Torque And Why Should You Care?

What is torque? Torque, as defined by Wikipedia means:

" Torque, moment, or moment of force is the rotational equivalent of linear force. The concept originated with the studies of Archimedes on the usage of levers. Just as a linear force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist to an object."

At Vebo Auto Service, we take torque very seriously. We adhere to the torque limits suggested by automotive manufacturers because we understand the risks of over-tightening. At the end of this article, we'll share a list containing the torque limits for BMW.

What happens when your workshop do not adhere to the torque recommendations?

1) Nuts, bolts and screws on your car gets over-tightened, causing additional stress and subsequently becomes the main cause of leakages.

2) Nuts, bolts and screws on your car gets under-tightened, causing a huge risk of parts falling off your vehicle!

3) Parts like the special key will get broken.

Broken Special Key

Most workshop relies on impact gun to remove and install the lug nuts. These guns can go from 50-700 ft-lbs

Vebo Auto Service takes great care to ensure that our impact gun do not exceed the recommended torque settings. We carefully evaluate the torque requirements and only use the gun when required.

BMW recommends 90-105 ft-lb for the lug nuts and special key. Use only the torque wrench to remove and install the special key.

Torque Wrench

Pro Tip : Always ensure that your mechanic replace the special key at its original position.

Ensure that your mechanic always replaces the special key after removing your wheel.

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Here's the torque requirement for the different BMW models:

3 Series

318I ALL / E30 1984 – 1985 80 ft-lbs 318I – ALL 2/4 DR / E30 1990 – 1998 90 ft-lbs

320I ALL / E21 1977 – 1983 80 ft-lbs 320I – ALL ALL / F30 2014 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 323I – ALL 15″BASE / E46 1998 – 2000 90 ft-lbs

325 – ALL 16″BASE / E46 2001 – 2006 90 ft-lbs 325I/IS/E 2/4 DR / E30 1984 – 1988 80 ft-lbs 325I/IS/E 2/4 DR / E30 1989 – 1991 90 ft-lbs 325I/IS/IC 15″BASE / E36 1992 – 1995 90 ft-lbs 325IC CONVERTIBLE ALL / E30 1988 – 1988 80 ft-lbs 325IC CONVERTIBLE ALL / E30 1989 – 1992 90 ft-lbs 325IX ALL / E30 1988 – 1991 80 ft-lbs

328 – ALL ALL / E36 1992 – 2011 90 ft-lbs 328 – ALL ALL / E36 2012 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

330 – ALL 17″BASE / E90 2001 – 2006 90 ft-lbs 330 – ALL ALL / 2018 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

335 – ALL 17″BASE / E90 2007 – 2011 90 ft-lbs 335 – ALL ALL / 2012 – 2016 105 ft-lbs

340 – ALL ALL / F30 2016 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

4 Series

428I CONVERTIBLE 17″BASE / F33 2015 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 428I COUPE 19″STGGR / TRACK PKG 2014 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 428I GRAN COUPE – TRACK PKG 18″STGGR / TRACK PKG 2016 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 428I GRAN COUPE 17″BASE / F36 2015 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 428IX CONVERTIBLE 19″STGGR / TRACK PKG 2015 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 428IX COUPE 19″STGGR / TRACK PKG 2014 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 428IX GRAN COUP 17″BASE / F36 2015 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 428IX GRAN COUP – TRACK PKG 18″STGGR / TRACK PKG 2016 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

430 ALL / 2018 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

435I CONVERTIBLE 18″BASE / F33 2015 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 435I COUPE 18″BASE / F32 2014 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 435I GRAN COUPE – 18 Inch 18″BASE / F36 2016 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 435I GRAN COUPE – 19 Inch 19″BASE / F36 2016 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 435IX CONVERTIBLE 18″BASE / F33 2015 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 435IX COUPE 18″BASE / F32 2014 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 435IX GRAN COUP – 18 Inch 18″BASE / F36 2016 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 435IX GRAN COUP – 19 Inch 19″BASE / F36 2016 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

