Axle nuts are among the highest-torque fasteners on a car — 130 to 230 ft·lbs — and most are single-use. Values by manufacturer plus the staking and stretch-bolt rules.
Short answer: most front axle (hub) nuts fall between 130 and 230 ft·lbs (176–312 N·m). Honda is 181 ft·lbs, Toyota 159 ft·lbs, GM 159 ft·lbs, Subaru 137 ft·lbs and BMW 214 ft·lbs. Nearly all are single-use: either staked into a groove or stretch-type with an angle spec. Fit a new nut.
| Manufacturer | ft·lbs | N·m | Nut type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda / Acura | 181 | 245 | Staked, single use |
| Toyota / Lexus | 159 | 216 | Staked or cotter pin |
| Nissan / Infiniti | 174–231 | 236–313 | Staked, single use |
| Subaru | 137 | 186 | Staked, single use |
| GM (Chevrolet, GMC, Buick) | 159 | 215 | Staked, single use |
| Ford | 155–214 | 210–290 | Staked or stretch type |
| Hyundai / Kia | 145–195 | 197–265 | Staked, single use |
| Mazda | 160–200 | 217–271 | Staked, single use |
| BMW | 214 | 290 | Collar nut, single use |
| Mercedes-Benz | 155–221 | 210–300 | Collar nut, single use |
| Volkswagen / Audi | 148 + 180° | 200 + 180° | Stretch bolt, single use |
Never torque it with the wheel off the ground. The hub will spin. Either fit the wheel and lower the vehicle onto its weight, or have an assistant hold the brake hard while you pull the wrench. Some manufacturers require the full-weight method — check before you assume.
Use a fresh nut. Staked nuts have a collar deliberately deformed into a groove on the shaft; once staked, that collar is work-hardened and will not stake reliably again. Stretch-type nuts and bolts are yielded on purpose and cannot be reused at all.
Stake it properly. After final torque, drive the collar cleanly into the axle groove with a blunt punch. A shallow or split stake is what lets an axle nut back off, not the torque figure.
Torque plus angle means both. Volkswagen and Audi hub bolts read as a torque figure followed by a 180° rotation. The angle stage is the part that sets clamp load — skipping it leaves the hub loose even though the wrench clicked.
Do not use an impact gun for final torque. An impact gun cannot resolve 180 ft·lbs, and on a staked nut it will start deforming the collar before the joint is clamped.
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Most front axle nuts take 130–230 ft·lbs (176–312 N·m). Common figures: Honda 181 ft·lbs, Toyota 159 ft·lbs, GM 159 ft·lbs, Subaru 137 ft·lbs, BMW 214 ft·lbs. Volkswagen and Audi use a stretch bolt at 148 ft·lbs plus a 180° angle.
No, in almost every case. Staked axle nuts have a collar deformed into a groove on the shaft and will not hold a second stake reliably. Stretch-type nuts and hub bolts are yielded past their elastic limit by design. Both are single-use.
Fit the wheel, lower the vehicle so its weight is on the tyre, and torque with the vehicle on the ground. If that is not possible, have an assistant press the brake pedal firmly. Do not use a screwdriver through the rotor vanes — it distorts the rotor and can slip.
The wheel bearing loses its clamp load and begins to move under load, which produces a growling noise, then play at the wheel, and eventually bearing failure. In the worst case the hub can separate from the axle. It is a safety-critical fastener.
Commonly 30, 32, 34 or 36 mm, and often a six-point impact socket is needed to clear the staked collar. Measure before you start — an undersized twelve-point socket will round a nut that is torqued to 180 ft·lbs.