Wheel fell off - oops

[Fez_uk]

Happened today, Luckily I was not going too fast. Couldn't stop when I felt it as it was on a blind bend :doh

:doh

 

[stinka]

WTF ??

How you manage that ?

 

[Fez_uk]

Didn't do them up tight enough I suppose, I sure I even torqued them up too.

 

[firebobby]

There was a story on the radio today about some MP or other council type, who's wheel nut were all loose when he got to his destination :clap

Here Fez, Your not some secret official/MP type are you:augie:augie

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Ouch, did you find the missing wheel?

I saw a lorry lose one once on the M25, it's amazing how far this thing went.. the trouble was after rolling for about 1/2 a mile, it bounced over the central reservation and hit a car coming the other way. After that, we never found where it went.

The car was a write off.

 

[Fez_uk]

the wheel to the left is the wheel, was carrying no spare at the time

brake drum hub vanished though.

 

[Paul]

Had the same happen to me last year, n/s front wheel, the nuts came of the wheel spacer.. Lucky for me they was still inside when it stopped up the road..:doh

 

[solarman216]

in the 70s got a call out to a 16 ton tipper that lost both NS rear wheels, one was on the road the other disappeared down into woodland (a long way) and came to rest near a pile of old rags, while we were trying recover it the pile of rags moved, turned out to be a tramp a'kip, what a lucky escape he had 10.00 x 20 wheel is no light weight, Rick

 

[96terrano]

yup, ive had the wheels come of my truck too:augie welcome to the club:lol

 

[Dynamics]

Following a artic' one evening and a left side trailer wheel came off. it ripped off into the side of the road and smashed into a fence.

It took about three miles of pulling out onto wrong side of road with hazards on flashing my headlights, before he finally pulled over into a lay-by.

He jumped out of the cab not to happy, until I explained what had happened.

If that had been a right hand side and had hit a oncoming car, it would have folded it in half.

I have changed quite a few lorry wheels as an apprentice mechanic. They are very heavy indeed.

 

[rustic]

Aren't you supposed to check your nuts regularly :augie:augie

If you have alloys, the wheel nuts on my Mav are in fact a brass type material, so could easily strip if over torqued at some time in their life.

I have found 2 stripped ones over the years, but having some wheel locking nuts gave me a few spare wheel nuts.

I always insist that garages pre start the fitting of the nut by hand, but most will just shove it in the air wrench and press the button until the wrench gasps for breath. :doh

I always use a torque wrench, as it is quite easy to over tighten them even with the standard wheel brace.

There is a chance of course that wheel nuts intended for steel wheels have been used for alloys, or vice versa, the wheel nuts are in fact different, as the angle of the countersink are different.

So go on then, check your nuts, you know you want too.

Or get someone else to do it for you.

 

[supergnome]

I've got 4 alloy and 1 steel spare so I should use the sparewheel nuts on the car when used. Also locking wheelnuts should be in 2 sorts? David.

 

[firebobby]

Didn't you feel it getting loose, I had a Ford Escort and a wheel came loose, by god it wobbled like a pig, when I looked around the car, I found the rear wheel was loose and tightened it

 

[Fez_uk]

Felt it go loose but couldn't stop as it was on a blind corner where people usually go 60mph. So had to think fast and decided to carry on a bit to a straight then it dropped off. Happened within 20-30 meters.

 

[Dynamics]

Just glad you are unhurt... Could have been a different story if it had happened on a Motorway!!!

 

[rustic]

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]

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]

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?