Overheard a guy at the parts counter say he never uses torque wrenches on lug nuts

I was picking up a water pump at NAPA on Wednesday and this older mechanic was telling the counter guy he just tightens lug nuts 'til they feel right. Said he's been doing it for 30 years with no issues. Made me wonder if I'm being too careful with my torque specs... do you guys ever skip the torque wrench or am I just being overly cautious with my 80 ft-lbs?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadeyoung23d ago

A buddy of mine lost a wheel on the highway because he just guessed the torque.

nancy82023d ago

Lol my cousin did something similar with his truck last year. @wadeyoung, he never even used a torque wrench because he thought the impact gun was good enough. One lug nut snapped off going 70 and the wheel started wobbling like crazy. He pulled over just in time thank god, but it took us an hour to find a tow truck out in the boonies.