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Chevrolet and GMC lug nut torque chart (Silverado, Sierra, Equinox, Traverse, Malibu)

GM's trucks and its three-row Traverse are 140 ft-lb (190 N·m): the Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 and HD trucks in every manual since 2001, and every Traverse since 2009. The current Equinox and Malibu are 100 ft-lb (140 N·m), but both had other values in some years.

By the Torque Reference editors 5 sources cited Last reviewed Method
Contents5 sections

Key takeaways

  • Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500, 2001–2026: 140 ft-lb (190 N·m) ⁠1 ⁠2
  • Traverse 2009–2027: 140 ft-lb (190 N·m) ⁠3
  • Equinox 2018–2025: 100 ft-lb (140 N·m); 140 ft-lb for 2011–2017 ⁠4
  • GM: never use oil or grease on bolts or nuts ⁠1

Chevrolet & GMC lug nut torque chart

VehicleLatest torqueLatest year checkedManual rows
Chevrolet Silverado 1500also GMC Sierra 1500140 ft-lb190 N·m2020-present17
Chevrolet Equinox100 ft-lb140 N·m2025-present15
Chevrolet Traverse140 ft-lb190 N·m2024-present9
Chevrolet Malibu100 ft-lb140 N·m2016-20255

Latest value shown; older generations differ, so open the vehicle page for its year. Every value is quoted from the manufacturer’s owner’s manual.

How the GM models compare

The GMC Sierra 1500 shares the Silverado page because every Sierra manual we checked matches the Silverado.

  • Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500: 140 ft-lb (190 N·m) through the GMT800, GMT900, K2 and T1 generations, and the same on 2500 HD, 3500 HD and dual-rear-wheel trucks ⁠1 ⁠2.
  • Traverse: 140 ft-lb (190 N·m) in all three generations ⁠3.
  • Equinox: 100 ft-lb (140 N·m) since 2018 ⁠4. Earlier years differ: 92 ft-lb in 2005, 100 for 2006–2009, 125 ft-lb (170 N·m) in 2010 and 140 ft-lb (190 N·m) for 2011–2017.
  • Malibu: 100 ft-lb (140 N·m) in most generations. The 2013 8th generation is 110 ft-lb (150 N·m) ⁠5.

The Equinox is the one to watch. A 2011–2017 Equinox shares the truck value, but the 2018-and-later car drops back to 100 ft-lb. Two Chevrolet crossovers of the same model year can need very different settings. Also note that GM prints 100 lb ft with 140 N·m. That is GM’s own pairing, not a conversion error on this page.

What every GM manual says

GM’s thread warning appears in every edition: “Never use oil or grease on bolts or nuts because the nuts might come loose” ⁠1. For single wheels, the manuals give no re-torque mileage, only that the nuts “should be tightened with a torque wrench to the proper torque specification after replacing.” Dual-rear-wheel trucks get a check after 100, 1,000 and 6,000 mi. No GM owner’s manual lists an oil drain plug or brake caliper torque. For the tightening pattern see the lug nut tightening guide.

Sources

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