Ok people, I need major help... I was going down the freeway the other day in my Bronco, I have 38.5 tires on my rig. My rear passenger tire fell off as I was getting off the freeway and rolled right past me!!! All of my studs on that tire were sheered off. I check my tires often and the lug nuts are always loose. Anyone else ever have this problem? If so what did you do to stop it? I cant seem to keep them from coming loose all the time. WHAT DO I DO??!!??:mad3: :mad3:

Wish I could say I've never been there....

you running the right kind of lugnuts for your wheels? (right taper, etc.?)

Originally posted by twaldher
Wish I could say I've never been there....

you running the right kind of lugnuts for your wheels? (right taper, etc.?)


Yeah, I am. I go through at least 1 lug nut a week though because they are always falling off! I dont know what the deal is. I have never had this problem on anything before.

I konw it's hard to... but are your tires balanced? maybe the damn things are getting vibrated off?

(I know my lugnuts back off when off-roading.. I just have to keep snugging them up 1-2 times a day)

Loctight?

I would try to get some better studs, your's maybe too short and you don't have enough thread contact. Check out the parts store and find some with the same thread, but longer. If you have to maybe buy some drag racing studs and use open lugnuts. Check summit for those.

Craig

No, I dont have them balanced. I never thought about that. I'm just worried a tire will fall off anf I will flip! The truck does vibrate when I go over 50MPH. Thats what I'll do. Whats that, about $10.00 a tire?

Originally posted by Eddie Mcstiff
Loctight?


Then I would never get the damn things off.

Check the drum and wheel surface.
The wheel must fit flat on the drum.
Drum interferance is a problem I've seen before. :eek:

Aluminum wheels ?

Originally posted by CrazyCraig
I would try to get some better studs, your's maybe too short and you don't have enough thread contact.

Craig

My studs are long enough. I replaced them all about a week ago. That does not seem to be the problem though. I'm just stumped on this stupid little problem!

Originally posted by CJ3BWILLYS
Aluminum wheels ?

yup

Originally posted by TripleBGirl
No, I dont have them balanced. I never thought about that. I'm just worried a tire will fall off anf I will flip! The truck does vibrate when I go over 50MPH. Thats what I'll do. Whats that, about $10.00 a tire?

maybe... depends on how bad off your tires are balance wise. balancing a 38.50 SX could be a b!tch. I would check around and get prices locally.

I know to do it right... adding a rubber weight patch to the back side of the tread in the tire itself runs about $25 cost to the tire shop. so figure a markup on that to do it right, each tire.

i had that problem once on a ford f250. i swapped on new rims and lugnuts right before it started so i knew where to look. what it ended up being was the lugs were just a hair longer than the lugnuts were deep. i mean just a hair! i couldn't really tell it at first. well all i had to do was grind the small unthreaded nipple off the end of each of the lugs and i never had the problem again. you might check yours out.

good point

ifyou are running a "luger" style lugnut (closed at the end), then get some open lugnuts (look like a regular nut) from a autoparts store and try that.

But first I would take the tire off and seehow far down the lugnut goes on the stud. if you can make the lugnut touch the drum/rotor then the studs probably aren't too long.

What kind of wheels are you running? Also, what kind of lugs (ie acorn, shank) and bolt pattern (5 on 5 1/2")?

Pete

Originally posted by TripleBGirl
Then I would never get the damn things off.

Just use the lightest strength, I forget what color that would be.

Originally posted by twaldher
good point

ifyou are running a "luger" style lugnut (closed at the end), then get some open lugnuts (look like a regular nut) from a autoparts store and try that.

But first I would take the tire off and seehow far down the lugnut goes on the stud. if you can make the lugnut touch the drum/rotor then the studs probably aren't too long.


I have open lug nuts... I have a whole box of them now. lol

I was driving down howe ave durring rush hr. when my drivers side front tire came off and into oncomming traffic...

