Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Wire wheel hub nuts

Is it possible to over-tighten (non-spinner) hub nuts on Mog wire wheels. I've just refitted my wheels by hammering the hub nuts to refusal. Is that too much?

Yes, I think it is. More knowledgable folk will be along in a minute - but you can most certainly over do it. There is a recommended torque setting and, when you torque correctly, it doesn't feel 'that' tight.

I had the devil's own job getting my wheels off after my enthusiastic tightening.

I don't like to hammer my spinners either.. Have a wooden 'saver' that's quite adequate and I'm sure you can get a long bar type for hex type nuts too to save whacking the whats it out of them. Also they are meant to tighten in use.

Yes - you can overtighten the nuts causing damage
See the MWS website
http://shop.mwsint.com/

Copied from the MWS web page

Spinners (or knock-on caps)


There are no recommended torque settings for spinners and the exact number of turns will vary from one vehicle to the next.

• A spinner should be fitted with the wheel jacked up off the ground so that the hub, wheel and spinner are all centralised.
• Apply the spinner by hand and tighten 3 to 3½ turns; give the spinner a couple of taps with the hammer; lower the wheel to the ground and give the spinner a couple more taps.
• As long as the hubs are fitted correctly then the spinners will self-tighten and lock as the car is driving.
• If you hammer the spinners too enthusiastically then you will deform the thread of the spinner and the hub and they are more likely to work loose.
• Over-tightening also means that if you ever need to replace either the hub or spinner then you will also need to replace the other part as the deformed thread of the old part will not fit with the new thread.
• If your spinners keep coming loose then it is probably because the hubs have been fitted on the wrong side. For example, the left hub goes on the left-hand side of the car as you sit in it, not on the left as you look at it from the front.

I use a Mulfab spanner when at home and I have modified the MMC supplied spanner for when on the road. Put a slight bend in it to move it away from the same plane as the wing, drilled a pair of holes and I have a 12" length of flat bar with matching holes, if required I assemble the spanner with the bar and the extra length/torque means I can loosen and tighten the wheel nut with a push down of my foot. Totally agree these should be nipped up with the wheels in the air, dropped to the ground and I push it about one clock segment with my/Mulfab spanner. As soon as possible I do an emergency type stop on the brakes to give the final torque to the nuts as described in the MWS clip.

His are not spinners - maybe I misunderstood.

I have been given torque setting for my non spinners (nuts).

http://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/wheelsindex.htm has recommendations on that.

I used a tool from Millers which has a beam and the spanner on the end. As I have alloys now I am open for offers!

Thanks for all your comments, guys. There is some variety of views, as usual. I note in a past issue of Miscellany that one view is that you actually cannot over-tighten the hexagonal hub nuts.

Tight as you can get with a wooden spanner tool.
Plus between a quarter and a half a turn with the hide end of the good old Thor hide hammer



As both spinner and nut are made of Brass the settings should be the same
I've owned at least 6 cars with brass spinners/ nuts in the past and never had a problem with the above method