Community Forums

96 Wideglide · 09-30-2019, 06:09 PM

After reading a couple of threads on this forum the last couple of weeks about failed lugs, I'm begining to think maybe the solution is to talk to whoever is going to remove any of your wheels, NO impact wrench installing the wheels!
If they don't agree, take your buisness elsewhere.

TXiceman · 09-30-2019, 06:16 PM

I stand and watch wheel being remounted on the RV or the truck. If they are not going to snug in sequence and use a torque wrench, they are told to stop and I find the shop manager.

Done my way or not at all.

Ken

daveandcarol · 09-30-2019, 07:17 PM

You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel...

SOMEBODY had to say it...

96 Wideglide · 09-30-2019, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daveandcarol

You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel...

SOMEBODY had to say it...

LMAO

!!

Arch Hoagland · 09-30-2019, 10:04 PM

Last year a guy in front of me driving a pickup truck had a tire/wheel come off and I ran over it with my passenger side wheel at 55 mph. Couldn't dodge it as I was on a bridge with an 18 wheeler right beside me.

Pounded my leveling jack up inside the bottom of my coach and ripped out the bottom plastic cowling on my toad.

My AAA insurance covered all the repairs.

Ray,IN · 09-30-2019, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arch Hoagland

My AAA insurance covered all the repairs.

Including your smashed feelings? Oh, Crown Royal does that.

RunningHard · 09-30-2019, 10:55 PM

Wow, lucky in many ways! I need to get a dash cam.....

Teamfoxy · 10-01-2019, 07:23 AM

Both my sons are mechanics and both of them have imapct guns with adjustable torque settings. Just because the mechanic is using an impact gun does not mean they are not setting the torque correctly.
For an F 53 chassis with 19.5" wheels, the setting is 150 ft# and for 22 inch wheels the setting is 450 ft#. One can loosen the nuts on a 19.5" wheel if you use a pipe to extend the lug wrench, but for 22" wheels, you are going to need to call for roadside assistance.

Air Conditioned Gypsy · 10-01-2019, 08:31 AM

Yes, your wheel did the right thing exiting the highway! About 2 years ago, my son was driving on I-285 (beltway around Atlanta) in heavy traffic. A rental box truck lost a rear wheel in front of him. The wheel hit 5 cars, including ours. My son said the tire was bouncing right at him but he was able to move just a bit to the right, so the tire ran down the drivers side, taking out the fender, mirror, driver door, and driver window. The officer who handled the accident stated that once the tire separates from the truck, it is "road debris" so not the truck driver's fault. But since they had witnesses to where the "road debris" came from, the rental agency - Penske - had to cover the claims.

Regards.

Chuck

skypilot_1 · 10-01-2019, 08:34 AM

I carry a Torque Limiting Socket. I control what my coach lug nuts are torqued too, whether in the shop or on the side of road.

https://www.gradeindustrial.com/prod...imiting-socket

slp · 10-01-2019, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningHard

Wow, lucky in many ways! I need to get a dash cam.....

You DEFINITELY need a dash cam...they are inexpensive and can really help you if something happens.

LETMGROW · 10-01-2019, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teamfoxy

Both my sons are mechanics and both of them have imapct guns with adjustable torque settings. Just because the mechanic is using an impact gun does not mean they are not setting the torque correctly.
For an F 53 chassis with 19.5" wheels, the setting is 150 ft# and for 22 inch wheels the setting is 450 ft#. One can loosen the nuts on a 19.5" wheel if you use a pipe to extend the lug wrench, but for 22" wheels, you are going to need to call for roadside assistance.

I don't trust the torque settings in impact wrenches. They are not accurate enough to rely on. Variances in air pressure, the age and condition of the wrench, lubrication of the impact wrench and the feel of the operator can result in a low or high torque of nuts and bolts. The only proper way to use an impact wrench to tighten anything is to run the bolt or nut down the threads and tighten the fastener with an accurate torque wrench.
Torque wrenches need to be checked on a regular basis for accuracy and if out of spec they need to be calibrated. This generally means sending the wrench back to the manufacturer for the calibration.
There are torque multipliers available which will allow an RV owner to properly torque wheels. They work with standard torque wrenches.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque_multiplier
Lynn

steve52 · 10-01-2019, 08:50 AM

A torque stick should always be used to tighten lug nuts. Very accurate, and no chance of over torque.

Jim_HiTek · 10-01-2019, 09:11 AM

Really happy it wasn't too bad for OP, as others have said, very dangerous situation.

Some shops think that 19.5 wheels get 150 ft-lbs but not all do. My '94 Bounder took 450 ft-lbs and had 19.5's. I discovered a professional truck tire shop didn't know that when a couple months after they installed 2 new front tires one of the wheels came loose with a loud BANG. Pulled over right away so no damage. All that happened is that several of the lug nuts were loose so only the last one was tight. When it let loose, got the big bang. On the other side, they were all set at 125 ft-lbs too.

So, even truck tire shops don't know that the fewer wheel studs there are, the higher the torque required is. It's best that the owner knows and tells them of course.

Also, I've not found a tire shop that knows that the hub caps on RVs only get 40 ft-lbs on the jam nuts...usually they're going to put on 125 ft-lbs...which distorts the thin metal of the hub cap and can ruin it.