scorpio333

'12 FX4...Replaced the OEM bulging lugs a couple years back with Gorilla lugs due to the high recommendations. In the past 6 months I've lost two. Just now I found one in the street in front of the driveway. I had the front wheels off Friday and I torqued them to 150lbs like I always have. I've never lost a lug nut in my 35 years of driving. Just went around the truck loosening them all and torquing them back to 150. Some broke loose way too easy, others were bubba tight. WTF is going on here? Studs look fine to the eye, I'm wondering if they may be stretched a bit. Anyone else experience this with Gorilla lugs?

dsg2003mach1

suppose it could be the torque wrench as well if something is up with it. Ive been running the gorilla ones for a couple years as well and so far no issues

beaker80

I'm using Gorilla lug nuts. I use them on my summer aluminum 20" wheels as well as my original aluminum 18" wheels fitted with snow tires. They get removed and installed twice a year and I have yet to have a problem. I even use anti-seize and never has one loosened or lost torque.

Spiky

Is there a pattern? Did you miss one wheel? Were the wheels wet when you put them on?

scorpio333

Years ago I forgot to torque a wheel down and slotted the holes on the rim. Ever since then, I've been extra careful. I use the same pattern on each wheel. Wheels are always clean and dry when I put them on.

About 18 months ago the truck started wiggling and then shaking under braking. While chasing all that down and replacing rotors, calipers, etc the wheels were off and on many times all with the gorilla lugs. I read and read when replacing the lugs and the only negative for the gorillas was the price vs the ebay chinese look-a-likes.

Two days ago I torqued them down, went out to see family. Half back roads, half highway about 50 miles round trip. On the way there, nice and smooth. On the way back, vibrations. Rechecked the torque. One or two lugs per wheel had a little travel before the wrench clicked. The rest clicked right away. Plan to check them again in another 50 miles. Until then I need to make 100% sure my torque wrench is accurate.

MPETE

iTrader: (1)

I've been running the gorilla lugs for years now. Never an issue, and on a few vehicles.

Spiky

I've only had a problem when I changed a flat in the snow. Everything was so slippery that my HF wrench was not reacting/clicking properly. Ended up just blasting them on for the night with the impact on a low setting until I could get home with better tools and circumstances. I think that ended up around 200lbft.

I'd say it's the wrench at this point.

scorpio333

Borrowed a digital torque adapter and tested my wrench. Set the wrench to 110 and it shows 113.2 on the readout. Screw the cap off the end of the wrench to adjust it and the handle fell to pieces. Turns out the crack in the handle was being held together by the end cap. Nice. Since it was a Husky I took it to Home Depot fully expecting them to laugh and tell me to pound salt. The girl at the counter, "if we have one back there you can exchange it". Wow, didn't expect that at all.

Anyhow, with the reading I got it seems like setting it to 150 would give me about 154.5. That doesn't seem high enough to stretch the threads, but with doing this over and over for the past two years I do wonder if the nut threads are stretched a bit. The studs look fine.

Found the receipt, I bought the Gorillas in 9/18, here I was thinking it was 2 yrs ago...time flies! Anyhow, I'm ordering a new set. Not worth spitting lug nuts with the family in the truck. At least I have a nice new wrench to torque them down.

Laminar

You could probably torque them to 100ft-lb above the recommended number and not hurt the threads, 5 isn't going to do anything.

dsg2003mach1

interesting, wonder if every now and then it went way outta whack or something. Either way, cool they replaced it.

i doubt they make em for passenger vehicles but for class 8 stuff they have go/no-go gauges for the studs and lugs. Getting knocked on and off with the giant impacts definitely takes its toll on stuff