440 ALL / 2018 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

5 Series

524TD /E28 14-INCH / ALL 1985 – 1986 80 ft-lbs 525 – ALL 4 DOOR / TOURING 1989 – 2007 90 ft-lbs 528 – ALL 14-INCH / CPE/SDN 1979 – 1988 80 ft-lbs 528I – ALL 15-INCH / CPE/SDN 1997 – 2016 90 ft-lbs

530I /E12 2/4 DR / ALL 1975 – 1978 80 ft-lbs 530I – ALL ALL / TOURING 1994 – 2007 90 ft-lbs

533I /E28 14-INCH / CPE/SDN 1983 – 1984 80 ft-lbs

535/I/IS 15-INCH / ALL/E28 1985 – 1988 80 ft-lbs 535/I/IS 2/4 DR / ALL E34 1989 – 1993 90 ft-lbs 535D / DX 18″BASE / SEDAN 2014 – 2016 90 ft-lbs 535I 17″BASE / SEDAN 2008 – 2016 90 ft-lbs 535I GRANTURISM 18″BASE / BASE 2010 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 535IX 17″BASE / SEDAN 2009 – 2016 90 ft-lbs 535XI 17″BASE / SEDAN 2008 – 2009 90 ft-lbs 535 GT xDrive 17″BASE / SEDAN 2015 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

540 – ALL 4 DOOR / SPORT 1994 – 1996 90 ft-lbs 540I – ALL 4 DOOR / SPORT 2017 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

550I /E60 17″BASE / SEDAN 2004 – 2010 90 ft-lbs 550I / IX 18″BASE / SEDAN 2011 – 2018 90 ft-lbs 550I GRANTURISM 18″BASE / XDRIVE 2010 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

6 Series

640I – ALL 18″BASE / F12 2012 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

645CI CPE/CNVRT 19″OPT / E63 2004 – 2005 90 ft-lbs

650I CONVRTBLE 18″BASE / E64 2006 – 2006 105 ft-lbs 650I CONVRTBLE – STAGGERED 18″OPT / E64 2006 – 2006 90 ft-lbs 650I CONVRTBLE 18″BASE / F12 2007 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 650I COUPE 18″BASE / E63 2006 – 2006 105 ft-lbs 650I COUPE – STAGGERED 18″OPT / E63 2006 – 2006 90 ft-lbs 650I COUPE 18″BASE / F13 2007 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 650I GRAN COUPE 19″BASE / F06 2013 – 2018 105 ft-lbs 650IX – ALL 18″BASE / F12 2012 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

7 Series

733I 14-INCH / E23 1978 – 1984 80 ft-lbs

735 – ALL 2/4 DR / E32 1985 – 1992 80 ft-lbs

740/I/IL 18-INCH / E38 1994 – 2001 90 ft-lbs 740I – ALL 18″BASE / G11 2011 – 2019 105 ft-lbs

745 – ALL 18-INCH / E65 2002 – 2005 105 ft-lbs

750/I/IL 4 DOOR / E38 1988 – 1999 90 ft-lbs 750 – ALL 20″BASE / G11 2006 – 2015 105 ft-lbs 750IL 16-INCH / E38 2000 – 2001 90 ft-lbs

760 – ALL 20-INCH / E66 2004 – 2015 105 ft-lbs

8 Series

840/I/IL 2/DOOR / ALL E31 1994 – 1997 90 ft-lbs

850/I/CI 2 DOOR / ALL/E31 1991 – 1997 90 ft-lbs 850CSI/E31 2 DOOR / SPT COUPE 1994 – 1995 90 ft-lbs

Special

ACTIVE HYBRID 3 18″BASE / SEDAN 2012 – 2015 90 ft-lbs ACTIVE HYBRID 5 18″BASE / SEDAN 2013 – 2016 90 ft-lbs ACTIVE HYBRID 7 18″BASE / ALL 2012 – 2015 105 ft-lbs

