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Anybody driven on an untorqued car wheel?

Discussion in 'General' started by tiggen, Nov 17, 2021.

  1. tiggen

    tiggen Things are lookin' up.

    Just changed pads and rotors on my car. Apparently I didn't torque down driver side front wheel. Went less than a mile and not over 20 (leaving neighborhood) when I heard the wobble. Went home and found that I hadn't torqued the wheel all the way down.

    After inspection things look ok. Some small shavings from wheel where bolt (VW) threads were digging in. Threads on bolts and hub appear to be fine. Mating surfaces of bolt taper and wheel seem fine: finish missing but no bad gouging or slop. No cracks in wheel. Wheel bolts up and torquea down fine. 2nd test drive seemed good.

    Anybody ever done this? Is their a SOP for this in the pro wrenching world? What did I not check and/or what do I not know?
     
  2. zertrider

    zertrider Waiting for snow. Or sun.

    Crank them tight and drive on
     
    Wheel Bearing, Photo, 969 and 4 others like this.
  3. L8RSK8R

    L8RSK8R Well-Known Member

    Currently doing rotors and pads on 385k mile Town Car.

    The lug nuts....are they something that should be replaced/renewed periodically?
     
  4. baconologist

    baconologist Well-Known Member

    ^that
     
  5. Dave K

    Dave K DaveK über alles!

    This.

    Yeah sorta, at least inspect them closely but if you can replace them why not do it.
     
    L8RSK8R likes this.
  6. Once a Wanker..

    Once a Wanker.. Always a Wanker!

    Yeah. I remember it well.

    Home from college for Thanksgiving.

    Went pheasant hunting with a friend, and was driving down a gravel road with my Dad's '62 Rambler 660 Classic.

    I recall simultaneously feeling the left front drop while watching the wheel and tire bounce 6' above the car, rolling forward while I was slowing down at a rapid pace. I found it 60' - 100' ahead of me, in the ditch.
     
    Britt likes this.
  7. tony 340

    tony 340 Well-Known Member

    Buddy got a set of tires on Christmas break from college and their air compressor had been serviced that day,

    Went to a hockey game and had a vibration from hell.....3 of his wheels had come loose
     
  8. BigBird

    BigBird blah

    Late at night cousin and I swapped wheels from a Nissan to a Honda, using the Nissan tuner bolts, since the Honda ones were too wide for the rims....who knew that the lugs we're different threads at 16...yep all 4 we're wobbly. We kept on tightening them until we got home.
     
  9. rymerc

    rymerc Well-Known Member

    The german cars are nice in that it's easier to replace a wheel bolt than a stud. Some people hate em because it's harder to get the wheels on quickly.

    Usually the wheel bolts are fine. Check the threads, clean up if needed, and proceed normally.
     
  10. pickled egg

    pickled egg Tell me more

    Had a loose wheel late this summer. Incredibly curious since the other three were tight and the wheels were changed in April from the snows to the summers.

    Retorqued and still fine.
     
  11. In Your Corner

    In Your Corner Dungeonesque Crab AI Version

    My contribution is in the Youtube thread.
     
  12. pickled egg

    pickled egg Tell me more

    And as I’m driving home tonight with the blonde child, Kenny Rogers was belting out “You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel”
     
  13. pickled egg

    pickled egg Tell me more

    Holy shit, Mike, how the hell did you come across this? I know Elroy, he played in politics with me during the ‘08 and ‘12 campaigns out here.
     
  14. Christopher Graybosch

    Christopher Graybosch Well-Known Member

    Did it on my ‘92 keep Cherokee. Torque and fkin send it
     
  15. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    Yes, if the taper is worn, threads worn replace them.
    I’ve owned vehicles the wheel studs failed on from fatigue also, so keep in mind, enough washboard roads and the wheels may just fall off.
     
  16. Rebel635

    Rebel635 Well-Known Member

    Had a rear wheel come loose on my foxbody. Under acceleration the shuddering would go away, under coast or slowing down It would rattle your teeth.
    did it twice. Apparently the spacer I was using was the culprit.
    Second time on the highway I knew what it was but didn’t wanna stop as I had no tools with me. Drove like that for 20 min to Combodian Tire where I bought breaker bar abs socket. That 20 min ride sheared one of the ARP wheel studs off. Oh well.
     
  17. SuddenBraking

    SuddenBraking The Iron Price

    Same on 98 4Runner. Driving down the street and felt the weirdest vibration :rolleyes:
     
  18. Dave K

    Dave K DaveK über alles!

    OP, inspect the lugs and if they look funky replace them. You said they were VW so that’s an easy replacement.
     
    BigBird likes this.
  19. rd49

    rd49 Well-Known Member

    Make sure the holes in the rim are not wallered out. Probably aren’t but just wanted to say wallered. :D
     
    BigBird and Scotty87 like this.
  20. DBConz

    DBConz Registered Idiot

    in 20+ years of driving, i have never driven on a torqued wheel. saw Town Fare Tire doing it once and thought it was odd.

    just grab the impact and tighten it
     

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