General Questions

[drthrift035]

1) What do you think about putting anti-seize on wheel studs to prevent them from binding ?

2) When changing brake pads or and brake service I change all of the hardware, caliper mounting bolts, shims, etc. I notice that a lot of other guys don’t do it. Why ?

Please let me know what you think.

Topic

[dreamer2355]

1) I dont use anti-seize on lug nuts as all torque specs are dry.

2) When servicing brakes, usually all quality pads will come with hardware if your servicing a disc brake setup. If there drum brakes, i always suggest new spring hardware due to metal fatigue with age and heat. The caliper mounting bolts should be safe to reuse. Also inspect the guide pins and clean and lube as necessary.

I am also a big fan of cleaning the hub mounting surface of any corrosion so the rotor will sit flush, same too with drums.

And finally, i am big of torque specs too.

[drthrift035]

Thanks for the advice. I will put it into practice.

[John B Kobberstad]

I put one small application of anti seize on my studs once years ago and have never had a problem. Used just a little and it’s been on ever since. As far as brakes go I always clean any rust off the hardware and inspect it. If I see anything that looks like it should be replaced it’s replaced otherwise it is cleaned and goes back on. I make sure that the points that require a little lube get the lube and DO NOT go back on dry. Don’t over lube it though a little goes a long way.

[skim3544]

He is right, the anti-size will prevent you from properly torquing your wheels. Also if you have been torquing it right, you should not have lug nuts seizing problem. The most of these lug nut seizing problem I see is usually caused by the lug nut getting rethreaded into the stud and no amount of anti-seize can prevent that.

[thomas dudman]

There is a very large heated debate on this subject in the mechanic world.I use anti seize on my personal vehicles,but to do this to customer cars is a big no-no.From experience in the past I knew a brother in law with his own shop and did this to every car,then a few customers would come back and complain after getting new tires installed from another shop and all there wheel studs would pull through and need replacing.Impact guns are the enemy when anti seize is in place.Even seen a car lose a wheel from studs breaking off.This is a subject that I tread lightly on.In the diesel truck shops I work from time to time,this practice is always used.

[college man]

don’t use anti seize on lug nuts/studs.It could make
them want to back themselves off.

[WDHewson]

Hi:

I’ve always used anti-seize on wheel studs, and I generally torque to something close to spec, although I’m lazy about getting the torque wrench out. My arm is “reasonably” calibrated after 40 years of such work. I don’t put anti-seize where the lug nut bears on the wheel. I keep this contact area clean. But, anytime I have a wheel off, I check it a day or two later, or if there is a long drive I’ll stop and retorque after an hour or so. Never had anything back off.

Fastener torque seems a very imprecise specification to me. Static and dynamic coefficients of friction can easily differ by 30%, static being higher. Thus, a retorque is very different than the original torque if the fastener is kept in motion (dynamic coefficient) up to the torque spec. Thats why the really critical applications use some type of fastener stretch, pre-load, or torque control bolt.

For brakes, if things are in good shape and fasteners snug properly, I reuse them.

However, no approach is perfect, so I think I’ll go check all three vehicles right now!

[dreamer2355]

If the engineers state a torque spec for vehicle fasteners and bolts, i always yield to that advice no matter what the bolt/fastener is 😉

There supposed to be the smart ones right?.. 😀

[Author]

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