Yes...
#1) you need them ballanced!
#2) a little locktite wouldnt hurt (red thread loc-tite)
#3) always check your nuts! :p

I'm not sure why, but when I go from my steel wheels to my aluminum wheels they tend to back off a little after about 200 miles, after I tighten them the second time they are fine, I've heard of this happening to other people also. :confused:

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in this! I felt like a dumb ass. Thank you guy's for all your help. I'll try the lock tight stuff too. Is the red thread the weakest they sale? I don't want them stuck on there for good.

I'f you use LOCKTITE you will snap studs all the time!

DON'T USE LOCKTITE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by blazered
I'f you use LOCKTITE you will snap studs all the time!

DON'T USE LOCKTITE!!!!!!!!!!!!


AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! What the hell do I do? lol

What you need to do:

1) get your wheels balanced
2) torque the lugnuts down to proper torque if you got a torque wrench, otherwise tighten down good. (you can also avoide warping your front rotors doing this)
3) check in a couple hundred miles
4) check in a couple hundred miles

I had aluminum wheels as well. I just checked them from time to time. sometimes they would back off once, re-tighten and they normally didn't do it again unti I went offroad and beat on them.

Don't use locktite.. if it does work your just masking the problem.

FYI Green I think is weakest, followed by blue. red is strongest you never want it off again strong. (well almost)

It ia also possible that the lug nuts were overtightened and the studs have stretched beyond thier yield point.
Do the aluminum rims have steel inserts where the lug nuts go?

1. Balance tires "close as possible"
2. Try longer studs....I use 3 in. MOROSO racing studs
3. Aluminum rims always work loose :(
4.I use the real long lugnuts (to get more torque on studs)
5.Always helps to keep your eye/hands on your nuts....:D :p

Originally posted by pcorssmit
What kind of wheels are you running? Also, what kind of lugs (ie acorn, shank) and bolt pattern (5 on 5 1/2")?

Pete


Blue is the color you want. = to a nylock nut.
Do not use Red = to pain in the ass to remove lugs.

Have you properly torqued them? Mine always come loose after someone installs tires. I take it home - break out the torque wrech and they never loosen up again.

I had that problem on my Chevy truck. The tire shop didn't torque the nut properly on one tire and it fell off. Had problems with it coming loose ever since. The best cure I found for it was to get some bigger lug nuts with a 7/8" nut instead of the 3/4" that was on there.

I had the same problem on my Suburban. It quit doing it when I started torquing the lug nuts. Over torquing the nuts can cause the same problem, it stretches the studs, then they start to fail. The the lug nuts on a Bronco should be torqued to 100 ft.lbs.

I would take a close look at the wheels.
If the area where the lug nuts seat is worn, the nuts may be bottoming out before the wheel is tight.
Good luck.
:usa:

Well, if all else fails and you're really sick n' tired of losing wheels..

How about drilling and using safety wire like airplanes do? :D

Or something as simple as a cotter-pin..

Originally posted by Keyster
I would take a close look at the wheels.
If the area where the lug nuts seat is worn, the nuts may be bottoming out before the wheel is tight.
Good luck.
:usa:

This is where i would start, your wheels are scewed!, all the loose-ness you talked about probally egg shaped the holes in your wheels

Balance is always a good idea, also is the wheel riding on a center ring, or only held inplace by the studs? If it is only held by the studs, you must use lug nute that have a sholder area, that goes inside the wheel hole to hold it in place, this may be a problem on some wheels that are designed for the acorn style nut, but you are in luck, MR. Lugnut makes a hybrid nut that has the sholder but is also a acrorn shape, this should do the job.

Are you using Anti-sieze on the studs?

If not when you torque them you may not be getting them tight enought since some of the torque would be fighing the rust on the threads.

and be sure the lugnuts are correct shape for the alum rims.

- Dan

you have drums in the rear right and disks up front. And i bet you never had a problem with stock rims right and you don't have a problem with the fronts right? What might be happening (happened to my friend) there is a weight on the drum to ballance it and because the new aluminum rim is a different interior contour than a stock rim they interfere. This will cause the wheel to seat crooked. When sitting you will be able to get a torque spec but when you drive it vibrates like a mofo and you lug nut so longer hold it in place so they come loose and fall off.

just weld the things on....:flipoff2:

Hey 3-B, You are not the only one! Lost all 6 studs on my passenger rear wheel crossing Loon Lake damn on the way to the Pigs on the Con run :fj:. All I've done is replace the studs and use anti-seeze. It sucked though, doing it in the middle of the road at midnight.

