After 15 years in my garage my 64 Fairlane 500 wagon is on the road. I had to have it ready before my son left for the Air Force. We took a ride on Sat. and he left on Monday. I put Cragar SS wheels all around and they make the car look great! I'm concerned about the unilugs and I keep checking them. What are the torque specs on these unilug wheels? I want to carry a torque wrench so I can check them on the road. Thanks.
FWIW constant torque checking needs to be done carefully. If the wheels are torqued to 80 ft-lbs, don't check em at 80. Check more like 60. It's real easy to throw a couple ft-lbs on em each check and soon they're overtorqued. I've personally never had problems with cragars coming loose. Many of my friends have, but those hacks are using rims with previously egged out holes, or out of balance tires that shake the hub real hard, or lugs & washers with f-d up shoulders. They look at me like I'm on crack when I throw away washers or lugs, and have been known to ask for em after they hit the s**** can. I say torque em every time they're installed. Recheck after going around the block. Then recheck before events like a roadtrip or racing. side note- my car trailer has general-lee mags with that style shouldered lug & washer. (not unilug though). Worst application in the world for that design, but they don't come loose even with multi-state road trips. Stick to the basics and you won't have problems.
BTW, torque is mostly determined by the car's stud size. Not hard to google yourself a torque chart once you know that. I shoot for 80/85 for most shank/washer wheels though. 100 on taper seat steel. 90 on factory taper seat aluminum. But only if the car's studs will take it.
I have had Cragars on a number of cars. In fact my B/Gas Anglia runs them, has since the 60's. I've never had a problem with lugs loosening. When I worked at a tire chain store in the mid 70's we sold a ton of them, this was our procedure for installing; A light dab of white grease on both the thread and the outer shank. (Without the grease we saw many gall and not tighten properly or refuse to come off). Torque 7/16" studs (most Chevy's) to 70-80 ft. lbs. 1/2" studs (most Fords) to 75-85 ft. lbs. Drive around the block and recheck the torque. Never had a complaint of any coming loose. I did break the center out of one on the tire machine, it was on a 62 Corvette and it belonged to a Huntington Beach Cop. I was 17 and scared ****less when he came back. He was totally cool about it and let me drive the car while we waited for the new wheel to come in.
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