Wheel fell off - oops

[rustic]

Originally Posted by Dynamics

Could have been a different story if it had happened on a Motorway!!!

Lucky for Fez then, there aren't that many in Wales.

I can't help thinking about the song... Three wheels on my wagon........

[meatball]

This happened to me only last week,
On holiday in Devon, wife driving, right horrible noise coming from NSF, got out expecting a knackered driveshaft, looked at it and wheel was almost off, all 6 bolts had come loose, thankfully, a helpfull farmer stopped off to help with everything in his green oval, jack, sockets ect.
Now I'm going to be checking my nuts regularly!!!

[stinka]

I fail to understand how people don't notice it's loose well before it comes off tbh

Knocking Noise and handeling is a rather certain giveaway that something needs urgent atention

[Kamsin]

Originally Posted by stinka

I fail to understand how people don't notice it's loose well before it comes off tbh

Knocking Noise and handeling is a rather certain giveaway that something needs urgent atention

Simple, because you dont get much warning. Iv had this happen and by the time you work out something is worng, its all over and your missing a wheel.

Its not the same as the wheel bearing going when it will woble like a bitch for a few miles, when a wheel comes off its very fast, sort of a wobble wobble gone, and thats only if your lucky.

A bloke on the A1M South bound near Ferrybridge was killed a few years ago due to the wheel coming off a truck going North bound, it bounced over the road and went right through his cab, taking him with it.

A 20 Kilo weight traveling at 30 MPH has the same force as 1/2 a ton hitting you. A wheel is around this (car wheel) and it will be going at about 50 MPH, its going to hurt.

[Fez_uk]

Originally Posted by stinka

I fail to understand how people don't notice it's loose well before it comes off tbh

Knocking Noise and handeling is a rather certain giveaway that something needs urgent atention

I guess sometimes you get more warning or in a place you can stop right away.

Has it happened to you?

[Terranical]

A few years ago I was heading north on the M5, near Worcester, and was just about to overtake an empty flatbed artic when one of the offside trailer wheels came off. In the time it took me to react the wheel had hit the central barrier and bounced straight toward me. By this time I was virtually alongside the rear of the trailer, leaving me nowhere to go. I hit the wheel square on and by sheer good fortune instead of going up and through my windscreen it went down, underneath the car. According to one of the several drivers who stopped, my Mondeo estate leapt 4 or 5 feet in the air, landing on all four wheels, albeit with the bottom ripped out of the radiator, the exhaust torn off and the front bumper smashed to pieces - someone was definitely watching over me that day!
After going under my car the wheel flipped up again and was hit by an Audi A4 coming up behind me - amazingly, as far as I could tell, the driver of that car didn't even stop!
One of the drivers of the following cars chased after the lorry, which also hadn't stopped, and caught him about a quarter of a mile up the motorway, flagging him down. He then reversed with the lorry driver in his car down the hard shoulder back to where I was by now also on the hard shoulder - apart from no water in the radiator and being very noisy (no exhaust) my car was still driveable!

[dollywobbler]

I've had the nuts on my Mav come loose twice now. Both times thankfully I got plenty of warning, with all sorts of clonks. Tightened them up and all was well. I tend to check them quite often now...

[meatball]

Originally Posted by stinka

I fail to understand how people don't notice it's loose well before it comes off tbh

Knocking Noise and handeling is a rather certain giveaway that something needs urgent atention

My problem was crappy little one width car lanes, with passing places, no faster than 20mph!!!!!!
Hence in a straight line didn't really hear owt, only when we went round a VERY tight left hander I heard summert, pulled straight over and waited.

Thankfully we weren't on a faster road cause we were all in the car, couple of days earlier we were on the motorway doing 70Ish too!!!!!!!

[Paul]

Originally Posted by stinka

I fail to understand how people don't notice it's loose well before it comes off tbh

Knocking Noise and handeling is a rather certain giveaway that something needs urgent atention

In my case there wasn't any warning sound's feeling, went over a speed bump and bang the wheel is off up the road.

[(RIP) PLANK]

does anyone know the torque setting for the wheel nuts?

I will check mine ASAP

[jims-terrano]

Jeez guess what I'm gonna be doing tomorrow.

Jim

[geoffdown]

Originally Posted by PLANK

does anyone know the torque setting for the wheel nuts?

I will check mine ASAP

On mine with alloys it 133nm I check mine every weekend the torque wrench lives in the boot

[solarman216]

Originally Posted by Paul

In my case there wasn't any warning sound's feeling, went over a speed bump and bang the wheel is off up the road.

Some years ago I had a Sunbeam Talbot went to London to a spares/scrap yard with the scrap guy and his wife in the motor going to his yard, I declared, that I have a near side tyre going down, this guy said how do you know, I said I can feel it, upon stopping we could see the nearside rear was about half flat, he was dumbfounded, when I drive I am part of my motor, that is what it is all about, I do not have a radio blearing away, if I did I would not be able to listen to my motor, driving today is a serious business, anyone who says different is an idiot and should not be on the road, driving is not a pleasure item any more, you have to be up together and on the ball, Rick

[stinka]

Originally Posted by solarman216

Some years ago I had a Sunbeam Talbot went to London to a spares/scrap yard with the scrap guy and his wife in the motor going to his yard, I declared, that I have a near side tyre going down, this guy said how do you know, I said I can feel it, upon stopping we could see the nearside rear was about half flat, he was dumbfounded, when I drive I am part of my motor, that is what it is all about, I do not have a radio blearing away, if I did I would not be able to listen to my motor, driving today is a serious business, anyone who says different is an idiot and should not be on the road, driving is not a pleasure item any more, you have to be up together and on the ball, Rick

I agree with all of this. I'm always feeling everything as I drive, steering, suspension, listening for Knocks and vibrations, it comes from being a mechanic.

I've had loose wheel nuts a couple of times, but I carry a snap on 2ft breaker bar in my rear door with extension and socket and I check my wheel nuts once every 2-3 months, I also visually look for missing ones weekly

[Fez_uk]

Originally Posted by stinka

I agree with all of this. I'm always feeling everything as I drive, steering, suspension, listening for Knocks and vibrations, it comes from being a mechanic.

I've had loose wheel nuts a couple of times, but I carry a snap on 2ft breaker bar in my rear door with extension and socket and I check my wheel nuts once every 2-3 months, I also visually look for missing ones weekly

Not much good if you over tighten them though.