A customer's comment made me ditch my old torque routine

I used to just crank lug nuts until they felt tight, been doing it for like 8 years. Then a customer watched me one day and said 'you know you're gonna warp that rotor, right?' and showed me the spec on his car. I checked the manual and he was right, I was over-torquing by a lot. Now I use a torque wrench on every single wheel I touch, even if it adds a couple minutes. Anyone else get corrected by a customer and actually find it helpful?

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1 Comment

thomas_martinez11h ago

Truer words were never spoken, but the rotor thing is only half the story. Over-torquing also stretches the studs over time, and that's a failure you won't see until it lets go on the highway. Good on you for actually checking the manual instead of arguing with the guy. Most folks would've just nodded and kept cranking. Torque wrench on every wheel is the way, even if it makes the job slower. Just make sure you're using it on clean threads and a dry hub, otherwise the reading goes sideways.