Winnie Factory doesn't know something....

[Jim]

I can't quite believe what they told me at the Winnebago factory in Forest City, IA today about my '02 Journey on a Freightliner chassis.

What happened was that a few months ago I had a tire shop work on the drivers side rear wheel for something and when they put the jamb nuts back on they left one too loose. Well, over time that nut jiggled loose and fell off onto the roadway, probably as I was traveling at 60 MPH. That 1/2 lb nut and cap could have caused serious damage to a vehicle following me if it had hit someone.

So while at the factory, I wanted all the jamb nuts torqued to spec. This is not a chassis item, it's a Winnebago item.

They finally told me that they don't know what that spec is! The tech that I asked to torque them (because I'd tried to do it myself but don't have the tools and extensions for it) told me that he torqued them until they seemed tight, plus a quarter turn. WHAT?

This is not cool since I've already lost one on the road. So, I've come to the source of all things RV to ask if anyone knows what the torque spec should be for the JAMB NUTS on the rears of a '02 Winnebago Journey? Diesel pusher, Freightliner chassis.

FYI: The jamb nuts, there are two on the rear drivers side wheel, and two on the passengers side wheel so four total...they hold on the chrome hub cap. And then a chrome cover is pressed onto that nut. Not involved with this is that the hub cap also has several other chrome caps that are attached to the hubcap and cover the real lug nuts.

The spec for the jamb nuts is likely NOT the same as the lug nuts...which are 450 ft-lbs.

Can someone give me an educated guess? I'll be getting new rear tires soon and will need to be able to tell the tire shop I have do the job what they should be torqued to. I don't want another jamb nut falling on the road and possibly injuring someone. Bothers me a lot.

[Jim]

dougrainer wrote:
40 ft lbs. Doug


http://www.wheelmasters.com/pdfs/jam_nut_inst.pdf

Thanks, Doug! Printed that out and have it in my records now.

Thanks to everyone else for your suggestions.

[path1]

dougrainer wrote:

path1 wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
40 ft lbs. Doug


http://www.wheelmasters.com/pdfs/jam_nut_inst.pdf

Good example why it is important to to know make and model of what your dealing with. Pretty sure if I used 40 pounds I'd strip my cheap alum jam nuts, while wheelmasters is 40 pds. And sometimes not easy to find out part number. My inside light covers for example have no markings, hope l never have to replace one, will be hard to find replacement.

In 38 years, I have never seen Aluminum Jam NUTS. Are you talking about the Chrome NUT COVERS? A LOT of people do not realize that the Chrome lug nut is a cover you pop off with pliers and then remove the STEEL nut with a wrench. As you stated there are various kinds. Doug

Chrome nut goes on last. Yes jam or coupler nut is real cheap quality. Mine are real cheap. Maybe even Zink. Type I have are linked in previous(s) posting in this thread. They look good and never had a problem with them but not meat on them.
Have to screew on with Allen wrench...i don't think 40 psi they would hold up.

[dougrainer]

path1 wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
40 ft lbs. Doug


http://www.wheelmasters.com/pdfs/jam_nut_inst.pdf

Good example why it is important to to know make and model of what your dealing with. Pretty sure if I used 40 pounds I'd strip my cheap alum jam nuts, while wheelmasters is 40 pds. And sometimes not easy to find out part number. My inside light covers for example have no markings, hope l never have to replace one, will be hard to find replacement.

In 38 years, I have never seen Aluminum Jam NUTS. Are you talking about the Chrome NUT COVERS? A LOT of people do not realize that the Chrome lug nut is a cover you pop off with pliers and then remove the STEEL nut with a wrench. As you stated there are various kinds. Doug

[path1]

dougrainer wrote:
40 ft lbs. Doug


http://www.wheelmasters.com/pdfs/jam_nut_inst.pdf

Good example why it is important to to know make and model of what your dealing with. Pretty sure if I used 40 pounds I'd strip my cheap alum jam nuts, while wheelmasters is 40 pds. And sometimes not easy to find out part number. My inside light covers for example have no markings, hope l never have to replace one, will be hard to find replacement.

[dougrainer]

40 ft lbs. Doug


http://www.wheelmasters.com/pdfs/jam_nut_inst.pdf

[Ductape]

Jim@HiTek wrote:

Ductape wrote:
I'm one who believes in torque wrenches. However since these just hold the decorative trim this is a situation where I'd just snug them up.

Well, that's what happened at a tire shop apparently, and it loosened and unscrewed, and then bounced off down the road (I assume...didn't actually see it drop off).

More likely it wasn't tightened at all. Put on by hand, a momentary distraction, and then forgotten. That's why I always check torque on lug nuts after wheel work too. I've found loose nuts a few times.

[moisheh]

The company that made your hub caps supplied that nut. Torque us not critical. I think the name is wheelmaster. Call them.

[Dutch_12078]

The T-bar wrench supplied for the wheel covers is not capable of a lot of torque. Hand tight snug with the supplied wrench has always worked for me. I haven't lost one yet.

[path1]

Jim@HiTek wrote:

path1 wrote:
My jam nuts...snug with the T bar wrench then maybe 5 pound tap at end then 2 drops of removable locktite. Then outside shiny nut. Dimple indent straight up so you can check sometimes that dimple is still straight up as a safeguard. Above probably also depends on manufacture. Also when I got new tires I left them off till I re-torqued lug nuts after couple thousand miles

So you reef on the T bar, then tap it with a 5lb? So what's that come to in Ft-Lbs? Hazard a guess?

NO I don't reef on T bar.....OK found what I have and how I install EXCEPT below added steps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6E_6PKur7A

step 3... I add 2 drops of removable lock tite. (Inside of "coupler nut")

step 5... I add 2 drops of removable lock tite (outside of "coupler nut") and the indent in coupler nut in most viewable position.

As you tighten last step, metal starts talking to you. These simulators have worked out great for me. But there are many different types, so hard to say if this type will work for you.

[jplante4]

Good place to start

Chart

Also, the length of your typical open end/box end wrench is set so that a normal human cannot over-torque a nut/bolt of the size used.

[Lwiddis]

Hearsay assumption. Hmmmm

[Jim]

Ductape wrote:
I'm one who believes in torque wrenches. However since these just hold the decorative trim this is a situation where I'd just snug them up.

Well, that's what happened at a tire shop apparently, and it loosened and unscrewed, and then bounced off down the road (I assume...didn't actually see it drop off).

[Jim]

path1 wrote:
My jam nuts...snug with the T bar wrench then maybe 5 pound tap at end then 2 drops of removable locktite. Then outside shiny nut. Dimple indent straight up so you can check sometimes that dimple is still straight up as a safeguard. Above probably also depends on manufacture. Also when I got new tires I left them off till I re-torqued lug nuts after couple thousand miles

So you reef on the T bar, then tap it with a 5lb? So what's that come to in Ft-Lbs? Hazard a guess?

[Ductape]

I'm one who believes in torque wrenches. However since these just hold the decorative trim this is a situation where I'd just snug them up.