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I recently purchased and installed a Hex Striper Kit on my 2012 Gravely Pro-Turn 152. For the installation I had to jack up and remove both rear wheels to drill out some holes in the frame behind the tires to install the mounting bracket for the striper roller. The instructions with the kit were very clear and provided bolt torque specs for all of the kit installation hardware. But......when I went to put the rear wheels back on the ZTR, I could not find ANY specs in my owner's manual that gave the ft/lbs torque specification for the rear wheels on the Pro-Turn. When I removed them, the resistance(compared to removing the lug nuts on an automobile that are normally torqued to 100-110 ft/lbs) was "about" half as hard to remove. Most of the torque specs for the striper kit were 31 ft/lbs, so I kinda "guessed" that the torque for the rear wheels should be approximately 50-60 ft/lbs.

Are there "universal" torque recommendations for the rear wheels of "any" ZTR or do they vary from manufaturer to manufacturer? Should I contact Gravely to get their recommended torque specification? Last thing I want is for one of my rear wheels to come off while mowing....or to damage my Hydro-gear trannies by over-torquing the wheels:0(

BTW, I also torqued them in the "auto application" recommended "star pattern" for a consistent torquing of the wheel to the tranny hub. IMHO, this was a major oversight in the Gravely owner's manual(almost every owner at one point or another will remove the rear wheels and need this important spec.

Any advice or guidance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!!!

Most automobiles have 1/2 in or 13 mm wheel studs. 90 to 100 foot lbs. You torque bolts by size. When you torque bolts you are stretching them. In my younger years I worked on Mercedes Benz trucks you didn't use a torque wrench on any studs but used a gauge to see how far you stretched the stud. I don't know the size of your wheel studs or bolts but if they are 13mm I would say 90 to 100 foot lbs. If not find a torque chart and it will tell what to torque them at. You can find this chart in most service manuals.

reynoldston said:

Most automobiles have 1/2 in or 13 mm wheel studs. 90 to 100 foot lbs. You torque bolts by size. When you torque bolts you are stretching them. In my younger years I worked on Mercedes Benz trucks you didn't use a torque wrench on any studs but used a gauge to see how far you stretched the stud. I don't know the size of your wheel studs or bolts but if they are 13mm I would say 90 to 100 foot lbs. If not find a torque chart and it will tell what to torque them at. You can find this chart in most service manuals.

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Thanks.....I don't remember the socket size I found that fit those lug nuts but I'll check into that, then Google "bolt size torque chart" to find the info you referrred to. I still may contact Gravely and suggest that they add that to their owner's manual.

Socket size has nothing to do with it. Its bolt or stud size. As a rule the socket size for a 1/2 in bolt or nut is 3/4 but not always. Also you will find that most manufactures have gone to metric sizes now so don't count that out.

reynoldston said:

Socket size has nothing to do with it. Its bolt or stud size. As a rule the socket size for a 1/2 in bolt or nut is 3/4 but not always. Also you will find that most manufactures have gone to metric sizes now so don't count that out.

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Oh....I see(duhhhhh). I found the Parts Manual for my Gravely and pulled up the tranny diagram. The wheel hub assembly shows "(5) STUD,1/2-20 X 1.5(RIB NECK)" for the bolts that the wheel nuts(found them and they are 13/16 nuts) go on. I'm a little "challenged" but is it as simple as Googling "wheel stud torque chart" and find the aforementioned size on the chart to get the ft/lbs torque spec????

djdicetn said:

Oh....I see(duhhhhh). I found the Parts Manual for my Gravely and pulled up the tranny diagram. The wheel hub assembly shows "(5) STUD,1/2-20 X 1.5(RIB NECK)" for the bolts that the wheel nuts(found them and they are 13/16 nuts) go on. I'm a little "challenged" but is it as simple as Googling "wheel stud torque chart" and find the aforementioned size on the chart to get the ft/lbs torque spec????

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Oh well....Google was not my best friend:0(
About all I found was charts(like Discount Tire) that gave automotive make/model specific torque charts. I did find one that listed the info below:

Hardware
Size Torque in Ft/Lbs

10MM 45-55

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12MM 70-80

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

14MM 85-90

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7/16"e; 70-80

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1/2"e; 75-85

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9/16"e; 135-145


Sooooooo, based upon that, is the correct torque setting for my "STUD,1/2-20 X 1.5(RIB NECK)" equal to the 1/2"e; 75-85 ft/lbs spec found here???????

P.S.

I contacted Gravely/Ariens earlier today but have not received a response from them.

djdicetn said:

Oh....I see(duhhhhh). I found the Parts Manual for my Gravely and pulled up the tranny diagram. The wheel hub assembly shows "(5) STUD,1/2-20 X 1.5(RIB NECK)" for the bolts that the wheel nuts(found them and they are 13/16 nuts) go on. I'm a little "challenged" but is it as simple as Googling "wheel stud torque chart" and find the aforementioned size on the chart to get the ft/lbs torque spec????

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1/2-20 would be the same as a car. I would torque that at 90 foot lbs. Outside nut diameter 13/16 doesn't matter. You should always recheck the torque after you run it a few hours just to be safe.

reynoldston said:

1/2-20 would be the same as a car. I would torque that at 90 foot lbs. Outside nut diameter 13/16 doesn't matter. You should always recheck the torque after you run it a few hours just to be safe.

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Thanks for the sanity check!!! I may even just go with the 85 ft/lbs shown as the max in that chart(which is reasonably close to your recommendation....and probably "safer" than the 60 ft/lbs I torqued them to last weekend). The last thing I want to happen is to "over torque" a wheel, which could strip a lug nut, stretch or break a wheel stud, or cause the wheel and/or tranny wheel hub to distort.

85 is good. I am going to guess you are looking at a Grade 2 bolt on your chart, my chart 70 foot lbs. Your wheel studs would be a grade 5 and my chart calls 105 foot lbs. Which you just made me get my chart out and look at it. I have a torque wrench just to tighten wheel nuts and that is all I use it for and it is set at 90 foot lbs. I have never had one loosen up at that setting. This is why I say 85 is good. Just to be on the safe side just recheck them after you run it a few hrs.

reynoldston said:

85 is good. I am going to guess you are looking at a Grade 2 bolt on your chart, my chart 70 foot lbs. Your wheel studs would be a grade 5 and my chart calls 105 foot lbs. Which you just made me get my chart out and look at it. I have a torque wrench just to tighten wheel nuts and that is all I use it for and it is set at 90 foot lbs. I have never had one loosen up at that setting. This is why I say 85 is good. Just to be on the safe side just recheck them after you run it a few hrs.

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I appreciate you taking the time to assist!!!! I feel better about it already:0)