What is Lug Nut Torque for 14 inch Trailer Wheels

Published 07/26/2023

Question:

For the torque chart in https://www.etrailer.com/question-93673.html, I have 14inch wheels, I dont see any saying 14. Is the Wheel Size an up to size? Also, I see it talks about multiple stages, is that recommended? Torque them all a bit, then up to another setting, and then the final torque? Your video https://www.etrailer.com/tv-faq-trailer-lug-nuts-torque.aspx doesnt talk about that at all.

asked by: Aaron

Expert Reply:

For a 14 inch trailer wheel with standard 1/2 inch wheel studs the torque you'd need to use is 75 to 85 ft lbs. It is correct you would want to torque the lug nuts of the wheels in a few stages or passes. I would get them all fully seated into the wheel first, do a round of getting them pretty tight, and then do a final pass with a torque wrench taking them to the full torque rating. All of these done in a star pattern. The lug nut torque video we have on our site does overlook this but it was done by the wrong person to put it mildly.

After the first trip with the trailer it is a really smart idea to check the torque on the lug nuts again.

expert reply by: Jameson C