Originally posted by RRaker
you have drums in the rear right and disks up front. And i bet you never had a problem with stock rims right and you don't have a problem with the fronts right? What might be happening (happened to my friend) there is a weight on the drum to ballance it and because the new aluminum rim is a different interior contour than a stock rim they interfere. This will cause the wheel to seat crooked. When sitting you will be able to get a torque spec but when you drive it vibrates like a mofo and you lug nut so longer hold it in place so they come loose and fall off.

I had that same problem on my 92 Bronco. Pain in the ass. Never lost a wheel though. But after 2 weeks of tightening the lugs nuts before leaving for work, when leaving work, half way home from work, and half way up the driveway, I finally figured it out. Ground on the drum weight and it fit like a glove. Unbalanced tires shouldn't do (well atleast not that quick) I run unbalanced 15/35 TSL's on my cruiser and they don't fall off. :D

You are not alone! I had just come off a good 100+mph interstate trip, and was turning onto the adjacent hospital street when I heard a boom and thought great a damn tire blew so I drove it another 100 ft to a median that I could be out of the way when I see my right front tire roll past the truck... I had a few people from the hospital offer help as well as a few cars driving by. Good thing my dad's office was right down the block(where I was going)! A guy with a garage on wheels for 18 wheelers stopped and said he would do it all for me for $50. 30 minutes later I was back on the road:p I would have fixed these myself but I was toolless and had all lugs gone as you did with only 3 recovered nuts. That day I ordered lugs from 4WP which is where I ordered my Eagle 589's. They sent different nuts! Oh well..... The problem was over tightening them because I have no torque wrench. Good luck with your rig girly:p

Originally posted by twaldher
Wish I could say I've never been there....

you running the right kind of lugnuts for your wheels? (right taper, etc.?)

OK I only read the first page, but once again,

check to see if nuts are right thread, taper, and lenghth,

if they are you'r wheels might be wrong for your axle.

If the wheel flange in center, doesn't fit tight on your hub (not drum,- axle flange) it will loosen the nuts. It has to ride tight on the hub, if not your lugnuts will have to carry all the load, and it will loosen them!

and alluminum wheels need tourked then rechecked two times to proper tourque every couple days. (or 100 miles)

you lugnuts won't loosen if all this is right.

If all this checks out, someone is loosining them!

Maybe a bronco thing? :confused:


Two of my friends, both with mid 80's(broncos) , had the tires and wheels come off while driving down the road. Don't know details though.

Jared

Originally posted by JeepinIan

Do the aluminum rims have steel inserts where the lug nuts go?

Nope

Happened to me too......I was coming back from Fordyce cruising I-80 at about 70.......I felt a jerk and thought I had a blowout, amazingly I was able to slow down and pull off the freeway, and then the tire kind of fell off. I never felt so lucky in my life to not have the tire completely fall off and who know at that speed.....I had to replace the studs and haven't had the problem since.

I was running ALUMINUM and now I run steel. Some might disagree and I might be wrong with this, but I thought that it might have something to do with the 2 different types of metal, steel and aluminum heating and cooling at different temperatures and causing it to loosen. Just my thougts, I won't run aluminums on my 4x4's now.......take it for what its worth.

I think the safety wire thing would be too much of a pain in the ass. You'd have to take all your studs out of the axle shaft, have them marked VERY well.. and drill them perfect. Drilling the lugs wouldn't be that big a deal.

After thinking about it for a long time, and not coming up with a good solution, I think that if its really as serious as you say, you'll have to double lug the tires, or something similar.

Or just put a small tack-weld on each one.. would break loose easy enough with a big 4-way, but never in a million years would it vibrate off :)

Thank you everyone for your help. I have about a full page of notes now to work with! I went on a snow run yesterday with my club up by Tahoe and I was so paranoid I checked my lug nuts about 10x all day! Well, looks like I have work to do today so I'm gonna get going. Thanks again everyone. You've been a big help!;)

Originally posted by Dingo

I was running ALUMINUM and now I run steel. Some might disagree and I might be wrong with this, but I thought that it might have something to do with the 2 different types of metal, steel and aluminum heating and cooling at different temperatures and causing it to loosen. Just my thougts, I won't run aluminums on my 4x4's now.......take it for what its worth.

