued correct;ly as the surface rust wore off the bolt loosened. I queried this on this forum and with our van manufacturer and they said the steel wheel did not need different torque to the alloy. Our van was only a couple of years old and serviced annually so not some wreck.
Pinto said:
My handbook has a Swift label on the front which gives a lower torque for steel than for alloy wheels and this is repeated in the text inside in the Changing Wheel section. I’m quite puzzled as to the advice given to you. What make and model of caravan and year do you have?
Our last van that this happened to was a Coachman VIP, and not that old at the time, we had it from new. I can't remember know the age Coachman said no difference in the torque between the wheels and handbook didn't say any different. My husband a big (old) Landrover fan did question the torque and the bolts for a steel wheel as opposed to an alloy but Coachman assured us afterwards everything should have been ok. I even had a reply on this forum from someone who towed hundreds of miles across Europe with a steel and an alloy and had no problem.
Hey Ho, that caravanning for you
Hey Ho, that caravanning for you
It was a bit unprofessional not to remove the surface rust in the area of the bolt holes before fitting the spare wheel. It should be obvious to any trained fitter that loose rust is bound to reduce the tightening torque over time.
Pinto said:
I wonder what Coachmans advice is now as if it is different your posts could potentially mislead someone.
On my 2013 coachman 560 VIP states on the data plate 130 Nm for Alloys and a lower torque for the steel spare wheel. But the same bolts can be used for steel and alloy wheels.
As an add on the handbook states for alloy wheels the bolts are marked with a 10.9, and are the only ones to be used with Alloy wheels, but can be used on both steel and alloy wheels. and also when Torqueing alloy wheels torque to 85 Nm./ 65 ft. Lbs , in the set cross pattern for a 5 bolt fitting. , then to 130 Nm. In the same pattern.
This is standard engineering procedures.
This is standard engineering procedures.
Gafferbill said:
Lutz said:
.........according to the publicity around at the time,
Bailey more or less admitted that their recommended wheel bolt tightening torq was insufficient.
They raised the recommended figure and as a further precaution specified bolts of a different design.
Their investigations showed that all the wheel detachments followed removal and refitting procedures since leaving their factory.
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