Wheel fell off - oops

[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]

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 70:augieIsh too!!!!!!!

 

[Paul]

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.:doh

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

does anyone know the torque setting for the wheel nuts? :nenau

I will check mine ASAP :thumb2

 

[jims-terrano]

Jeez guess what I'm gonna be doing tomorrow.

Jim

 

[geoffdown]

does anyone know the torque setting for the wheel nuts? :nenau

I will check mine ASAP :thumb2

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

 

[solarman216]

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.:doh

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]

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]

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. :nenau

 

[stinka]

I know how tight to tighten them

 

[Paul]

When I recovered the wheel the nuts holding the wheel onto the spacer was still tight, the inner nuts was the ones that had come off, like said by others I drive for a living and as a rule know when something isn't right, only drove about quarter of a mile if that when it happened..:nenau

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

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

Cheers :thumb2

I wonder if, in this case, the loose nuts can be a thing that goes with over sized tyres and even the small balancing issues that go with larger mud pattern tyres? - just a thought!

 

[Fez_uk]

Cheers :thumb2

I wonder if, in this case, the loose nuts can be a thing that goes with over sized tyres and even the small balancing issues that go with larger mud pattern tyres? - just a thought!

Well I went back to my old kl71s which are pretty small and not that wide on standard alloy rims.

had bigger cooper STTs on before but switched them to my landrover.

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

i just checked my nuts, with a brace not a torque wrench as it's all i have with me, and they all seemed a little loose, bear in mind I do try never to overtighten things so i do mean a little loose. I advise anyone reding this thread to do the same! :thumb2

 

[firebobby]

I reckon some one's out to nobble you lot, I had my old 2.7 for 7 years and never had a problem with me nuts:lol

 

[solarman216]

I reckon some one's out to nobble you lot, I had my old 2.7 for 7 years and never had a problem with me nuts:lol

My nuts are just fine. Rick

 

[post2124]

Lost all my nuts off nearside back wheel yesterday by luck
i stopped and the drum was sitting on the inside off the
wheel. Was doing about 30 mph at the time thank goodness.

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

Lost all my nuts off nearside back wheel yesterday by luck
i stopped and the drum was sitting on the inside off the
wheel. Was doing about 30 mph at the time thank goodness.

Do you mean the drum came off as well as the wheel? :nenau

 

[polty]

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.

i had a similar issue numpty's called tyre fitters zip them up so friggin tight 119nm to 140nm is sufficiant the other thing is are they the right nuts for the rims?

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