This is pretty much the reason right here....aluminum heats up and expands(more so than steel) then it cools and it causes the lugz to come undone....thats why if you go buy aluminum wheels from a reputable shop thety will say to bring them back in after 200 miles to have them retorqued or anything that happens they are not liable for:D

Originally posted by Supergper


This is pretty much the reason right here....aluminum heats up and expands(more so than steel) then it cools and it causes the lugz to come undone....thats why if you go buy aluminum wheels from a reputable shop thety will say to bring them back in after 200 miles to have them retorqued or anything that happens they are not liable for:D

That is what 4 wheel parts told my friend after his tire fell off on the freeway (10 mi) after they inalled them. That however is not true becasue i bought a spankin new tacoma (7 mi on odo) and they did not tell me to come back so they could retorque my lugz. On top of that i not only had new aluminum rims but new lugs, lug nuts and such. so i say it was what i thought earlier and what truely happened to my friend. The weight on the drum is getting in the way of your rim and the rim vibrated loose while driving.

Most torque specs are for clan and dry threads...but not all.

Torqueing to a dry spec with a lubed assembly can have HUGE effects on the tightening, and you WILL overtighten the assembly.

When tightening a threaded assembly what you are really trying to accomplish is a given amount of stretch in the bolt, resulting in a given amount of clamping force to hold the parts together.

Measuring the torque as you tighten is the most common and convenient method of accomplishing this as there is a direct relationship between the torque applied and the stretch/clamp achieved.

However, if you change anything (different bolt material, add lube to assembly, etc. you will not achieve the correct stretch)

In fact, in critical applications, this can be a real problem. that's why in the aircraft industry, and starting to find its way into certain auto applications, in certain critical cases there has been a move to ultrasonically measuring the length of the bolt as it is tightened so that the correct stretch/clamp can be achieved.

So....how does this help you?

First, realize that the studs and lug nuts are merely clamps - they should not be beraing any shearing load - and if they are something is wrong. As was mentioned, you need to check for proper mating of the mounting surfaces, as it is the friction developed here, caused by the clamping of the lugs and nuts that bears the load.

Until you solve the problem, you might consider long enough studs so that you can torque the lug nuts, then add a locking nut, preferably an ovalated locking nut.

As was mentioned, your wheel may be unuseable now if the holes are ovaled.

One last thing to check - you're not trying to use a hub-centric wheel on a lug-centric hub are you?

Originally posted by RRaker


That is what 4 wheel parts told my friend after his tire fell off on the freeway (10 mi) after they inalled them. That however is not true becasue i bought a spankin new tacoma (7 mi on odo) and they did not tell me to come back so they could retorque my lugz. On top of that i not only had new aluminum rims but new lugs, lug nuts and such. so i say it was what i thought earlier and what truely happened to my friend. The weight on the drum is getting in the way of your rim and the rim vibrated loose while driving.

If you know anything about the properties of aluminum the you know what I stated above is true and I will garantee you that after 100-200 miles your lugz were not torqued to spec...maybe you wheels didn't fall off but they weren't as tight as they were supposed to be:D:flipoff2::D

Originally posted by Supergper


If you know anything about the properties of aluminum the you know what I stated above is true and I will garantee you that after 100-200 miles your lugz were not torqued to spec...maybe you wheels didn't fall off but they weren't as tight as they were supposed to be:D:flipoff2::D

so i have been driving 5000 mi on untourqed lugs??

What you said is true but over thought out. If it was a significant of enough problem you would hear more about it and aluminum rims wouldn't be as popular as they are.

It is definitly a good idea to check your lgs like you say though. which reminds me that mine are just a little over due for tightening:D

What's happens with aluminum wheels is the aluminum expands and contracts at a greater rate than steel wheels. Put the lugs on, tighten them to spec, drive 100-200miles then retorque them,and check the torque every week.