Disaster averted but barely. Thanking the good Lord above.
Left our home Saturday for the first multi-week trip out in the RV in almost a year due to many family and personal matters.
Got about an hour down the road and started to feel a funny vibration in the seat of my pants from under the truck as well as through the steering wheel.
Stopped several times to check tire pressures and condition but could not see an issues. Employee at a large truck shop thought it might be the hanger/carrier bearing going out.
Progressively got worse over next 2 hours until we pulled off in Lima Ohio and found a campground for the night hoping to find a tires shop Sunday thinking we had a bunch of broken belts in the front tires after hitting massive potholes on Michigan roads.
As we were pulling off we heard and felt a mild "POP" and the vibration got worse.
Got trailer parked in a campground for the night Saturday and next morning found a large Firestone tire shop open Sunday. On route to tire shop we had another mild "POP" followed about 10min's later by a loud bang as our right front hubcap shot across the road up a curb into a parking lot in downtown Lima.
I knew at that moment we were in serious trouble, but I was still shocked to see that the right front wheel was being held on by only 3 studs.
Truck was flat-bedded to tire shop and we sat in Lima till Tuesday morning before we could get parts to make the repair and get moving again.
Never experienced a loose wheel before and never want to again, but now I at least know the symptom's only too well.
The last 3 remaining nuts were only finger tight when truck arrived a tire shop.
Needless to say all the stud holes in my aluminium rim were reamed out and totally shot now forcing me to find another rim.
DW swears now she won't let me leave a campsite with trailer "ON" without now checking tire pressures AND lug nut torques and BOTH truck and trailer.
Going to have a quick conversation with the shop that had done my maintenance and safety inspections for the past 6 years. "YOUR FIRED" will be my message as I also noticed while checking tires before getting to the tire shop the that the left rear brake caliper bolts had fallen out completely. The shop I have used for 6 years had the rear calipers off not 2 months ago to replace leaking rear axles seals.
There is no explanation for caliper bolts loosening and falling out except that they were never torqued tight to begin with.
Got about an hour down the road and started to feel a funny vibration in the seat of my pants from under the truck as well as through the steering wheel.
Stopped several times to check tire pressures and condition but could not see an issues. Employee at a large truck shop thought it might be the hanger/carrier bearing going out.
Progressively got worse over next 2 hours until we pulled off in Lima Ohio and found a campground for the night hoping to find a tires shop Sunday thinking we had a bunch of broken belts in the front tires after hitting massive potholes on Michigan roads.
As we were pulling off we heard and felt a mild "POP" and the vibration got worse.
Got trailer parked in a campground for the night Saturday and next morning found a large Firestone tire shop open Sunday. On route to tire shop we had another mild "POP" followed about 10min's later by a loud bang as our right front hubcap shot across the road up a curb into a parking lot in downtown Lima.
I knew at that moment we were in serious trouble, but I was still shocked to see that the right front wheel was being held on by only 3 studs.
Truck was flat-bedded to tire shop and we sat in Lima till Tuesday morning before we could get parts to make the repair and get moving again.
Never experienced a loose wheel before and never want to again, but now I at least know the symptom's only too well.
The last 3 remaining nuts were only finger tight when truck arrived a tire shop.
Needless to say all the stud holes in my aluminium rim were reamed out and totally shot now forcing me to find another rim.
DW swears now she won't let me leave a campsite with trailer "ON" without now checking tire pressures AND lug nut torques and BOTH truck and trailer.
Going to have a quick conversation with the shop that had done my maintenance and safety inspections for the past 6 years. "YOUR FIRED" will be my message as I also noticed while checking tires before getting to the tire shop the that the left rear brake caliper bolts had fallen out completely. The shop I have used for 6 years had the rear calipers off not 2 months ago to replace leaking rear axles seals.
There is no explanation for caliper bolts loosening and falling out except that they were never torqued tight to begin with.
