Both front wheels should be right-hand thread.
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Whats up with the reverse threads?
- Thread starter mankypro
- Start date
GenLightening
Yeah, it's a CHEVY!
Seems like the trucks we worked on, that had reverse threads, had them both on the front and rear drivers side only. May have only been some makes though, and it was 20+ years ago!
I think Chrysler did it this way on both wheels, and I know that IH did it this way as well in the '60's. I have no idea why Ford decided to only do the rear wheel in this manner, but that's how they did it.Seems like the trucks we worked on, that had reverse threads, had them both on the front and rear drivers side only. May have only been some makes though, and it was 20+ years ago!
I just checked both my shop manual and my owner's manual, and for an F-250 over 8500 GVWR, they're listing 115 to 175 ft-lbs. I had previously written in my earlier post that I thought it was in the 80 ft-lb range; that's only for light-duty F-250's. I think I got the 80 number out of my Haynes manual; looks like they got it wrong again...I just removed the bad info from my earlier post, sorry for that...
6.9poweredscout
Bleeds IH red...
yes IH did it, both driver side wheels. i beleive they stopped '67ish. my '64 scout had left had thread and i didn't know, after tightening 2 lug nuts THROUGH the rim, i realized something wasn't right..... 
where my '69 scout had regular all around.
-Jon
where my '69 scout had regular all around. -Jon
The correct positioning is one thread on one side of the vehicle and the opposite thread on the other side. It was the old theory that the forward rotation of the wheel would keep the nuts tight, or on the 'other side' not loosen them.
I understand this, but for some reason, Ford decided to use right-hand thread studs on the front left wheel and left-hand thread studs on the rear left wheel. I just verified in my shop manual (1984 Ford Truck Shop Manual: Body, Chassis, Electrical p. 11-01-11) that F-250's (only over 8500 GVWR) and F-350's built in the 1984 model year (and, presumably, at least in '83 and probably for a few years before that) used 9/16-18 RH studs on both front wheels and the right rear wheel, and 9/16-18 LH studs on the left rear wheel. So, it's not just a matter of hubs having been replaced...at least in the 1984 model year, this is how the trucks rolled off the factory.
For the record, F-150's and F-250's (under 8500 GVWR) used 1/2-20 RH studs on all four wheels.
Don't you just love it? I spent about 1 1/2 months working at a Scout shop in the area, and I remember an early '60's Scout 80 that came in....and they asked me to pull one of the left side tires. I guess two studs were replaced while the others were original, because there were two right-hand thread and three left-hand thread studs on the same hubyes IH did it, both driver side wheels. i beleive they stopped '67ish. my '64 scout had left had thread and i didn't know, after tightening 2 lug nuts THROUGH the rim, i realized something wasn't right.....
-Jon
david85
Full Access Member
I still think they must have been high when they came up with the idea....
mankypro
Learning Slowly...
Looks like the only reverse threaded axle on my truck is driver's rear.
One weird thing - one nut will not tighten, I thought the stud was spinning but it isn't, the nut just turns and turns - like it's stripped. I'll need to take a closer look in the morning.
One weird thing - one nut will not tighten, I thought the stud was spinning but it isn't, the nut just turns and turns - like it's stripped. I'll need to take a closer look in the morning.
BoostFiend
Registered User
Its funny this thread came up because i was just getting my tires replaced this weekend and found my driver rear was reverse threaded.
Optikalillushun
Registered User
its only on Dana 60/70 equiped trucks, the 10.25 came out in 86 so after then they were all right hand thread.
Diesel Fly
Body By Rustoleum
I can confirm that my 84 f-350 originally had LHT only on the left rear. I've since replaced them to all RHT. For what it's worth, I have a Dana 70 in the rear and IFS Dana 50 in the front. All of the studs are 9/16 - 18 thread. (and yes you have to take the entire hub off to get the rear drums off)
Optikalillushun
Registered User
thats another strange thing. my friend swapped in a early 80s dana 70 into his truck and the drum could be removed w/o taking the hub off.
Then it was not a Dana 70. At least not a stock one. THat's a feature all of us that have one, would love to have and by now there would be lots of info about how to convert. So much so, that there wouldn't be any fixed drum Dana 70's left! Only the Ford 10.25 has the removeable drum, and I suspect that is probably a big reason why Ford ditched the Dana 70. I'll also confirm that only the left rear wheel had reverse threads.
Mr_Roboto
Full Access Member
This practice was real common on older trucks. There must have been a valid engineering reason for it.
You will note that most newer trucks are hub piloted and use washer lugnuts rather than conical lugnuts.
My bet is that if you have lug piloted conical lugnuts that are "a little loose" the rotation on the one wheel will make them looser. Hence the reverse thread.
Picture a wheel with loose lugnuts, the lug holes will rotate in a circle around the studs and will turn the nuts just like a wrench would.
You will note that most newer trucks are hub piloted and use washer lugnuts rather than conical lugnuts.
My bet is that if you have lug piloted conical lugnuts that are "a little loose" the rotation on the one wheel will make them looser. Hence the reverse thread.
Picture a wheel with loose lugnuts, the lug holes will rotate in a circle around the studs and will turn the nuts just like a wrench would.
