Community Forums

seniorgear · 03-03-2018, 02:06 PM

You always hear to check the wheel nuts before leaving, well I didn’t and on our way from MI to Fl, lost the rear wheel on our Jeep we tow.
It cost us 3 days, and a bunch of money. Until someone passing us and pointing I didn’t know it had happened. Dragged the Jeep about a mile without a rear wheel. Lesson learned

CharlesinGA · 03-03-2018, 02:47 PM

Lug nuts don't just work loose. Did you have some kind of tire service done on the Jeep prior to this incident? I suppose there is a chance of vandalism or theft (attempted) and this left them loose. Yes, you should do a walk around and including shaking the wheels for looseness.

Charles

Old-Biscuit · 03-03-2018, 03:22 PM

That is what I was curious about.....Jeep wheel recently removed

On travel day I check/adjust ALL tire air pressures
And have done a 'lug nut' torque check but only after wheel/tire has been R/R and then only until I no longer find ANY change

Any broken wheel studs?

ej1144 · 03-03-2018, 03:35 PM

If you have aluminum wheels and had serviced they tell you to re torque. They will loosen

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Triangle Drifter · 03-03-2018, 03:39 PM

While you are in the checking mood, a good idea to check things like U bolt nuts as well.

Tony Lee · 03-03-2018, 05:05 PM

Could also be broken studs caused by clowns using a big rattle gun to way overtighten the studs plus lots of antisieze goop splashed all over the studs and nuts to make things even worse

seniorgear · 03-04-2018, 11:03 AM

Really don’t understand. The wheels have not been off for over a year, they are steel wheels and the studs are fine. I have towed it a couple thousand miles since the tires were rotated.

Old-Biscuit · 03-04-2018, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seniorgear

Really don’t understand. The wheels have not been off for over a year, they are steel wheels and the studs are fine. I have towed it a couple thousand miles since the tires were rotated.

No broken studs
Wheels haven't been off for over a year
Steel wheel
Towed couple thousands miles

Hummmmmm......

Interrupted some thieves
OR
Somebody don't like you

Where were staying prior to travel?

FL420 · 03-04-2018, 11:45 AM

A couple of weeks ago I had 6 new tires installed in Livingston, TX at a shop that came with recommendations from several residents at the Escapees Rainbows End Park. It was the most unprofessional maintenance organization I have ever seen or dealt with. I could write a book on all the things they did and didn't do that could prove to be dangerous to me and my family.

Just one example. They didn't have a torque wrench big enough to torque 19" and 22.5" wheel lug nuts. When I saw them use an air wrench to tighten my lug nuts I told them I wanted them to torque them to 500 lb/ft, the torque required by my owner's manual and also stamped on each lug nut. The employee stated we always do it this way.

I took it up with the manager. Same story. The air wrench gets it "plenty tight enough."

I asked why they were working on truck and RV tires without the required equipment. "Do you know how much a torque wrench that size costs?" was his reply.

After I put that place in my rearview mirror I drove 50 miles north to Cook Tire in Lufkin where they checked the torque(for free!) and then retorqued them to 500 lb/ft. The highest torque on all the lug nuts they checked was 300 lb/ft and 5 of them were considerably less with 2 of them approaching finger tight.

My advice to anyone having tire work done is to insist on watching them torque your lug nuts and verify the settings. It takes 2 men and a big wrench to torque a truck sized wheel. One to hold the socket straight on the lug nut and one to supply the muscle. Also, I recommend you check the tire pressures yourself ASAP after someone else airs them. I told the aforementioned shop exactly how much pressure I wanted in each tire. When I checked them while cold after driving several hundred miles not one was within 10-15 psi of what I specified.