Short answer: most cars land between 110 and 140 Nm, set by the thread size rather than the badge. Tighten in a star pattern with a torque wrench, never finish with an impact gun, and put nothing on the threads or the seats. Then re-check after 50 miles, which matters most on a brand new set of wheels or anything running spacers.
Here is the part that surprises people. A wheel that works loose has usually been overtightened, not left slack. Wind a bolt past its yield point and the shank stretches permanently, so it no longer behaves like a spring holding the wheel against the hub. It also hammers the tapered seat out of shape. Two weeks later the owner hears a knock, and the diagnosis is always the same word: loose.
So the figure matters in both directions. Tight enough, not tighter.
Torque by thread size
Torque follows the bolt, not the manufacturer. Measure the thread and you are most of the way there.
| Thread | Typical torque | Commonly found on |
|---|---|---|
| M12 x 1.25 | 100 – 120 Nm | Some Japanese, Alfa, older Fiat |
| M12 x 1.5 | 110 – 120 Nm | Ford, Vauxhall, many Japanese |
| M14 x 1.25 | 130 – 140 Nm | Later BMW and Mini |
| M14 x 1.5 | 120 – 150 Nm | VW Group, Mercedes, Range Rover, Jaguar |
| M14 x 1.5 on a Tesla | 175 Nm | Model 3 and Model Y, noticeably higher |
Treat those as the sanity range, not gospel. The number that counts is the one in your handbook, and a few models sit outside the band for their thread. If you tell us the car we will confirm the figure for you.
Why an impact gun is the wrong tool
An impact gun is excellent for taking bolts out and for running them most of the way in. It is a poor tool for the last few degrees, because what it actually delivers depends on line pressure, battery charge, how worn the socket is and how long the trigger was held. Two bolts on the same wheel with the same gun can end up 40 Nm apart.
Uneven torque is worse than slightly wrong torque applied evenly. It pulls the wheel very slightly off true against the hub face, which you feel as a vibration at speed that no amount of balancing will cure.
Gun it in by hand until it is just snug, then finish every bolt with a torque wrench. Click, stop, move on. Do not go back round for a second click, because that is how you end up past the figure.
The order matters
Work diagonally, never round the clock. On a five bolt wheel that means a star. On a four bolt, straight across. On a six, three opposing pairs.
Do it in two passes. Snug everything first so the wheel pulls up square against the hub, then torque properly in the same sequence. Going round in a circle clamps one edge down before the opposite side has made contact, and the wheel sits very slightly cocked.
Car on the ground before you apply final torque, or at least with the weight nearly on the wheel. Torquing a free spinning wheel in the air is awkward and tends to come out low.
Put nothing on the threads or the seats
This one costs people wheels. Grease, copper slip or anti-seize on the bolt threads or on the tapered seat drops the friction, so the same torque reading now represents far more clamping load than intended. You think you are at 140 Nm. The bolt is being stretched like it saw 180.
Published torque figures assume clean, dry threads. Keep them that way.
The hub face is different, and worth five minutes. Wire brush the rust off the flat face where the wheel sits, and a smear of copper grease on the raised centre spigot only, nowhere near the threads or seats, stops the wheel seizing on and saves a fight at the roadside later.
The 50 mile re-check
Everything beds in. Paint and powder coat compress very slightly, the hub face and the wheel settle against each other, and clamping load drops a touch in the first few miles. That is normal, and it is why hauliers re-torque as routine.
Check again after 50 miles, and treat it as non-negotiable in these cases:
- A brand new set of wheels, first fitting
- Anything running wheel spacers, where there is an extra joint to settle
- Freshly refurbished or painted wheels, which have soft coating on the mating face
- After any tyre change or roadside wheel swap
It is a two minute job. Wrench on each bolt at the correct figure, and if it clicks straight away without moving, you are done.
Getting the bolt itself right
Torque is irrelevant if the bolt is wrong. The seat shape has to match the wheel, the length has to give you proper thread engagement, and aftermarket wheels very often need different bolts to the factory ones.
Rough guide on length: you want roughly the bolt diameter and a half engaged in the hub, so about 21mm of thread for an M14. Too short and there is not enough holding it. Too long and it bottoms out or fouls behind the hub.
Seat shape is the one that catches people, and we wrote it up in full in why the wrong seat shape will loosen your wheel. If you are adding spacers, the length changes too, which is covered in what size wheel spacers you need.
Worth knowing what else is stamped on the wheel while you are back there. That is in what the stamps on the back of your alloy wheel actually mean.
Signs a wheel is not torqued right
- A rhythmic click or knock at low speed that disappears as you build up
- Vibration at motorway speed on a freshly balanced wheel
- Bright metal dust or shiny witness marks around the bolt holes
- Bolts that need very little effort to move when you check them
- A bolt that turns and turns without ever reaching the figure, which usually means stretched or stripped
Any of those, pull over and check it by hand. A loose wheel goes from a knock to four sheared bolts quickly.
Questions we get asked
What torque should wheel bolts be tightened to?
Most cars fall between 110 and 140 Nm, set by thread size rather than make. M12 threads are typically 100 to 120 Nm and M14 threads 120 to 150 Nm, with Tesla Model 3 and Model Y noticeably higher at 175 Nm. Always confirm against your handbook.
Can you overtighten alloy wheel bolts?
Yes, and it is the more common fault. Going past the bolt's yield point stretches it permanently so it no longer holds clamping load, and it distorts the tapered seat. Most wheels that work loose were overtightened in the first place.
Should you grease wheel bolt threads?
No. Torque figures assume clean dry threads, so grease or copper slip on the threads or seats means the same wrench reading applies far more load than intended. A smear on the raised hub spigot only is fine and stops the wheel seizing on.
Do you need to re-torque wheels after fitting?
Yes, after about 50 miles. Coatings compress and the wheel settles against the hub face in the first few miles, so clamping load drops slightly. It matters most on new wheels, freshly refurbished wheels and anything running spacers.
What order do you tighten wheel bolts in?
Diagonally, never round in a circle. A star pattern on a five bolt wheel, straight across on a four bolt. Snug all of them first so the wheel pulls up square, then torque in the same sequence.
Is it safe to tighten wheel bolts with an impact gun?
Use it to run bolts in, not to set final torque. What a gun delivers varies with line pressure, battery charge and socket wear, and uneven torque across a wheel causes vibration that balancing will not fix. Finish every bolt with a torque wrench.
Not sure of your figure, or which bolts you need? Send the make, model and year to sales@omiwheels.com or WhatsApp +44 7753 828059 and we will confirm the torque setting and the correct bolt seat and length before you fit. We ship from Northern Ireland, so there are no customs charges or import VAT into Ireland or mainland Europe.