center lock wheel nut torque

[J Leonard]

Anyone have a torque spec for large diameter center lock wheel nuts? About 2 5/16 by 8 tpi. taper seat on indy and big sports racers.

[Charles Warner]

I used 300 ft/lbs on the Ralt RT-24 & March F1s. Alloy nut with taper seat. A very small amount of anti-seize but only on the threads! When I got the Ralt the anti-seize had been applied to the taper and it took an estimated 1200 ft/lbs to remove the nuts.

[Jim Gustafson]

My Swift DB-4 is 150, on my RT-5 I think we used 120, or close to that. My Lola 332 had knockoffs and we just got a bigger hammer.

Jim Gustafson

[DB4 Tim]

Jim...Doug At FastForwad....says we should be running this...if you have his rear stub axles...

275lbs. Rear Inner Nut
200lbs. Front Inner Nut
130lbs. Wheel Torque with anti seize

[Charles Warner]

Guys,

The application is different. These are very large tapered usually hollow alloy nuts, and usually directionally threaded, that fit into a taper into the wheel. They are not what we have on atlantics or other small bore formula cars. They are used on Indy Cars. F1, etc. The torque values are way higher than we are used to.

[J Leonard]

Thanks Charles
Yes the nuts are the large nuts. The Atlantis use 110 to 125. This is for an ARGO JM-16 GTP car. 300 sounds better than four hits with a 3/4in impact wrench set at 150psi. We got this car with the nuts loose but we have also gone through the siezed nut removal on an 85C March Indy car, not much fun. Thanks for the info. Jim

[Charles Warner]

Thanks Charles
Yes the nuts are the large nuts. The Atlantis use 110 to 125. This is for an ARGO JM-16 GTP car. 300 sounds better than four hits with a 3/4in impact wrench set at 150psi. We got this car with the nuts loose but we have also gone through the siezed nut removal on an 85C March Indy car, not much fun. Thanks for the info. Jim

I found a 1" impact gun at a local tool store with 6 settings, 100 - 600 ft/lbs.

[fastguy25]

Hi Charles,

I just bought a 88 March Indy Car, would you happen to know where I can find a socket that would fit the center lock wheel nut?
The car did not come with the socket, so I can't change the wheels...or get them off.

Thanks,

Frank Foley
909-680-8394

[Charles Warner]

I may have one. Let me check and get back to you.

[J Leonard]

You need the pin type socket that goes into the pocketed nuts not just the standard 2.5 or 2.75 inch six point hex socket?

[Pop Chevy]

300 ft lbs sounds right. I bought a big 6 pt socket and a monster 1" drive torque wrench off ebay.

[R. Pare]

I just bought a 88 March Indy Car, would you happen to know where I can find a socket that would fit the center lock wheel nut?

What size is the socket you need? I have a bunch of NOS 3" 12-point sockets left over from the old March importer stuff from the '80's.

if you eve need any setup info on the car, I can probably get some for you from Fitipaldi's engineer (Lee Dykstra) if he still has his notes.

[EYERACE]

Is this guy just bragging?

[wmunsey]

We run 400 on my Swift 08 FA and 350 to 400 on our GTP and Group C cars with anti-seize on the threads and clean dry tapers.

[racerdad2]

I've seen a torque wrench multiplier used on an FA set to 600 ft lbs. My Reynard is a wimpy 120.

[Jim Gustafson]

200, 300, 400, 500.....why?

Jim Gustafson

[racerdad2]

High Horsepower. High Torque. High Speed. Hi Vibration. Large wheels & Tires. All with large diameter stub axles & wheel centers.

It was impressive watching them use the torque multiplier. Very large & heavy wrench.

[Jim Gustafson]

I've worked on a Can-Am car with a 494 Chevy, Center seat Can-Am, F-5000, F-Atlantic and never used anything even close to those big numbers. Having said that, you do have to follow the manufacturers recommendations. I just don't understand such great torque requirements.

Jim Gustafson

[wmunsey]

I tried 250 on the FA and the left front wheel exited at about 100mph. Fortunately no damage but the wheel went about a qtr of a mile after it jumped the fence. I'll stick with Swift's recommended torque of 400!

[Charles Warner]

Swift recommended 400# yet you chose 250#. And why would that be?

While we are at it- how do you know there was no damage. Have you crack checked the upright?

[wmunsey]

The irony, back when I first bought the car 5 or 6 years ago, no books or specs, listened to the advise of others before getting the actual info from Swift. On my side, stupid, excited to get in the car which was supposedly "race prepped and ready to go". Lessons learned the hard way. Nice step up from the FM I ran for five years prior.

[Jerry Kehoe]

Remember the high torque settings are for large diameter nuts, RT4s, etc use 140-150 lbs or you will mess up big time!

[DB4 Tim]

What FA car was that.....?

I tried 250 on the FA and the left front wheel exited at about 100mph. Fortunately no damage but the wheel went about a qtr of a mile after it jumped the fence. I'll stick with Swift's recommended torque of 400!

[Fred Michael]

Pretty sure Swift 008, 014 and 016 all use 400#/ft

[wmunsey]

Fred is right. Swift 008 with the large wheel nuts.

[DB4 Tim]

Should have bought a DB4 they do not use those crazy high TQ's

[glenn cooper]

I used 300 ft/lbs on the Ralt RT-24 & March F1s. Alloy nut with taper seat. A very small amount of anti-seize but only on the threads! When I got the Ralt the anti-seize had been applied to the taper and it took an estimated 1200 ft/lbs to remove the nuts.

Hi Charles, Just trying to get my head around this, for future reference n' all that...
With the taper coated in anti seize, did this allow the nut to tighten even more, possibly/probably giving a false (lower) torque reading, which then lead to the huge over-tightening?

Thanks, GC

[Charles Warner]

That's what happened. Had to buy a bigger impact wrench just to get the wheels off.