close call

[dennyida]

Hi to all from Denny and Ida, I wanted to post this just to let everyone know to check everything "EVEN LUG NUTS" when you are about to go on a trip. My wife and I were going to our favorite camp ground when I noticed a vibration on the back end of my Dodge. I looked everything over at the camp ground but could not fond any reason for the vibration. The next day I decided to take the truck down to a repair shop near the camp ground and asked if they would check it over thinking I would be paying for a new set of "U" joints or something far more serious like a bad rear end. The repair shop called me up and asked if I had some one work on my truck? I told him that I just had new tires put on the truck before we left to go camping. He stated to me "YOU ARE SO LUCKY", the left back wheel on the truck was loose. It turns out four out of five lug nuts were loose causing the wheel to vibrate. NOT A GOOD THING WHEN I'M PULLING A 5TH WHEEL. We just got home from camping so I need to go down and voice my displeasure at the tire store. MY wife told me one thing, DON'T LOOSE YOUR TEMPER !!!! thank's for letting me vent on this forum. We will see you on the road, Denny and Ida

[OFDPOS]

I think Butch nailed it , when wheels have been off the vehicle (as in tire replacement) I believe the paperwork even states to recheck lug-nut tq after 50 miles. Who does that ??? I now do every time !

When I take my vehicles into the tire shop America's Tire here local.
I tell the person who writes me up that the lug-nuts can be taken off with the air impact gun, but they will be put back on finger tight then a torque wrench will be used to tq to specks.

I have seen it too many other times they hammer the lug-nuts back on with the impact gun then grab the tq wrench and it doesn't even tighten the lug-nut just clicks and that is over tq'd !!!! They go onto the next wheel...
Those tq sticks are joke as well too !!

Yeah those days of trusting are long gone !

[w3ozwizard]

A good TPMS system will help with low tire pressure.

[Bordercollie]

Oops!Deleted

[Bordercollie]

Notify the shop that installed your tires about the loose nuts. DON'T USE CHEAP SCREW-ON VALVE STEM EXTENDERS. Have Tire Man or Borg or other long solid metal custom formed valve stems installed on rear duals and front wheels. Have tires replaced when over 4 years old by date codes. When a tires comes apart, the steel flailing steel belt can wipe out holding tanks, propane lines and wiring.

[Butch50]

Anytime that your wheels are removed you should always check your lugs after 50 miles. If you have aluminum wheels you should check you lug nuts periodically as they have a tendency to loosen up.

[woodworker414]

craz z thanks for your comments. I think I will be much better in chicking my lug muts and tire pressure than I have been in the past. As you say, its simple and easy, and a whole lot safer.

[woodworker414]

Denny, OH WOW, what a close call. What a BUMMER. We take our equipment to shop and trust them that they will do the work properly. And not put us out on the road in a unsafe condition.
So glad that nothing weious happen. And yes I agree with Ida, don't lose your temper.
Take Care.

[pasusan]

korbe wrote:
When I have my tires swapped of our local tire shop, I always watch the "kid" tork the nuts. For that very reason.

The garage I worked at way back in the 70s.... It was the old guy who didn't torque the lug nuts correctly and caused a problem for the customer.

But the moral is watch if you can. Or check it yourself.

[pconroy328]

I know what you mean about a lunatic about wheels and tires. Our last trip, just two weeks ago, son #1 remarked that the tire looked low. "Naaa, son - it's just the way we're sitting."

Two hours later and a hundred miles, we're refilling and he says "Dad!!! This tire is low!!!"

Sure enough, the valve extender I had bought had worked loose and the outer tire was flat. I had been running on the inner one for a hundred miles.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrg!!!

"Sorry son..."

[craz_z]

I've turned into a crazed lunatic about tires and wheels.

I've had a bad experience each time I go to the tire shop I'm almost at the point of buying a tire machine an balancer I do not trust or have any faith whatsoever in the industry.

If you go to a place that uses tourque sticks with a impact gun run don't settle run first question I ask. Next KNOW your specs don't trust that they will magically know your tourque specs and adjust accodingly.

Better yet bring your own tourque wrench and check them yourself. Tourque sticks break studs or make them too loose. Too tight will warp rotors and fail wheel bearings. I've had to replace studs almost every time I go to a shop and after the last episode of them having a spec 40lbs over what's called for I'm forever taking matters into my own hands.

I've had friends true story drive 3 hours 80mph stopped in a town felt a shimmy and turned into a tire shop and watched the wheel pass them into the parking lot.

I check air and tourque before every trip. Completely OCD but have yet to have a blowout or stud broken on the rv. I can't even count how many people I see with rvs sitting on the side of the road with blown tires.

Single most important thing I've learned here. Replace, replace, replace those tire 3 to 5 years don't think just act.

Sorry for the rant but as a certified mechanic watching people with no training at all put the single most important safety item on your vehicle it bothers me to hear stories about broken studs and loose lugs dangerous isn't the word lethal and deadly would more appropriate

[j-d]

Yes, check Every Lug Nut. But remember this -

- Tandem trailers, whether travel or fiver type, get turned so hard that the tires scrub. This isn't easy on any of the components, but it also tends to loosen the lug nuts

- Especially on Driver Side, towing action tends to tighten passenger side and loosen driver side. Vehicles used to have left handed threads on left/driver side and most no longer do. Translates to extra care needed on our part

[korbe]

When I have my tires swapped of our local tire shop, I always watch the "kid" tork the nuts. For that very reason.

[Dog_Folks]

Trust but verify. When we purchased our trailer we towed it about 35 miles from the dealer to home.

Checked the lug nut torque: At least three out of five of every wheel on the brand new trailer were finger loose!!!!

We check ours before every trip and when doing extended traveling, we check them once a week. It is easy, and free.