I stick to specified torques for all my Volvos. Here are the reasons: (1) I treat the threads to prevent corrosion. (2) If I must take one into a shop for safety inspections or other reasons that cause their mechanics to remove wheels, I insistently tell the shop manager that I want the lug nuts torqued to my specs and to NOT use an impact wrench to reattach the wheels. This means that any of the the wheels can be removed if the car is alongside the road. I am getting too old for jumping on breaker bars, my wife says it isn't lady like, and I've broken a few Craftsman sockets and lug wrenches.

For fun of Volvos,
Mike
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'83 245 GLT, '92 245DL, '90 760 GLT

Our salty Ontario winter roads certainly don't help. I found the torque in the FAQ here: http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/WheelsTires.htm#TorqueLugNuts

Anyway, I think I've found an answer. I just finished checking and re-lubing the guide pins on the other side and had no problem undoing the nuts, even though I had torqued them to 100 lb-ft. The difference is that on this side the pins weren't seized. On the other side with the seized pin, that I could only remove with the help of a torch and a drift, the wheel had been running hot (and squealing, which is what made me check). Clearly, the extra heat had baked the anti-seize I use and made the nuts hard to remove. So, I think Volvo specifies the lower torque because of those mickey mouse Girling brakes that are prone to seizing guide pins.