Next time I have work done on my wheels, check the lug nuts when I get home.

So I get a full brake job 3 weeks ago. 2 weeks and about 30 miles later riding down a state road at about 50 MPH I feel a bang on my back left, hit the brakes, look in the rear view mirror and see that I am being passed by my rear wheel bounding down the road, jump a fence in to a farmers field, and crash through another fence in to another field. Thank God there was no oncoming traffic.

I pull over pretty quickly, look over the situation and realize I am dead in the water, call AAA for a tow, and go and drag what must be over a 100 pound tire back to the truck. The AAA truck is able to lift my truck and enable us to get the tire back on the 4 remaining studs. Now we need to get a few lug nuts off the remaining wheels to me rolling enough to drag the truck back on the carrier. Checking the other wheels we find three nuts that were so loose we hand twisted them off their wheel.

The good news is that the truck is so tough there was no damage to the vehicle other than replacing the missing studs. The bad news is the wheel could not be saved and I could not find a matching wheel. The good news is I got 4 new moto metal wheels coming for the truck that could not be hurt even driving down the road for 100+ feet on 3 wheels and a brake.

Sorry, no pics as I was a little shaken up by the event but will post pics when she gets the new shows.

 

Good gravy!!! Glad there was no injuries or major damage. I'm pretty sure I would be stopping by that shop to have some words with someone.
I guess congrats are due on the new wheels though!

 

Always re-torque aftermarket wheels after 50 miles. It's prob on the receipt somewhere. But liability issues, they should have reminded you.

 

I would be so damn pissed. Someone would be going to court over that. I wouldn't be out for money per se (though I would like my wheels replaced) but more to have someone held liable and to make sure it was less likely to happen again.

 

I was just telling myself today to go back in and have wheels retorqued!

 

KRIKEY!!!! That's scary!

 

Glad no one got hurt and that your truck is in one piece!

I recently re-did a last minute brake job I did before I went to Kansas City, Missouri, and found my lug nuts "snug" but not tight like they should be. The boys at Discount Tire apparently didn't have the correct torque spec, so when I got things back together, I made sure things were as zhe Germans say: "Guden-tight".

Now I'm wondering about the rears....

 

Raz, remember how my lugs were loose on all four wheels as well when we did my brakes? Oddly enough I had just had the tires rotated and balanced at ..... Discount Tire.

I'm wondering if maybe their torque specs listed for the Excursion changed recently or are just incorrect period. That brake job wasn't the only time I've found loose lugs after visiting Discount, it was the fourth. All at different stores and in two different states so it's not one store in particular. It's not the lugs or studs either, as whenever I have a wheel off and torque it to spec the lugs don't get loose.

OP - glad the damage was just a wheel, it could have been much worse than some potentially dirty underwear. I had the left front wheel depart my old Jeep bombing down the interstate several years ago. Needless to say, if the thing didn't have a cage and harnesses with buckets I probably wouldn't be here today. Rolled four times after flying sideways off the freeway at 60.

 

Actually I do remember now....

It was scary how little effort it took to get those lug nuts off.

Guess what I'm doing after wotrk today....

 

I rotated the tires on my Fusion the other day and 2 days later rechecked the torque, can't be too careful.


I am glad nobody was hurt when the wheel came off.

 

had something similar happen on my superduty but it didnt end so well, desetroyed the side of the bed since the wheel came off during a turn and hit it.

 

Running it through a slalom course at full tilt?

oh... You probably meant checking the lug torques. I like my guess better.

 

I do too actually....

I'd love to hit the Slalom in a Mustang, I'd lose myself in the car....

Tonight both my trucks have a date with me and a torque wrench. Should be a good time.

 

Speaking of torque, what should they be torqued to? Always torqued them on the race car, 90 in the rear, 70 in front.

Edit: Whoa, Im reading 150-165?? Is that right??

 

165lbs if the tires are sitting on the ground for the Excursion.