Lost wheel

[SGT ROC]

My brother has been in the profession for over for over 50 years. Before doing it for a living he worked on his own cars when we were kids, as did I. He is both a mechanic and Autobody repairman, and Very well respected in our area. In fact a Harley dealer from 45 miles away had him doing work, and painting their tanks. He inspected his daughters car one day and got distracted. She made it about 1.5 miles from the shop and her right front wheel came off. It was as she was turning around because she felt a vibration. She never went over 25 miles an hour. I happened to be going by at the time, so took her to the shop. After calling her dad a few choice names (actually in good humor) he went down and fixed the issue. That was the only time he had/has ever done that. You learn by your mistakes. As for common sense? You acquire common sense through life experiences, although there does seem to be a certain amount of innate ability to figure things out also. Without mistakes you do not learn. Those who do not make then are just really good at hiding them...

 

[trailrydr]

I doubt your posts will do or have done any good. People who are jerks to others have little effect other than to piss off people.

I think he got both his point across and mentioned that he may have come across as a jerk. IMO, time to move on.

 

[USA in a Chevrolet]

Here are my thoughts. First I wonder how many rv owners actually own a torque wrench. I think one reason a lot of folks don’t own them is the cost. In my case I decided to try a Harbor Feight torque wrench. My reasoning was that it was cheap, I wouldn’t use it often, it has a lifetime warranty & I could find a mechanic with a “professional torque wrench” that I could use to test the accuracy of my Harbor Freight product. My cheap wrench was as accurate as the professional model at Morryde.

As for my technique, if the tires are removed for rotation or any other reason, I watch the tech torque the lug nuts. I point out the sticker on my pin box that has the specification of 120 lbs. after I leave the dealer, I retorque every lug nut at 50 miles & then every 100 miles until none of the lug nuts can be tightened. That can sometimes take 4 or 5 stops.

I would love to hear fellow members thoughts

 

[WhittleBurner]

I think he got both his point across and mentioned that he may have come across as a jerk. IMO, time to move on.

The site team of moderators agree, it is time to move on and keep comments constructive and respectful of others here . This section is for sharing mistakes or other events that go wrong with the statement under the heading to be kind . https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/sho...r-learning-through-bad-example-Please-be-kind

Loosing a tire iand informing others of the mistake is a lesson learned.

 

[Hoopy Frood]

Here are my thoughts. First I wonder how many rv owners actually own a torque wrench. I think one reason a lot of folks don’t own them is the cost. In my case I decided to try a Harbor Feight torque wrench. My reasoning was that it was cheap, I wouldn’t use it often, it has a lifetime warranty & I could find a mechanic with a “professional torque wrench” that I could use to test the accuracy of my Harbor Freight product. My cheap wrench was as accurate as the professional model at Morryde.

As for my technique, if the tires are removed for rotation or any other reason, I watch the tech torque the lug nuts. I point out the sticker on my pin box that has the specification of 120 lbs. after I leave the dealer, I retorque every lug nut at 50 miles & then every 100 miles until none of the lug nuts can be tightened. That can sometimes take 4 or 5 stops.

I would love to hear fellow members thoughts

While your heart is in the right place, you're not actually torquing the lugnuts to the proper setting, if you check them and stop if the wrench clicks and the lugnut doesn't move. That is not the correct torque. The correct torque is a taken with the torque wrench moving. What you get with the nut stationary is friction torque. That's why head bolts in an engine are loosened and retightened, because accurate reading require the torque wrench to be rotating the nut/bolt when the wrench clicks, or the needle points to the correct numbers. A lot of people, even "professionals" aren't really aware of this.

Just consider me ever the pedant.

 

[USA in a Chevrolet]

While your heart is in the right place, you're not actually torquing the lugnuts to the proper setting, if you check them and stop if the wrench clicks and the lugnut doesn't move. That is not the correct torque. The correct torque is a taken with the torque wrench moving. What you get with the nut stationary is friction torque. That's why head bolts in an engine are loosened and retightened, because accurate reading require the torque wrench to be rotating the nut/bolt when the wrench clicks, or the needle points to the correct numbers. A lot of people, even "professionals" aren't really aware of this.

Just consider me ever the pedant.

Please help me understand. Are you saying that I should first loosen the lug nuts each time I am checking them & then retighten using the torque wrench? If so I will never get them tightened to the correct torque. Each time I check the lug nuts at approximately 100 mile intervals, I find one or more lug nuts that can be turned a little before the torque wrench clicks. I assume this is because as the wheels turn the wheel is getting more centered on the wheel hub. If I remember correctly the holes on the wheels are flared & the wheel is actually being centered on the wheel hub. Since a couple of lug nuts are moving doesn’t that mean the torque wrench is clicking after the lug nut has tightened slightly. Also, I am by no means a professional. Please explain what I’m missing. Thanks

 

[Hoopy Frood]

I'm just commenting on the torque settings. If the lug nut is moving, and the wrench clicks with the nut moving, the torque is correct. Personally I would recheck after 50-100 miles if that's recommended, and let it go. Sometimes you really can overthink these things. This isn't rocket science, just making sure the lug nuts are not loosening up. If they're tight, they're right. I mean the settings are usually like 100-110 lb. ft. so exact isn't that critical.

