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?
Currently doing rotors and pads on 385k mile Town Car. The lug nuts....are they something that should be replaced/renewed periodically?
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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”
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.
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.
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.
OP, inspect the lugs and if they look funky replace them. You said they were VW so that’s an easy replacement.
Make sure the holes in the rim are not wallered out. Probably aren’t but just wanted to say wallered.
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