Knowing that every other thread on the car is metric... I'll wager the lugs are, too.
I think you are right, I had to go re-read some of this thread and there were two metric #s being thrown around. Sorry didn’t get far enough to see what the final answer was, too easily distracted.
Get a big piece of pipe and use it to get yourself more leverage on your breaker bar. There's "tight" and then there's "tight" when it comes to these things. You need to be basically fusing atoms together in order for them to be tight enough to not cause clicking and popping.
In your mention of "these things" are you referring to the spindle retaining nuts? The 32mm ones that are the focus of this thread? Because if you are...
Sure do
Yes. Disagree all you want, but 98 and even 150 is not tight enough. Not even close. I've seen 150 + 1/8 of a turn, which is kind of silly because that means the actual torque spec is higher than 150. Ford's spec is 98 + 1/8 of a turn, but damn if so many people aren't having trouble with the nuts coming loose....
I agree that there is a limit and that there should be a mechanical way to hold the nuts in place like there is on so many other vehicles. In the absence of drilling out the half shafts to install a cotter pin (for example) the best we can do is torque them down (north of 250 ft lbs, in my experience) and use loctite on them. Mine need 250 + 1/8 of a turn for them to not click and clink. I wish I could give a more concise number for what has worked for me, but my wrench doesn't go past 250.
The torque spec from Ford is essentially USELESS since they SPECIFY to add 45 degrees AFTER torque is reached. My brand new '17 (with @ 2K miles at the time) one of the axle nuts was not even close to 100 ft/lbs when I removed the axles to replace the 3.15 pumpkin with a 3.55 pumpkin. I broke one side loose with a 1/2 ratchet and almost whacked my head into the car it gave so fast. Not so with the other side.