HELP! Wheel fell off while driving
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Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Rural Central Ohio
HELP! Wheel fell off while driving
Well I was driving down the road today at around 45 and I didn't notice anything at all. As I was driving I think something fell off the wheel (lug nut cap maybe) but I just thought it was a pop can or something. But then suddenly my whole wheel flys off and rolls down the road. I tried to maintain control and was able to put her safely in the ditch without any major damge. There had been No vibration, no movement at all before the wheel came off. Had it towed and took it home to look at the damage and found that all the wheel studs had been sheared off. I don't know if it had anything to do with it but the front rotor had been in bad shape. This was the front drivers side wheel that fell off. When i went to go buy new studs from the ford dealership i talked to one mechanic who said he's seen this problem before and it was caused by a bad hub. So what do you guys think bad hub? bad rotor? Really need some help before I put some money into this thing. Thanks
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,689
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bad mechanic.
Sounds like whoever put that tire back on didnt tighten the lug nuts down. There is no way tight lug nuts would allow enough movement to shear the bolts. I say this, because the grease monkey at Midas did this to my last truck, i caught it while driving, before the wheel actually fell off.
Sounds like whoever put that tire back on didnt tighten the lug nuts down. There is no way tight lug nuts would allow enough movement to shear the bolts. I say this, because the grease monkey at Midas did this to my last truck, i caught it while driving, before the wheel actually fell off.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Rural Central Ohio
Alright here's some pictures I took.
You can see how the studs just broke off and how it destroyed my locking hub.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...81971944szCDKb
Here you can see where the wheel was rubbing and a stud was still stuck in one of the holes.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...81971944eAAbEa
You can see how the studs just broke off and how it destroyed my locking hub.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...81971944szCDKb
Here you can see where the wheel was rubbing and a stud was still stuck in one of the holes.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...81971944eAAbEa
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
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From: Brentwood,CA
thats looks like something i have seen before who installed the tires last? I have only seen that once and it was at big o tire they guy used a 500FT pound impact wrench to install tires on a 89 honda civic within 30 miles the front tire sheared at the studs just like yous did.
Of the next Riffraff East
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 8,679
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From: Concord NC
IMO the two ways that could have happened is to overtighten or undertighten. Overthightening would result in possibly weakening or cracking? the the lug bolts. Undertightening would allow miminal play that would eventually weaken the studs causing them to break. I can't see how a hub could have anything to do with it???? I would make the Firestone dealer explain how they did not have anything to do with it.
On a lighter side, You could sing these words to the old ***** Nelson tune, Lucille.
"You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel"
Sorry, bad joke I know. Looking at your pictures, I am truly glad you didn't get hurt. You did a great job controlling the truck at any speed.
Good Luck and I think I will go out a check my lugs now. LOL
On a lighter side, You could sing these words to the old ***** Nelson tune, Lucille.
"You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel"
Sorry, bad joke I know. Looking at your pictures, I am truly glad you didn't get hurt. You did a great job controlling the truck at any speed.
Good Luck and I think I will go out a check my lugs now. LOL
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2,646
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From: Milky Way Galaxy
Glad you're still with us. I've seen something like this twice before. Once on a trail with a guy that had a huge motor and low gears in his rockcrawler, pinned the tire on a rock and gunned it. . .whoosh! There went the wheel and tire. And the other time was exactly what gashog said, over-torquing. The shop that I used to use for my muffler work (they were also a wheel and tire shop) had a wheel, hub with sheared nuts, and pictures on the wall with a big sign that explained that this was the consequence of not using a torque wrench and over-torquing the nuts.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: North Dakota
Yep, overtorquing is mostlikely the cause. had this exact samething happen to me about 5 years ago on my old cutlass supreme. Just happened to be filling up with gas when I walked around the front of my car and noticed that a couple of lu nut covver were missing, happen pretyt often, that is untill I looked closer. I then realized that 3 stud wre sheared off leaving only two studs holding my wheel on!!! I was lucky because I was fueling at a station next to intersate which is where I was heading, 75mph and a loose wheel could have been a disaster!
OVer tightning can cause the stud to fracture but more what happens is the threads stretch and the lug nuts then loosen. once a couple are loose the studs will shear right off.
OVer tightning can cause the stud to fracture but more what happens is the threads stretch and the lug nuts then loosen. once a couple are loose the studs will shear right off.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Rural Central Ohio
Thanks for the input guys. I was doing the brakes and pulled off the hub to see what condition it was in and it doesn't look good. There's a lot of black sludge and metal shavings. Is this normal?
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 493
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From: Aurora, Iliinois
Originally Posted by edub32
I had some front end work done by firestone 4 months ago and thats the only time they've been off. ?????
My advice is go back to the last person that had that wheel off and confront them...they will deny any fault, but if you keep at it they'll pay for any repairs to keep it from going to court because they know they will pay out the nose when they lose..and they most likely WILL lose... Trust me, I used to see this on a regular basis...and its actually kinda scary, ain't it?
Best of luck!
Scott
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 828
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From: Baltimore
If this had been due to loose lug nuts, the lug holes in that aluminum rim would have been enlongated. I would guess that this was due to overtorqueing of the lugnuts but I have heard of a similar thing happening during heavy duty offroad use. Then, I noticed all of the dried mud on the ground under the front axle. When you were 4-wheeling, did you catch a rock or a tree root really hard?
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Posting Guru
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From: Rural Central Ohio
I have taken it out pretty hard but not recently. The mud had been on there awhile. Do you think 4-wheeling could have played a role in this? I would have expected something to break immediately rather then a few weeks later.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Mount Airy, MD
Originally Posted by zx250
On a lighter side, You could sing these words to the old ***** Nelson tune, Lucille.
"You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel"
"You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel"
Of the next Riffraff East
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 8,679
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From: Concord NC
Originally Posted by kenneBF250V10
I believe that was Kenny Rogers.