Hello everyone,
Does anybody knows how much torque in foot pounds is needed to be applied for tightening the nuts on the wheels of a Ford Escape XLS automatic model 2005? I tried to contact our local Ford rep but as of this moment, no reply has been sent yet. Thanks in advance.

 

Why do you need to know that?

 

I suspect because he owns a Ford Escape XLS automatic model 2005?

 

That figure can't be critical - look at every mechanic with an air wrench. It's doubtful than any two produce the same final torque. Snug them down as tight as you can. A 4 way lug wrench is preferable to the sorry thing provided by the factory.

 

I've got aluminum wheels and go with 90 ft. lbs.

I've been told steel wheels are good with 100 ft. lbs.

I've also been told that you really just need to crank lugnuts down tight (2 grunts was the measurement given) and you'll be fine.

 

For the 01-05 Escape torque is 100ft-lbs.

Uneven torque on lug nuts can cause some warpage in the brake rotor (if the imbalance is drastic). A skilled impact wrench user can get them the torque close enough from nut to nut as not affect the trueness of the rotor.

Just FYI, <snip> is a good source torque specs for lugnuts.

 

I guess most people don't changes tires themselves these days, just get on the cell phone, and call the tow truck. I drive clunkers, so no tow truck, and not too concerned about actual torque. Usually tighten them until the vehicle moves, don't want to over do it, since I'll most likely be the one who has to loosen them. Haven't had brake problems, they usually die of some other cause. I also sometimes drive on tires, until I get tired of hearing the metal cords slapping around the wheel well...

 

Thanks to all of you for giving your attention regarding this matter. I've seen a lot of car accidents because of improper tightness to the nuts of the wheels especially when driving on rough and uneven road surfaces or on high speed highways. We are always driving on mountainous areas and I love my kid and my wife. It's a simple thing to do in order to avoid accident. Thanks again, everyone.

 

After a wheel has been removed and replaced, it is important to re-torque the nuts after driving about 50 miles. Surprising how they can loosen.up after a removal and reinstall.

 

I'm surprised that no one has mentions that you should tighten down the
oppisite lug as you go. Keep switching the opposite lugs until they are tight.

 

Just for the record, for those of you who do change your own tires, the torque spec is important. It provides the elastic forces to hold the lug nuts on and the tire rim in place. Over-tightening can lead to failure of the studs; under-tightening can lead to the lug nuts coming off and the wheel of the car coming off. Since I prefer to do my own tires, I tighten my lug nuts with a torque wrench. Tire changing places virtually always over-tighten the lug nuts when I have checked them with a torque wrench.

Note that the torque spec is for clean threads with no oil or grease on them. I always use an anti-sieze compound on our cars' stud threads, so I cut the torque to about 2/3 to 1/2 of the manufacturer's specs.

It's also recommended to use the conventional cross-pattern tightening like you would with head bolts, but it isn't as critical. I like to gradually tighten in two to three steps, rather than tighten to full torque in one go.