Re-torquing wheel nuts after a tire change
After any tire or rim removal, wheel nuts need to be re-torqued within 100 km. It takes a few minutes, we do it free, and it is genuinely a safety item.
What re-torquing is
When a wheel is fitted, the nuts are tightened to a specific torque. As you drive, the wheel seats fully against the hub and the mating surfaces settle, and that settling can reduce the clamping force holding the wheel on, even though nothing was done wrong during fitting.
Re-torquing simply checks and resets the nuts to the correct specification once that settling has happened. It is not a repair or a sign that anything went wrong. It is the second half of a normal wheel fitting.
Why 100 km
That is roughly the distance over which the seating settles. Doing it too soon does not tell you much; leaving it much longer means driving on nuts that may no longer be at the correct torque.
For most Ottawa drivers, 100 km is a few days of ordinary driving. If you do a highway trip immediately after a changeover, you will hit it in one drive.
Why it actually matters
Wheel nuts that lose clamping force do not usually fail all at once. They loosen gradually, and the early stage is often a faint clicking or a vibration that is easy to dismiss as road noise. The late stage is a wheel coming off at speed.
This is not scaremongering. It is why the interval exists and why tire shops make a point of it. The check costs a few minutes.
What to do
- Note your odometer when you leave after a tire or rim change.
- Come back within 100 km. No appointment gymnastics needed. Call and ask when suits.
- It is free at Coco Auto Service, whether or not the changeover itself was booked online.
- If you notice clicking, knocking, or a new vibration before then, do not wait for 100 km. Come in.
Related services
Tire Changes & Repair
Seasonal changeovers, mounting, balancing, and puncture repair.
Tire Storage
Leave your off-season set with us instead of giving up the garage or balcony.
Steering & Suspension
Shocks, struts, and steering repairs: the parts Ottawa potholes punish hardest.