Anybody driven on an untorqued car wheel?

In high school my 87 Jetta started clunking when I turned one direction. My uncle was a mechanic and I asked him about it. We went to pull the wheel off and all the lugs were only finger tight. He asked if I had some enemy’s at school. Probably…… but me and a friend also took a doobie break last time we worked on it and forgot to torque em! Tightened them up and drove it till it died. No problem.

 

I’ve driven from Houston to Austin with a couple loose nuts. Just realized it while on a work call, walking around the rental car (Chrysler 300) and wondering why some were sticking out. Can’t remember how many but it was on all 4 wheels. no wobble

 

Metalhead and……………

 

nah, a guy from Boston and an eastern German

 

Tom Scholz or one of the replacement musicians?

 

VW…goodntite.

 

You've got half of a country music hit written right there.

 

Impacting lugs on are for shops/people that don't change that many tires or are comfortable with the occasional fallout. I worked at a shop that sold 50-200 tires a day plus flat repairs and rotations. Impacting on lugs can't be done at that scale. The tightening procedures - including torque sticks and torque wrenches - kept mistakes to a minimum and the lawyers away.

VW wheels are hub-centric. If the wheel and hub fit still together nicely, you shouldn't have issues.

 

That's why you have a 8 inch rod threaded on one end. It makes setting the wheel on a hell of a lot easier. I forget what they call them but I have one in the trunk oft all the German and Swedish shit we own. They are mandatory for anything with a carbon ceramic rotor. Makes it really hard to daqmage the rotor.

 

cross pattern, twice! then torque, and drive. re-torque after 25-50 miles. Ski

 

Yep. Sucks. Hell I;ve ridden a bike that the front caps on teh axle were loose (fucking dealer never tightened the axle caps on the g/f's HD when we picked it up) and the bike shook a bit.

 

Did a sprint race at Daytona with no nut on the rear axle. The transition from on throttle to off was interesting. Think I finished 3rd LOL

 

Hey! That's my line!!

 

Pilot pin? I'm getting one.

After inspection all looked good. Been driving a couple times around the neighborhood. All seems well. Gonna taknit on the interstate to go get a new set of lug bolts as @Dave K suggested.

Thx for replies.

 

He only suggested that so you’ll send him your old ones. He’s too cheap to buy new ones himself.