Use a torque wrench to make sure they go back on to the manufacturer's suggested torque. But another thing you'll need to keep in mind when you're tightening down your lug nuts is to follow the right bolt pattern.
How do you tighten your lug nuts? Would you tighten one, then the one next to it, going around in a circle? It seems like a good idea, but there is a big problem with that method. The problem with going around in a circle, tightening each lug nut that is directly to the left or right, is that your wheel isn't going to mount correctly, and then your wheel will have a wobble.
The solution to this tighten the first one, and then tighten the one that is opposite to the first one. Essentially you draw a straight line from the first lug, through the center of the wheel, and you tighten down the lug that sits on that same line, on the opposite side of the wheel.
That's a pretty general solution, and it won't work exactly, because with some bolt patterns your line will end up in between two lugs, but that's the general idea that you will want to follow.
Imagine that you've got a 4 lug pattern (it'll make up a square). It you tighten down the two lugs at the top, it will pull the top side of the wheel a little closer to the inside of the car, which causes the bottom of the wheel to be a little further away from the car (since it'll pivot at the center of the wheel). Now it's not mounted correctly, and tightening down the bottom lug nuts won't correct it (unless your lug nuts stretch, or the wheel bends, both of which are bad). Again, when your wheel isn't mounted correctly, it gets a wobble. That wobble wear out your tires faster, and can damage your car as well.
Use a torque wrench to make sure they go back on to the manufacturer's suggested torque. But another thing you'll need to keep in mind when you're tightening down your lug nuts is to follow the right bolt pattern.
How do you tighten your lug nuts? Would you tighten one, then the one next to it, going around in a circle? It seems like a good idea, but there is a big problem with that method. The problem with going around in a circle, tightening each lug nut that is directly to the left or right, is that your wheel isn't going to mount correctly, and then your wheel will have a wobble.
The solution to this tighten the first one, and then tighten the one that is opposite to the first one. Essentially you draw a straight line from the first lug, through the center of the wheel, and you tighten down the lug that sits on that same line, on the opposite side of the wheel.
That's a pretty general solution, and it won't work exactly, because with some bolt patterns your line will end up in between two lugs, but that's the general idea that you will want to follow.
Imagine that you've got a 4 lug pattern (it'll make up a square). It you tighten down the two lugs at the top, it will pull the top side of the wheel a little closer to the inside of the car, which causes the bottom of the wheel to be a little further away from the car (since it'll pivot at the center of the wheel). Now it's not mounted correctly, and tightening down the bottom lug nuts won't correct it (unless your lug nuts stretch, or the wheel bends, both of which are bad). Again, when your wheel isn't mounted correctly, it gets a wobble. That wobble wear out your tires faster, and can damage your car as well.