Torque Your Nuts

[AXE]

Check out this video of a wheel coming off a Duramax at highway speed. The driver of the small car surprisingly wasn't injured

It's a good reminder to torque your lug nuts to 140 lb/ft with a good wrench.

When I switched over to my new Method wheels, which are non hub centric, it took three times before they stayed tight. There was also some type of manufactturing material on the threads that seemed to affect tightening. Finally on the fourth attempt they had stayed completely torqued. Just checked them again and still ok.

Truck's Wheel Breaks Off, Becomes Ramp, Launches Kia Skyward in Freaky Freeway Crash

A Kia Soul (briefly) escapes the bounds of Earth.

www.motortrend.com

 

[GearheadSS]

I don't think that was due to loose lugs. I'd put money on a wheel bearing failure due to the giant wheels/lift stressing the stock bearings to their failure point.

 

[AXE]

Who knows for sure, but you can see the truck wheels come loose and begin to shake/wobble before it launches. Classic lug nut problem. I've seen it happen in the dunes and it looks the same. If you got a bearing that bad you know it a long time before it happens.

There's a shit ton of lifted trucks in So Cal, Nevada, and Arizona. They don't have wheels flying off cause they are lifted.

 

[subflyerc]

140 ft/lbs?!?! Sweet Jesus. I'm going to need a 6 foot cheater bar.

 

[AXE]

LOL..........Most people don't know that the Chevy light and HD trucks/SUV have a high torque spec.

It's really not that bad. I use a torque wrench that is probably 28 inches. Before I do that I hand tighten a couple of opposing lugs, then use an impact with a torque bar, then finish them off with the torque wrench and it only require a few degrees of rotation and they are good.

Discount Tire has been really good for me when doing rotations. They use a torque wrench and I always double check them and they are good.

 

[securityguy]

Thanks for the advice...my wife just took care of my nuts and I feel much better

 

[AXE]

Thanks for the advice...my wife just took care of my nuts and I feel much better

Tits or tires, your gonna have problems.

As long as it's not the neighbors wife, you won't have trouble!

 

[wutang61]

I don't think that was due to loose lugs. I'd put money on a wheel bearing failure due to the giant wheels/lift stressing the stock bearings to their failure point.

Probably in combination with spacers and/or massive offset wheels.

The farther you push the centerline of the wheel outward from the bearing, you are creating a lever.

 

[8ball_99]

Its hard to see, But if you watch the part where the tire rolls into the back of the car at the end. It looks like the rotor is still attached to the wheel. If the rotor is there, then it was most likely a bearing failure.

I came from a duramax, But I was pretty surprised when I seen the 1500s also have a 140lb/ft torque spec for the lug nuts. Not a big deal cause that's what I'm used to on my Duramax anyway. I sorta expected the 1500s to be less. After I looked online a little, all the newer 1/2 tons are like that now. Dodge is a little less and ford is even higher. I always keep a breaker bar and an impact in my tool box in all my trucks. I do wonder how difficult it would be to actually use the factory tire iron to change a tire lol. I haven't even looked at it, Maybe its a decent one. If its all some of you carry with you though. It might be a good idea to test if you can actually remove and retighten your lug nuts with the included iron. Might need to add a cheater bar or breaker bar to your tool kit.

 

[AXE]

Yeah in these screenshots there is something there. it could be rotor or spacer or hub! Either way it's pretty sketchy.

I know starting in 2014 the Tahoe used 140 ft/Ib. They are pretty stout lugs. I have broken them with the provided lug wrench. I also carry a star wrench in my Duramax and when I'm pulling my camper I have my DeWalt electric impact. That makes quick for work.

 

[AXE]

Interesting read here........."likelihood of the three bolts that hold the unit bearing to the knuckle being the cause of the failure"..........me thinks we'll get a firm answer when the tow truck driver posts pictures.

Why Did The Wheel Come Off That Chevy Pickup That Launched A Kia Into The Air? Let's Look At The Tech - The Autopian

You’re all wondering what the hell happened with that Kia Soul that launched way up into the air after running into the tread of a rolling wheel that fell off a pickup truck. Specifically: How did the wheel fall off the pickup in the first place? I just pored through dozens of parts diagrams and […]

www.theautopian.com

 

[8ball_99]

Interesting read. That was pretty much my thinking. It looks like the rotor is still attached to me. If it is then that narrows it down some. Probably a bearing failure or maybe the spindle nut just came off. Considering it was a 12 year old truck. Bearing failure is pretty likely. lol But, I've first hand seen peoples disregard and neglect of cotter pins. People reuse damaged or worn out ones. Or they will stick a brad nail. even a piece of wire or anything else they have on hand. So a spindle nut backing off wouldn't surprise me either. That post makes a good point about it being the drivers side and possible the spindle nut coming loose.

 

[andrec10]

Sounds like a personal problem! Lol...

 

[AXE]

I've got a Duramax 6 inch Cognito lift and I'm about to peplace the idler arm and pitman arm. Might do the upper and lower ball joints. Only has 78k on it, so will give the rest a good once over.

I guess catastrophic failures can happen anytime, but routine maintenance and inspections can't hurt.

I watched a wheel come off a Ford Mustang heading opposite direction of me on freeway at probably 70ish mph. The wheel took off and had to be going 100+ mph as it went straight ahead passing another car. Never seen what happened, but it can't be good on a relatively busy stretch of road.

 

[8ball_99]

I mean it was a mustang, so that wheel had probably slid into a curb or a group of spectators earlier, lol

 

[MNNJR69]

Who knows for sure, but you can see the truck wheels come loose and begin to shake/wobble before it launches. Classic lug nut problem. I've seen it happen in the dunes and it looks the same. If you got a bearing that bad you know it a long time before it happens.

There's a shit ton of lifted trucks in So Cal, Nevada, and Arizona. They don't have wheels flying off cause they are lifted.

I had a bearing and a hub break loose on an old early 80s model, single cab Silverado and the whole wheel assembly went completely sideways, as if the truck bowed down on one knee. It happened on a side street with cars on both sides of the road as I was going about 35 mph. I was in my late teens and it scared the shit out of me. I'm very blessed to have not hurt anyone or gotten hurt or damaged anything other than the truck. I managed to keep it in the middle of the road, but I was driving with hands on the wheel, had I not... It would have been a way different story! Stay alert, stay alive!