- We personally feel that this is a subject most people either don't think of, or leave to the professionals i.e. mechanic shops/dealerships. Which is totally fine because you either don't have the tools, or knowledge/experience to do so on your own. So having a professional perform this maintenance item is perfectly acceptable.
- The last thing that you want to happen after having some off-road fun, is to be driving back home on a paved roads where problems will present themselves at higher speeds. Then something happens that might potentially cause damage due to parts, bolts, etc. coming loose due to the rigors of off-roading. This requires a good check of components before getting back on the main road, ensuring there is no damage, that everything is in working order, and that nothing came loose.
So the questions we present are:
- When should you regularly re-torque your lug nuts/suspension components?
- Should it be at the recommended intervals suggested/recommended by the manufacturer?
- For those who wheel often/wheel hard, should the re-torque happen after every adventure that took place off-road? Where lots of use/stress due to various reasons; i.e. rock crawling, rough road conditions that occurred for long periods of time on your rig?
- What are your opinions and preferences on this matter?
- Or do you just wing it, and throw caution to the wind?
What we recommend and keep in mind that we are not mechanical professionals (ASE certified-Automotive Service Excellence for those of you who don't know) however we do have a fair knowledge and experience working on rigs.
If you do intend on performing this maintenance by yourself, first step is to:
If you do intend on performing this maintenance by yourself, first step is to:
- Purchase a decent quality torque wrench and socket set for the bolt sizes you will need torqued.
- Ensure that the ft./lbs. range will cover all the required torque specs.
- Familiarize yourself with how to properly use your torque wrench.
- Acquire information on the correct torque specs from the manufacturer(of said parts/components) and or this is just an example since Extreme Terrain only sells Jeep Wrangler products. But they have a section on their website that shows the torque specs for most parts of each specific model. Do some research, and we are positive that you can find the torque specs you are looking for.
- Understand that if you have aftermarket parts, their torque specs can and may be different than the stock components.
- Get work done! (At this point if you still feel uncomfortable completing this task on your own ask a friend with experience in this matter to help you out!)
- Congratulations! Pat yourself on the back, you accomplished ensuring your rigs suspension is in good working order. This means you stay safe and save money, to spend on more adventures!
