Mmr1

I’ve had brake pulsing - uneven rotor effect for a year and was going to have the rotors re ground until I read a thread here on cleaning the rotor and hub and using a Torque wrench! Well it worked. The rotors and hubs and actually no rust but I think using a real Torque Wrench, instead is the go to Impact Driver fixed my annoying brake pulse. I used the orange plastic wheel on a drill for the rotor, and a metal wheel on the drill for the hub. Torque was to 110lb . I’m honestly amazed it worked!

MBKLUE

Leave the impact wrench for the monkeys at the tire changing places. Hopefully you also tighten the wheel bolts (screws) using the correct pattern and tighten in three steps instead of one. I use 45 foot pounds on each bolt, then 85 and then 110. All using a smooth, consistent push on the torque wrench. No fast jerking movement on the wrench or just "snugging-up" that extra bit after the click. No lubricant on the threads. Otherwise you're defeating the purpose of the wrench.

Mmr1

I will try that since my friend doing it I saw he tightened them in sequence. 12345 vs 13524 I am going to do all the wheels since doing one made a 97% improvement.

calder-cay

I'm confident I've mentioned this in another recent thread. The tire monkeys at most repair shops and tire stores always use a pneumatic (or rarely, electric) impact wrench. They NEVER adjust for different torque values.

That's why I always loosen the lugs when I get home and then use a proper hand held torque wrench to tighten. Be sure to use the "star" pattern tightening sequence.

Also, never lubricate the studs and nuts. If needed, I use a soft wire brush (toothbrush type) to clean the studs, and a spiral type brush for the nuts (interior).

Star tightening sequence:



I've always replaced my motorcycle tires myself, cause I don't trust the shops. I go as far as replacing the valve stems at each replacement, and wire brush the interior of the rim to ensure proper tire bead seating ... then balance the tires myself.

habbyguy

FWIW, the techs at my local Discount Tires do install wheels with an air wrench, but set to a low torque, then finish off with a torque wrench. I suppose it's possible they don't set it differently for every vehicle, but at least the process looks right from the waiting room.

Also, I suspect Mmr1's success came not from cleaning the (clean) hub face, or retorquing the lug bolts, but from cleaning the rotor. As I've posted before, the pulsing is almost never (ever) from a warped rotor, but from a section of the rotor that was altered by keeping the brakes engaged after a panic (style) stop. That changes the metallurgy and the friction of that section of the rotor, leading to the pulsing. And that's why you should always bed in your brakes. Essentially, that just places that same "changed metallurgy" / brake pad transfer all the way around the rotor, making it immune to having only one spot that's different.

That is to say, I'd recommend to Mmr1 (and anyone else who would be annoyed by pulsing brakes) to take the time to bed in the brakes properly, when new, or (as in Mmr1's case) after cleaning the rotor.

MBKLUE

I cannot even imagine there is a pneumatic or electric impact wrench, with torque adjustment settings, that has anywhere near the accuracy or repeatability of a proper mechanical or electronic torque wrench.

John CC

Odd Piggy

There isn’t, as you correctly imagine. My air impact has 5 settings and the manual it came with says the difference between the 1st and 5th hit is 20% and then only if the supply pressure is 90 PSI.

BTW-My local Discount Tire does the same as @habbyguy ’s. I think it’s a company policy. They do change the wrench setting and record what they used on the receipt. But I retorque at home after new tires and rotation anyway. The important point here is consistency between wheel bolts not absolute accuracy because the tolerance is about +/-5 ft-lb and even an inexpensive ½” wrench will be that close in the mid-range.