Demountable Rims

[John Lynn]

How tight should the lug nuts be on demountable rims. studs have 3/4" nuts. Hand tighten or what torque wrench setting ?

[C Carl]

 

Little by little, John, making sure to ELIMINATE RUNOUT as you progressively snug up the rim against the felloes. Use a well padded mallet if need be. Final torque will be FAR LESS than modern lugs. Maybe, say, something like the gentle force you use for spark plugs. This ancient hardware is very soft, and strips easily.   -   Carl 

[Grimy]

Most original equipment lug nut wrenches were very short (4-5 inches) for the reason Cadillac Carl mentions.  As to torque, about 25-30.  I include a rubber mallet with my tire changing tools to "assist" full seating the rims on the felloes. Build-up of paint on both rims and felloes will make this difficult.  I use a reference point like a tool box or a piece of 4x4 lumber at 6 o'clock and rotate the wheel while tightening the nuts to minimize runout.  And check the tightness periodically, such as every 200-300 miles, less frequently after you're no longer able to make the wrench move.