 

[USA in a Chevrolet]

I'm just commenting on the torque settings. If the lug nut is moving, and the wrench clicks with the nut moving, the torque is correct. Personally I would recheck after 50-100 miles if that's recommended, and let it go. Sometimes you really can overthink these things. This isn't rocket science, just making sure the lug nuts are not loosening up. If they're tight, they're right. I mean the settings are usually like 100-110 lb. ft. so exact isn't that critical.

Thanks for your thoughts. I’m hoping some members will also respond & indicate if they have & use torque wrenches. Also, what are your thoughts on Harbor Freight torque wrenches?

 

[SGT ROC]

Thanks for your thoughts. I’m hoping some members will also respond & indicate if they have & use torque wrenches. Also, what are your thoughts on Harbor Freight torque wrenches?

Well, I have a HF Torque wrench, and use Torque Wrenches fairly often, and have for many years, mainly for torquing head bolts. I also have an old Craftsman TW, which was my go to. I keep the HF one in the camper, and do use it occasionally on the Lug nuts, although only when putting the wheels back on after maintenance. The HF wrench is as accurate as the Craftsman, although I have not done a head to head, and probably won't. The HF is a fine tool and I would buy another if the need arose.

 

[USA in a Chevrolet]

Well, I have a HF Torque wrench, and use Torque Wrenches fairly often, and have for many years, mainly for torquing head bolts. I also have an old Craftsman TW, which was my go to. I keep the HF one in the camper, and do use it occasionally on the Lug nuts, although only when putting the wheels back on after maintenance. The HF wrench is as accurate as the Craftsman, although I have not done a head to head, and probably won't. The HF is a fine tool and I would buy another if the need arose.

Thanks for your info. I use a few HF tools. Most of my other tools are 20 to 40 years old.

 

[Hoopy Frood]

Thanks for your thoughts. I’m hoping some members will also respond & indicate if they have & use torque wrenches. Also, what are your thoughts on Harbor Freight torque wrenches?

I have 3 HF torque wrenches: a 1/4" drive, a 3/8" drive, and a 1/2" drive. I'm satisfied with them. And I do use them to torque the lugnuts.

 

[Easycamper]

Thanks to the OP for sharing. This can happen to anyone. One person sharing a real life mistake is worth 1000 self-proclaimed experts talking about why it would never happen to them.

 

[jkwilson]

Saw a post on FB yesterday that reminded me of this thread. Someone bought a used trailer and took it to a dealer for $1600 worth of brake repairs. Lugs all sheared off one wheel on the way home and struck another car traveling the opposite direction. Fortunately no injuries, but a nightmare scenario.

No way to know, but the likely cause was improperly torqued lugs.

 

[jmbopp]

I used to work in a tire shop. Losing a wheel was a "wheel-off" and it was grounds for immediate firing.

 

[Bungy]

I replaced the brakes and repacked my wheel bearings this weekend. My son and and I took the trailer out this morning to see how everything works. The brakes work nicely. However, while driving down the road I noticed one of my tires had come off and sped away into a ditch. Apparently I had forgotten to torque down the lug nuts on one wheel. Other than losing 5 lug nuts (I found one) I don't think anything was damaged. I got the wheel back on (borrowing lug nuts from other wheels) and drove home. I ordered a lug nut set from Amazon.

So, but sure to check all your lugs after installing your wheels.

As Kenny Rogers said: ? You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel ?

 

[Big Blue]

A good rule of thumb.... Install the fastener, immediately torque it.... learned this at "Eastern Airline" 4 decades ago.... saves a lot of grief....

 

[Jerrybsd]

Ok I don’t feel like a dufus for torquing all the wheels before traveling! I’ve had guys stop and ask, what happened flat tire ? Nope just making sure the lug nuts are tight! I always find 1-2 loose lug nuts!

 

[rjnava]

Loose lug nuts on all tires at a major company car repair shop

Thanks for sharing your experience. A good reminder for folks that are more accustom to maintenance from a personal automotive perspective.

Around 30 years ago my wife took our car for brakes to S---s. (You know, that place that had the huge paper catalog for 100 years and has just about gone out of business now.) When I got home my wife said the car was not running right.

Sure 'nough, all the lug nuts were loose! I tightened them up and my wife took the car back the next day. They wound up replacing most of the lugs on the drum brakes, and gave us our money back. Never trusted them again and took the car elsewhere to be checked out.

Even so-called professionals can and do screw up.

 

[lorend]

I drive semi's for a living and one day at work one of the other drivers was doing a post trip inspection and ask me if I noticed anything. Well, it was real apparent that he had three axles and only two tires on one side of the 48 ft trailer. We joked that someone stole it while he was driving on a 5 lane interstate. The only people who had worked on the wheel were doing it for a living. No idea what the cause was. As for a torque wrench I never owned one until I purchased an rv and now I use it before every trip. Better safe than sorry and it is really quick to do.

 

[Dragfam1127]

I replaced the brakes and repacked my wheel bearings this weekend. My son and and I took the trailer out this morning to see how everything works. The brakes work nicely. However, while driving down the road I noticed one of my tires had come off and sped away into a ditch. Apparently I had forgotten to torque down the lug nuts on one wheel. Other than losing 5 lug nuts (I found one) I don't think anything was damaged. I got the wheel back on (borrowing lug nuts from other wheels) and drove home. I ordered a lug nut set from Amazon.

So, but sure to check all your lugs after installing your wheels.

My rule of thumb is don’t install any bolt or nut finger tight unless you torque immediately. It’s very easy to forget. Glad all turned out good. Cheap lesson. Mine are always expensive. Lol!