Just driving along, and a wheel nearly falls off...twice...

riko666

riko666

Member +
Well the first time this happened was a couple of weeks ago, I just drove down my hill and a rattling sound was coming from the rear driver's side wheel, which got loud to the point where I refused to drive further and parked at the side of the road...All 3 remaining (one fell of ages ago) nuts were loose.

Yesterday I was on the A40, had travelled about 75mi then all of a sudden, I hear a similar rattling from the front left wheel, which subsides every time I dab the brakes. Park on the hard shoulder, 3 nuts loose, 1 holding the wheel on. Now my question is...what the holy hell is happening? I've mentioned the Brake Dragging issue but how can that seriously affect anything? Before anyone states the obvious, yes, I tightened all wheel nuts prior to the journey - I had adjusted the height of the coilovers a couple of days prior.

The threads of the hub-lugs are intact, and the nuts, whilst I haven't checked inside, don't seem to be losing material on the hub-lugs, so what the hell is happening? Some (less than informed) people suggested it could be the rock-hard coilovers. True, there's a chance, but I had driven for quite a while with no issue, and now all of a sudden they keep loosening...and not all on the same wheel. This car's just robbed me of any sense of security, I cannot go a minute without something going wrong...I'll buy some new lugnuts, but I don't want to be spending money on a solution that doesn't fix the problem at hand...

Thanks in advance for the help
 
WallaceGlanza

WallaceGlanza

Member +
Are the wheels balanced and alligned properly?

If not it might be causing extra vibrations to help work your nuts loose. (tee hee):homer:
 
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riko666

riko666

Member +
well I thought that could've been why the rear wheel got loose, as that wheel got VERY hot - I kind of bodge fixed it for now by removing the anti-squeal shims (and as a result, is nowhere near as hot as it was), but the front wheels were fine...the drag a very tiny bit, but nowhere near as much as the rear did.

I was thinking it could be the alloy nuts expanding at a different (quicker & to a greater extent) rate than the hub-lugs, but why the random wheels?? Ugh...I hate this car

Edit: Wallace, well I had them balanced about a year ago when I had the Watanabe's fitted? But not since...I'll probably pop down to some store on Tuesday and check. Those nuts are fine thank you very much - retracted up into my body, but fine :p
 
T

Toby@ToyTuning.com

Banned - DO NOT BUY FROM TOYTUNING
What lugs do you have Riko? You need a different wheel lug for an alloy wheel as a opposed to a steel wheel as the seating of the bolt differs, and torque setting of the lug needed to secure the wheel unless you know this..

T
 
riko666

riko666

Member +
I had to specifically get new lugnuts for the Watanabes, Knew that already. But I mean, I've driven the car, ooh, what....3000mi since getting these wheels on? Including Le Mans & back...so why only now? Ofcourse others can't answer it - I'm not expecting an answer, just suggestions for what I could check :(
 
Wild

Wild

Member +
Riko, don't rip my head off but are the wheels fitted with the correct spiggot rings for a perfect fitment? Although wheels are lugcentric to an extent its important for them to be hubcentric too, with use of correct spigots...

I know you probably know this but just a thought! X
 
riko666

riko666

Member +
I'd never bite (either) of your heads of Ollie - with regards to Spigot rings, I always thought it was weird there was nothing between wheels & hub on my wheels...reckoned the guy fitting my wheels would've said something.

I'll get my wheels rebalanced, but with regards to spigot rings, why's it taken 3000mi for them to make a difference?
 
Wild

Wild

Member +
Well, id say the two wheel thing may have been co-incidence but if you aren't running spiggots on a centre bore that isnt perfect for your car, wheel loosening could be a symptom.

I'm not trying to preach, i dont run spiggots on my rotas... but i will get some.
 
A

Adam_Glanza

Member +
yea doesnt really make sense, i would go for the balancing as vibration of somesort is loosing the nuts, either that or the nuts are heating up and becoming loose!
 
Somhairle

Somhairle

Lifer
maybe its a combination of your roack hard coilovers and lack of spiggot rings......


myself and jay had a hairy moment on track, when the trackcar decided she only needed 3 wheels, turns out the spiggot ring had twisted and was forcing the wheel off the hub.
 
riko666

riko666

Member +
hmmm, well I'll have to check out the Spigot Ring situation, it's literally a case now of the wheel nuts loosening themselves about every week. Would Quik-Fit or a generic Tyre Dealer be able to supply said Spigot rings?

Wheel Balancing - I had an issue in that one of the wheels couldn't be straightened completely, so it was balanced accordingly to compensate...ah I dunno
 
Somhairle

Somhairle

Lifer
they might have something to suit.

Try some alloy wheel shops too.


There would need to be a severe unbalance in the wheel for it to loosen the nuts.

Make sure you torque them when you put them on.


check for thread damage, both on the stud and inside the nut mate.


You really do have worse luck than me, and that's an achievement in itself :D
 
Wild

Wild

Member +
What would make your life a tonne easier Riko is if you knew the centre bore of the Watanabes... you then get a xx.x to 54.1* (*I think thats our centre bore, someone correct me) spigot ring to get perfect fitment.

Hoe you would find ut the centre bore of your wheels im not sure... Aldi sells some electronic calipers for like a fiver which would be up to the job of measuring exactly the diameter... if you can face entering Aldi. :D
 
riko666

riko666

Member +
why thank you, it's an honour :p Well I'll try Kwik-Fit tomorrow, as I doubt anything'll be open...and it'd better work, as I need to travel a bit soon

Ollie you Sthilly Billy, already have Electronic Calipers :eek:
 
Somhairle

Somhairle

Lifer
lol...


Try the dreaded halfrauds too if kwik fit can't help....

think they open at like 10am or something.


good luck!
 
riko666

riko666

Member +
right, so checklist:
- Get Wheels Re-Balanced
- Enquire about Spigot Rings
- Open a can of whoop-ass on people that didn't provide Spigot Rings in the first place

I've left out alignment cause I've been waiting to get a full alignment done by Leda...so I shall wait...unless that's the core of the issue, whereby I'll just get a cheapy one done for now
 
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