How much torque is required to remove lug nuts

You need a lot of toque to remove old rusted lug nuts

You’ll need just about 150-ft/lbs of torque to remove lug nuts that you’ve just installed. But you’ll need 800-ft/lbs or more later on when those same lug nuts are rusted in place.

The amount of torque needed to remove lug nuts largely depends on how much torque was applied when the nuts were last installed. It the nuts were over tightened, you’ll obviously need more torque to remove them. In addition, rusted lug nuts and rusted wheel studs will dramatically increase the torque needed to remove them.

What is normal lug nut installation torque

Typically, passenger vehicles require lug nut torque in the 80 to 100 ft-lbs (foot-pounds) range for steel wheels and slightly higher for alloy wheels, typically around 90-120 ft-lbs. Trucks and larger vehicles will often have higher torque specifications, usually 120 to 150 ft/lbs.

But once a lug nut is torqued, it requires more torque to remove later on. (If removed right away, it requires less torque, but once the tightening friction heat dissipates, it requires more torque).

Rust and heat changes torque values

If the lnuts are open, as opposed to capped (acorn style), the nut and wheel stud can rust which will increase the amount of torque needed to remove them. It’s best to spray rusted lug nuts with a rust penetrant before attempting removal. PB Blaster and Liquid Wrench work much better than general purpose lubricants like WD-40.

An air powered or battery powered impact will make removal much easier. But NEVER use an impact to install lug nuts.

An impact wrench will always overtighten lug nuts

Overtightening a lug nut can damage the wheel studs, causing them to break. Excessive torque can also stretch the threads of the lug nut, making it much harder to remove them next time.