Anyone had a wheel fall off? Mine did today

[kenny.]

I've never had a wheel fall off yet have never used a Torque wrench whilst fitting

 

Whizz them on, then a "make sure" with the strong arm has always been my method.

 

I'm a spanner check freak too and have never felt a wheel nut that has become loose.........maybe just luck so far.

[mav]

75nm or 55lbft according to the manual, so I set my wrench to 60lbft. Checked regularly (daily) when out and about and usually before each session on track...

 

[Jason Plato]

mine are torqued to "uurgh"

 

not quite a Uuuurrggh but more than a Huggh 😶‍🌫️

[6speedmanual]

Mav

Checked daily, but do they ever move?

 

Peter

[MartinH]

mine are torqued to "uurgh"

 

not quite a Uuuurrggh but more than a Huggh

 

Dave - No, if you only did a Huggh then you would get an

 

Aghghghghghg!!!................................f***

 

Thanks for all the comments folks. I am convinced in my own mind that they were done up tight but I accept all the logic above. Suffice to say I will be making full and more frequent use of the big torque wrench from now on and will be stopping and examining very carefully if I hit any big potholes.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

PS: How many readers will be nipping into the garage tonight for a quick torque then???

[TomB]

PS: How many readers will be nipping into the garage tonight for a quick torque then???

 

Nah, the wheels are stacked up in the corner of the conservatory!

[mav]

Quoting 6speedmanual: 

Mav

Checked daily, but do they ever move?

 

Peter

 

Not in 40000+ miles shared across track and road...

[kenny.]

Quoting Dave Jackson: 

mine are torqued to "uurgh"

 

I'd agree with that, yet some seem to tighten themselves up, and then need a "Ucuncha" to undo them

[michaelw]

Not sure any of these are helpful or true as I am no engineer. But I have wondered whether when I grease the wheel nuts (and I think I probbaly use too much) the build up in the blind nut could eventually hydraulic and tighten against a wall of grease. I can't think of a better way of describing that.

 

Some years ago my Metro wheel nuts came loose while my Dad was driving it to be dropped off at the garage. I got a lecture about being more careful etc (quite rightly) and then on the way home it happened again after he had tightened them. We came to the conclusion I had stretched the studs by overtightening them so replaced the lot and it never happened again - the garage had seen this before apparently.

 

I always shake the wheel as I tighten each wheel nut (as I'm sure everyone else does)as the nut can tighten without fully seating in the taper. Presumably hitting a bump could then loosen the wheel as it seats properly.

 

 

 

Michael.

[Ozzy]

Well... as I've said before, I'm with Kenny & Dave on this one. Never used a torque wrench on the wheel nuts, never had one come loose.

 

Martin, I have no idea how this could have happened, but it certainly wasn't hitting a pothole, as I'd have no wheels on my wagon! Tintop that is.

 

Carry on with what you've been doing, check frequently, and if they never seem loose again, I think you know the answer.

 

Unless of course, you left it unattended somewhere for a while, and some little toe rag thought they'd have a laugh?

 

Oz.

[Edzup Ezzer]

Grease your wheel nuts - no! You should never grease wheel nuts (or any other fixings) if you then torque them up to the quoted figure as the torque figures are designed for 'dry' fixings. Lubricated fixings mean you overtighten and stretch them which leads to failure. Not that that seems to be the cause in this case but as a rule don't lubricate torqued up fixings. Greasing them may also lead to them coming loose.

 

Ezzer

[Alan Reeves]

Spooky

 

Lidl have Torque wrenches and wheel wrenches on offer this thursday...15/5 quids

[paul seymour]

I am really sorry to hear this martin,thank god it was low speed and no one was hurt.

I remember our last trackday and i was parked next to you.

I do recall that day you were checking your wheel nuts .

Daft question but would a locking wheel nut of kept the wheel on if the others failed,

I know cc have some on there website.

You must of felt all types of emotions at the time so trust you are o k.

Chin up and see you at next penn.

[glasgow]

Grease your wheel nuts - no! You should never grease wheel nuts (or any other fixings) if you then torque them up to the quoted figure as the torque figures are designed for 'dry' fixings. Lubricated fixings mean you overtighten and stretch them which leads to failure. Not that that seems to be the cause in this case but as a rule don't lubricate torqued up fixings. Greasing them may also lead to them coming loose.

