-- [ From: John H. Rodgers * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --

Use the proper torque as specified. It was engineered for that for safety
reasons. As for getting them off, keep a 4 ft section of pipe under the rear
seat or where-ever. Slip that over the end of the lug-nut wrench. 4ft lever
X 180 lb man = 720 ft/lbs of torque. That will remove just about any lug-nut
. After a bad experience with air tightened lug-nuts I abandoned the
standard bent-pipe lug wrench that came with the vehicle. Now I use use a
3/4" drive pull handle with a tight fitting socket. That set-up will handle
the force of the 4 ft lever.

John Rodgers
'85 GL Driver
-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------

Date: Sunday, 29-Mar-98 11:19 PM

From: Bill                     \ Internet:    (billv2@prodigy.net)
To:   Vanagon@VANAGON.COM      \ Internet:    (vanagon@vanagon.com)

Subject: Lug Nut Torque

Thank You all who responded to my call for help.

Th Sears mechanic torgued them to 120 ft-lbs cause he said, if he torqued
them up any higher, I wouldn't be able to take them off. I thought it was
supposed to be set at 123ft-lbs.

Anyway, I have found out that on all Vanagons 1980-91 the lug nuts are to be
torqued to 123ft-lbs!

I think I'll let them set at 120ft-lbs. I don't want to jump up and down on
that lug nut wrench trying to get them off during a snow storm in the middle
of the night to change a flat.

--Bill
'85 GL

-------- REPLY, End of original message --------