I just had four winter tires installed by my dealership. My question is: Should the wheels be retorqued after 100-150 kilometres of driving? The dealership says they don't need to be, but whenever I bought tires from Kal Tire and had them installed, I was required to come back within 150 km of driving to get them retorqued. – Richard R.
As a kid, I remember peering in to my local auto shop watching a mechanic holding an airgun steadily, as it laboured away on a wheel nut. It was a time when the regular practice was to overtighten.
The technician now has to deal with hardware that is made of softer/lighter metals and must hand-torque each wheel nut to a specific measurement every time they are reinstalled. The outcome is a nut that is nowhere near as tight as it was on grandpa's land-yacht.
There are a multitude of reasons a nut could potentially work itself free, more reasons than I have space for here. Every repair facility has at one time or another had to deal with a wheel fastener they installed work itself for free. Hence, each organization develops its own procedures to combat loose wheel fasteners. As far as I am concerned, retorquing your wheels is a dependable strategy.
Lou Trottier is owner-operator of All About Imports in Mississauga. Have a question about maintenance and repair? E-mail globedrive@globeandmail.com, placing "Lou's Garage" in the subject area.Shopping for a new car? Check out the new Globe Drive Build and Price Tool to see the latest discounts, rebates and rates on new cars, trucks and SUVs. Click here to get your price.
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The Canadian Press