How many pounds do you torque the lug nuts?

 

108 ft/lbs. First tighten all nuts slightly with wheels off the ground, then lower and use a torque wrench to spec.

 

Spec in the manual is 65-87ft-lbs; we use 85-90ft-lbs on ours. Would recommend staying on the high end of the range, particularly with aftermarket lugs and/or wheels.

 

108 ft/lb is a TSB update to the FSM specifications.

 

^sweet...i was just abotu to make a thread asking this very question :D

 

Ah, thanks for the update on that. Revising my RX-8 notes right now. . .

 

Is it worth getting a $200 torque wrench when all you want to do is to change wheel for track days?

What brand torque wrench do you recommend?

 

^whatever your local professional mechanics use in Australia?

 

................ ^^ that costs $$$$$$$. Anyway, I will ask him when I buy my new wheel tomorrow.

 

I use the old (and relatively cheap) beam-type wrench where the bar flexes and the indicator points to a scale. But then I'm an analog kind of guy.

 

Would you like to be out on the track one day, have a couple lug nuts come loose on a wheel and then watch one of your wheels bounce out in front of the car when the bolts shear? Odds are it won't happen, but you still wear a helmet on the track, right?

 

Here's what I'm talking about, for $30 (US) on sears.com, accurate enough for lug nuts... and they'll give me a new one if it breaks.

 

^i have that same one, still working great :D

 

yep, because the new spec (108 lb-ft) is pretty darned high. Doesn't leave a lot of margin for overtightening.

 

How many of you have the RAY'S Engineering aluminum lug nuts, or anything similar to that. Does the lighter lugs make any difference in drivability at all?

 

Couldn't agree more. Cheap insurance, IMO.

In addition, uneven torquing can cause your brake rotors to warp due to the differing stresses around the hub. I get so pissed every time I go to a dealer or tire shop and see the idiots using impact wrenches to tighten lugnuts. Although some of the better impact wrenches have torque settings, they are seriously inaccurate, as they depend on constant calibration, correct air pressure, the same ambient temperature as used in the calibration shop, etc. Much better to set the torque evenly with a good (mechanical) torque wrench. Far cheaper than warped rotors, and the resulting thunk-thunk-thunk whenever you hit the brakes.

Takahashi, I bought a nice Craftsman click-stop torque wrench at Sears a couple months ago for $89.00 (US). Not sure what that would translate to in down-under dollars, but it's a pretty good deal here in the States. I have an analog/beam torque wrench too, but I (personally) much prefer the click-stop.

Best,
Bill

 

I have brought myself a click stop type.

Made in Taiwan but calibrated and tested. Insurance ++.

Not too expensive $76 Aussie bucks, since it is from an Ozzie company.

My lock nuts, which are made for Mazda cars including RX-8, said that their nut torque is 88-118Nm which is much less than 108 lb ft (130-140 Nm). I tight them to 80lb ft (110Nm). I guess I follow the instruction of the lock nut then it will be ok right? :o

If I use the stock nuts again for the track day, I will tighten them to 108 lb-ft.