Close Call/Ever Had this Happen??

[Jumper]

I was returning home Friday night after finally finishing a small job I started last fall when I experienced a sudden vibration in the rear end of the truck. Thinking I had a flat, I pulled over.

I nearly pooped my pants. The left rear tire had shed all its lug nuts (5) and had parted company with the studs, and literally was hanging on by the brake drum!!!!!

How this happened is open to guess, but I suspect the dealer that rotated and balanced the tires 5000 miles prior forgot to tighten the lugs on that one tire.

Imagine the potential here for a really serious accident. As it was I was only going about 50 mph and did not have a trailer on the back, but was about to get on the 401 on a Friday night of a long weekend.

All ended well as I "borrowed" three lugs from the other tires and drove to a Canadian Tire to get some temporary replacements.

Anyone ever have this happen before?? Perhaps daily checks of vehicles should include a quick look at the lug nuts?

 

[NeTree]

Yes, that would be part of a drivers' daily inspection.

Also, lugs should be re-torqued after 500 miles.

Glad to hear you didn't get wrecked!

 

[Stumper]

The son of some good friends had that happen 2 years ago on his way back to college.-Except his rear wheel parted company with the vehicle. Fortunately he had slowed down enough that nothing worse that some vehicle damage resulted. 500 miles and 2 days after it was in the shop for new tires.-Guess who paid for everything without a quibble? I don't think it needs to be a daily check but I try to make a trip around the wheels anytime I've had work done to a vehicle.

Glad that you are okay Mitch!:angel:

 

[NeTree]

Actually Justin, if you've ever looked at a drivers' inpection report, it IS required daily. Check DOT regs. (I know, they don't apply in Canada.)

 

[geofore]

Tires

Yes, I have, the inspection mechanic forgot to tighten the lugsnuts. Check to see if the holes on the wheels are egg shaped, if they are, the wheels have to be replaced also. Once they are out of round you can't center the wheels properly no matter how tight the lugs are. The threads are usually buggered up so you need to replace the lugbolts also. Most places have insurance to cover the cost of mistakes.

 

[SteveBullman]

had both rear wheels on the nearside come off going 70mph and towing a chipper.
that was scary.
managed to hold it........would have been a different story if the front had gone

 

[Husky372]

yes i had that happen in my 87 gmc jimmy. was taking kids to daycare one morning and on this road i am usually doing about 60, well this morning there was stop and go traffic (never is) but we are stopped and start to move again and the next thing i know the drivers side rear tire come off not completly wobbling on the brake drum if i had been doing my regular 60 mph i hate to think what would have happend. this is the reason now that all dealers and whatnot recomend comming back after about 500 miles to have them retourqued.

 

[Brock2saws]

I've had idiot mechanics misthread the lugs on AND not bolt on a brake caliper (just left if sitting there on the rotor)! I was only getting new tires, I don't know why they took the brake off.

Since then I ALWAYS check the vehicle thoroughly BEFORE driving away from the shop.

BTW, I've never had to retorque any lugs after tire/hub work that I've done myself. Not a bad idea though.

Cheers,
BAB

 

[John Stewart]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
I watch the guy when he tightenes up the lugs. If he just goes full bore on the first lug nut and only hits each one with the impact wrench once, then I know they aren't torqued properly. If he seats all of them and then goes back and torques them in an alternating pattern, I know they are fine. One in ten will tighten the lugs in an alternating pattern instead of just going one after another. Which tells me that 9 out of ten employees in a tire shop don't know how to tighten wheel lug nuts.

Scary!
I got taught that by my Dad and have told everyone since about that procedure
I just thought that it was my city slicker friends and everyone else just knew!
Later
John

 

[Toddppm]

Had it happen a couple years ago on my dump. The tire didn't fall off but it was real loose, ended up getting a new wheel too

Saw a wheel fall completely off a camaro in DC once, sorry but I had to laugh

 

[NeTree]

That's the beauty of Budd wheels and split-rims... ya gotta work REALLY hard to lose BOTH tires!

 

[arboromega]

had it happen on my POV about 14 yrs ago. tire went rolling in front of my car and bowled into someones garden.

 

[Jumper]

None that I am aware of!

 

[rb_in_va]

My dad was driving down the highway in his car recently (doing probably 55-60 mph) and the front right tire came off. The car just skidded to a stop, didn't veer off to the right or anything. After about a few minutes of searching, he found the tire, borrowed some lug nuts from other tires, and got the tire back on. Haven't heard why the tire came off, just glad he wasn't hurt. He was in
Montana, so there was no one on the road but him.

 

[OutOnaLimb]

I had that happen two years ago on my old flat bed Dodge. The day before I had bought new tires at a Wal-mart super center, and they obviously didnt torq down the front drivers side wheel. I was doing about 50 down a country road and the truck started to shake. I stopped thinking I had gotten a flat, did a quick inspection and saw that all tires were inflated, got back in the truck and started heading down the road, I got about 50 meters away and the whole wheel came off the truck and rolled into an old ladies garden. the scary thing is the old lady was out working in her garden and it allmost hit her. I tried to get Wally World to pay for the wheel and rotor, but thier claims guy said that by looking at the photos of the wheel, "it was old and a little bit rusty, and that is what caused it to come off." Needless to say they denied my claim, go figure.

Kenn

 

[Yellowdog]

Lost one on a trailer in predawn driving on a rural road. Tire company hadn't seated the tire good before torquing lugs.

Lost some on a Bobcat too. 300lb tire and ruined the rim.

I have started checking torque myself with a torque wrench. I only use my impact wrench as a tool and do the torqueing by hand to be sure. Also, if you over torque, you can stretch the lugs and they can fail from stress.

Glad you weren't hurt. I never did find my tire and rim and I am just glad someone didn't get it through the windshield.