 

Oh, two weeks ago when i was replacing a tyre for SWMBO car, I found "rust/oxidation" on a couple of nuts. I used WD40 to "clean" them.... I will go and check tonight... ☹️

 

Ahmed

[Birkin S3 ZA.]

Funny I always grease my nuts 😬 on my Isuzu you won’t get the wheel nuts off after a year without a big pipe if fitted dry. Using lube allows a nice even tightening of the bolts without the socket jumping when tightening and the same goes for truck wheels as well.

Always lube the bolts when I build my motors most with light oil, some with ARP lube on threads and underside of bolt heads.

Never had a problem with my wheels coming loose on road or track, I did lose a wheel from a trailer within one mile when it wasn’t tightened.

[MartinH]

Hi Paul,

A witness!! 😬[:E

In fact I have hardly driven the car since that track day in September and not had the rears off at all in that time so they have come loose one one wheel only *somehow* since then.

 

I think locking wheel nuts just prevent undoing without an adaptor of some kind I.e. no extra locking onto the stud thread as such.

 

I'm fine by the way - but will be torqueing like a madman whenever I take the car out from now on!

 

Should be at Penn next week all being well. Will we be seeing your shiny new CSR Tilletts that day??

 

Cheers

 

Martin

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by - MartinH on 18 Feb 2013 18:23:32

[combine]

Dodging holes in the road in the 4wd , 7 , and z4mc to avoid damage , and after a nother horrible winter there are even more of them .. holes introad !

[diggerman]

Hi Martin,

 

I was two cars behind and as amazed as you by the antics of your rear nearside 😳

It was really odd that all 4 nuts came off at the same instant. All were on the road at about the point the wheel came off and found by the several Penn Seven scavengers who went looking for them.

 

One thing occured to me. No washers were found? True these a smaller / harder to find etc, but is it possible that in an absent minded moment they got left on the garage floor. If so that would explain the consequences.

 

So pleased there were no consequences.

 

Peter

[MartinH]

Hi Peter,

I wish that was the answer as then there would be a reason and I could rest. When I take the wheels (or any parts) off though I always put them in a little tray and check them for defects and dirt etc before putting back on. I can't see how I would have left any bits behind.

 

Last night I got under the car and checked for damage. Unbelievably only a bent rear anti roll bar bracket and the trailing end of the anti roll bar itself scraped a bit. The hub and brake disc seem fine. When I was getting out of the car I expected to see a tangled mess of suspension parts so pretty lucky.

 

Hopefully back on the road for Penn on Saturday.

 

Cheers

 

Martin

[glasgow]

Washers...?!

[Drumster]

Glasgow,

 

If you have these wheel nuts then you'll not be needing washers.

 

However, if you have these nuts then you'll need these washers.

[Z3MCJez]

And, as mentioned earlier, if you have closed end nuts you will need to make sure that the studs are standard - longer studs (or shorter studs) will lead to problems.

 

Jez

[en6jwrs]

I have been reading this thread with interest - espcially the washers comments.

 

I have just moved over to using Caterham's 13 inch antracite wheel (6's and 8's) and have wheel nuts like the first of Aeroscreens links. I.E. this one here

 

One question:

Are these a suitable nut for these wheels?

[kenny.]

Interesting that is...........I'd never seen seperate washers on any car I'd ever owned, you learn something new every day.

 

As an aside, my old SLR had the Barmby stlye (Post old SLR/JPE rims) fitted. I'm sure they had a "floating" washer incorporated in the nut. If it wasn't that car I'll have to wrack my brains to remember which one it was.

[MartinH]

I Spoke to Darren in CC Parts this morning and discussed the subject of wheel studs and nuts.

 

Apparently, a while back they changed to 40mm studs from shorter ones previously used. This was not not thought to be absolutely necessary by CC engineers but was done in response to demand from customers. It was done to achieve more nut thread being engaged with the stud thread.

 

I have the closed end nuts with the little cone shaped inserts/washers. Obviously, there needs to be enough thread inside the nuts so that the stud doesn't 'bottom-out' at the end of the nut. Darren says this is the case (i.e. there is enough depth) but I will check myself tonight. There is the option to get open nuts however. These are not as attractive as the closed end type but favoured by some as they provide more of an easily visual check that the nuts are tight.

 

Martin