ALPINA 20″BASE / B6 GRAN CP 2007 – 2018 105 ft-lbs ALPINA V8 2DR/ E52 / ROADSTER 2004 – 2004 90 ft-lbs

BAVARIA/E3 2/4DR / 3.0 SEDAN 1971 – 1973 80 ft-lbs

E82 1M / 19″BASE / COUPE 2011 – 2012 90 ft-lbs E12 2002 / 2 DOOR / 165/80R13 1973 – 1976 80 ft-lbs

E3 2800 / ALL / A/CS/CSA 1969 – 1973 80 ft-lbs

CS/CSI 3.0 ALL / E9 1973 – 1975 80 ft-lbs

CSI 633 14-INCH / E24 1977 – 1989 80 ft-lbs

128I /E88 17″BASE / CONVERTIBLE 2008 – 2013 90 ft-lbs

I3 19″BASE / BASE 2014 – 2016 105 ft-lbs I8 20″BASE / 2014 – 2016 105 ft-lbs

L6 /E24 2 DOOR / COUPE 1987 – 1987 80 ft-lbs L7 /E23 4 DOOR / SEDAN 1987 – 1987 80 ft-lbs

M COUPE COUPE / E40 1998 – 2002 90 ft-lbs M ROADSTER ROADSTER / E40 1998 – 2002 90 ft-lbs

M3 ALL / E30 1988 – 1991 80 ft-lbs M3 ALL / E46 1995 – 2002 90 ft-lbs M3 18″BASE / CONVERTIBLE 2015 – 2018 105 ft-lbs M3 CONVERTIBLE 18″ BASE / E93 2003 – 2013 90 ft-lbs M3 SEDAN 18’BASE / F80 2003 – 2018 90 ft-lbs

M4 18″BASE / CONVERTIBLE 2015 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

M5 4 DOOR / E28 1987 – 1988 80 ft-lbs M5 19-INCH- / E60 1991 – 2007 90 ft-lbs M5 19″BASE / F10 2008 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

M6 2 DOOR / E24 1987 – 1989 80 ft-lbs M6 CONVERTIBLE 19″BASE / F12 2009 – 2018 105 ft-lbs M6 COUPE 19″BASE / F13 2006 – 2018 105 ft-lbs M6 GRAN COUPE 20″BASE / F06 2014 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

M235I CONVERTIBLE 18″BASE / F22 2014 – 2016 105 ft-lbs M235I CONVERTIBLE – X DRIVE 18″BASE / F22 XDRIVE 2014 – 2014 90 ft-lbs M235I COUPE 18″BASE / F22 2014 – 2018 105 ft-lbs M235I COUPE – X DRIVE 18″BASE / F22 XDRIVE 2014 – 2014 90 ft-lbs

SI 3.0S/ ALL / E3 1973 – 1976 80 ft-lbs

X Series

X1 28I 17″BASE / S DRIVE 2013 – 2015 90 ft-lbs X1 28I 18″BASE / X DRIVE 2016 – 2018 105 ft-lbs X1 35I 18″BASE / X DRIVE 2013 – 2018 90 ft-lbs

X3 18″BASE / SDRIVE 28I 2015 – 2018 105 ft-lbs X3 /E83 17″BASE / 30I 2004 – 2010 90 ft-lbs X3 /F25 18″BASE / 28I 2011 – 2014 105 ft-lbs

X4 19″BASE / 28I XDRIVE 2015 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

X5 – ALL 18″BASE / F15 35I 2000 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

X6 – ALL 19″BASE / XDRIVE 35I 2008 – 2018 105 ft-lbs

Z Series

Z3 – ALL ROADSTER / 3.0I 1996 – 2002 90 ft-lbs

Z4 – ALL 18-STGGR / M COUPE 2003 – 2018 90 ft-lbs

Z8 /E52 ALL / COUPE 2001 – 2003 90 ft-lbs