Wheel falls off and causes roll over

[carringb]

Under-torque can cause studs to break off too! Once the wheel slips off the hub lip (even on the full floats, only the first 3/8" is a true 4.88" then it tapers smaller), the wheel will load the studs in bending, and they fatigue.

Even if the wheel does't slip off the hub, the lack of clamping can cause wheel to spin and strike the studs every time the torque goes from driving to braking. When my loose lugnuts slotted the lug holes in the wheel (which then caused it to crack, or maybe the cracking cause the lugnuts to loosen up) , I swapped out the studs as well, even though they were visibly intact.

[newoldguy]

That looked really bad but glad no one was seriously hurt.


I tow a 22 foot travel trailer with a Chevy Express van. My tow vehicle is really overkill for the trailer I tow. Maybe it's just one of those freaky accidents.


I have had lug nuts come loose before when I used to go off road a lot, but even then, I was able to feel something wasn't right. How many of us have driven with one or two lug nuts missing?

[wahoo]

Lugs nuts should be torqued with the studs CLEAN and DRY (no lubricant)! When a lubricant is applied it results in Over Torque. I have personally seen a notable shop that many of us are familiar with use Anti Seize on the studs before installing the lug nuts. I brought this up to them to no avail.
I look forward to comments on this subject.

2004 Quigley EB, V10

[newoldguy]

Originally Posted by wahoo

Lugs nuts should be torqued with the studs CLEAN and DRY (no lubricant)! When a lubricant is applied it results in Over Torque. I have personally seen a notable shop that many of us are familiar with use Anti Seize on the studs before installing the lug nuts. I brought this up to them to no avail.
I look forward to comments on this subject.

2004 Quigley EB, V10

Conversely, there is another school of thought that a dry lug and lug nut could result in not enough torque due to the friction.



I myself have been using anti seize on all of my lug nuts for many years after a shop torqued down my son's Mustang lug nuts so tight, I couldn't break them with a cheater bar! They had to work at it for a long time using their air impact wrench.


I used anti seize on my vehicles, travel trailer and boat trailer. The boat trailer gets a good coating as it is used in the ocean.

[Orv]

The torque spec will be valid for one condition or the other. I think most manufacturers give dry torque specs for lug nuts. That said, I lived in Michigan for many years, and anti-seize was pretty much essential there if you wanted to get them off again after the winter season. Otherwise they'd become one with the studs.

[wahoo]

I too like the idea of anti seize but I sure would like to know if the same torque specs should be used. For something so important there does not seem to be any finite answer. Here is some discussion on the subject:
https://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=229718

[86Scotty]

Good info here that people should read. Here's another thing they should read and take heed of but no one ever does:

Check your lug nut torque and check it often! I'd like to ask this owner when it was last checked. Did he trust a shop where he had his tires done to keep his rig and his family safe? Probably. I come from a commercial truck background and still maintain my own work trucks and have to PM them daily. This was drilled in to me for years and when I see stuff like this it refreshes my paranoia.

It's not so much about the size of the vehicle or trailer as much as it is about maintaining your equipment! Get a flashlight and a torque wrench and go over things carefully even if you are on vacation. Don't do it every 3rd day you're towing a big camper, do it every day! It might save a life or 5.

Rant over.

[Twoxentrix]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

...and when I see stuff like this it refreshes my paranoia.

AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY!

For someone that actually did have a wheel fall off, I now check pretty regularly. What fuels my motivation is the simple fact that each time I go through the process I find a couple lugs that accept a couple "clicks" from the torque wrench. For me, this validates there is movement & consequently a need to be diligent in checking.

[JWA]

I might be disremembering something but seems to me lug nuts should be installed using a "light machine oil" aka 3-In-One---that stuff my mom used on her Singer sewing machine. In whatever I read suggesting that there was advice to NOT use anti-seize, the reason escaping me at the moment.

Over my years I've noticed wheel covers like the Ford "dog dish" types are great for keeping the wheel studs in good condition. Mine are on always, when I've removed them the studs are still lightly coated with oil, rust free and pretty much completely dry too.

[wahoo]

FYI: Another thing to think about is wheel spacers. Many of us with E series Fords have 2" spacers on the rear axle. The reason for that is that the rear axle track is narrower than the front (looks goofy and less stable). This was done by Ford in order to clear the sliding door when so equiped. Most of us with conversion vans have the barn door style side doors. With this configuration the narrower axle is not necessary. I surmise that Ford put the narrow axles on all of the E vans as a production cost savings.

Those spacers mount to the axle studs in a recessed area. It is impossible to see the axle studs or nuts without removing the rear wheels. No way to tell if studs are broken or lug nuts are loose.
In the past 15 years I have not found any loose ones.

Joe