stupid move today - wheel came off

[84Bliss]

Backstory: In preparation for my 1st DE in the Maverick Region I changed all of my brake pads and did a full brake system bleed last weekend. I had a few problems but nothing that a good search in the forums couldn't solve.

This morning was a great day here in DFW so I decided to drive my car to work. While I was exiting off of 75 onto 190 I saw a lug nut fly off. I knew exactly what I had done at that point...all the events of previous weekend flashed before my eyes in a slit second and a single thought ran through my mind..."Did I torque the lugs after I was done bleeding the brakes on that last wheel?"....another second goes by...and another lug flies off. My life flashes before my eyes. I immediately start slowing down and I see another lug fly off and I manage to get to the median on the exit ramp....then the last lug comes off when I am down to about 2 mph and the car comes to a dead stop. I was about 10 ft. from the grass just before the cement barrier ends. This is a terrible spot to be in rush hour. I called the wife to go to the garage and get my good jack, extra set of lugs (I actually had a spare set), and tools. Also called some friends at work for some help

I managed to get the wheel back on with no damage other than some scratches to the inside of my fuch. Fender is fine, rotor seems fine. I caught the wife taking pics of the whole show with her cellphone...she's not going to let up on this one...

What should I do next? I still have to get a full tech inspection before the DE, but I'm very concerned about damage now. Could I have bent the wheel, rotor, or something else? Any help/advise would be appreciated...

-84Bliss

[ZOA NOM]

I would check the runout on the hub, and probably replace the studs. They have been stressed in a direction they weren't designed for. The wheel should be fine, they are pretty tough. Also check the rotor for trueness and damage on it's edge.

[Wayne 962]

No worries, this happened to me a long, long time ago, except that I was picking up the car from a shop, so it wasn't my fault. You're lucky there was no body damage, my wheel screwed up the car at the time (it was a 914 I was selling).

-Wayne

[scottbooth]

I am not proud to say I did this once, also bleeding brakes for a DE. Usually after I get the car "ready" I take it out for a little test drive to make sure everything is OK. I was about a mile from my house when the rear end started shaking around like I had a wheel badly out of balance. That's when the light went on in my not always so good brain.

I actually did not lose any lug nuts but they were all way loose. So I tightened them as best I could with my fingers, turned the car around and headed back home. Had to stop about every 1/4 mile to re-tighten.

Very sad.

On the upside, you weren't hurt, your car seems OK, and I'll bet you won't forget to double/triple/quadruple check your lug nuts ever again.

BTW I always check the lug nuts before each run group at a DE. Most seem to, probably you do too. Good insurance.


Scott

[JeremyD]

I've done this too - now I physically lay my torque wrench in the drivers seat whenever I have a wheel off.

My mind goes 100 different ways when I am prepping -

I find too that a check list - and physically checking off the blocks helps you remember too.

[Christien]

Yep, also guilty, bleeding brakes for a DE. I too take the car out for a very slow (at the start) test drive to make sure the brakes are fully functional. I got about 1/2 a block from home and noticed a weird rattling sound coming from the front left. Ignored it for a 1/2 block (this is all at a snail's pace) until it got much louder and I knew something was wrong. Got out, felt the lugs, sure enough I forgot to torque all 4 wheels. Finger tighten, drive home VERY slowly and fix it all.

[widgeon13]

I was going to offer some wiseass comment but I'm certain your wife is doing a good job to ensure this memory lasts forever so I will just say, glad nothing was damaged other than your ego.

[rusnak]

Amazing that you saw the lug nuts flying off, and they didn't hit ya. If that happened to me, I'd have been s.o.l. with no extra lug nuts. I'd be looking for the lug nuts along the freeway.

[KNS]

If you were really in a pinch (middle of nowhere) you could take one lug nut off each other wheel and use those four on your problem wheel. Take it reeeaal easy getting home.

[Facey]

last year i was at a auto-cross when a nice new, modded, cf celica had a wheel fly off. VERY nasty... lots of damage....

it wasn't that he didn't tighten them, it was the wheels/offset which only allowed about 3 threads to engage.... supposidly a tuned in vancouver told him that as long as he torqued them down to 115lb-ft it should be fine.....

looking around the in field we found 4 of 5 lug nuts, and they were all sheared, or de-threaded.

[84Bliss]

Thanks everyone for the advice. When the wife sends the pics from her cell (which I'm sure will arrive any moment) I'll upload them just for fun.

I'm going to check everything again and I'll definitely do a checklist next time. Good tips about setting the torque wrench on the seat and using 1 lug from each of the other wheels to get home...luckily I had an extra set of lugs.

This was also the first time I ever had to use the Bosch jack that came with the car - OMG what a nightmare. The car was sitting on an incline so it was quite a challenge. I used my good jack as well to get me through it after the wife arrived.

The threads on the bolts are fine and the rest of the wheel doesn't seem to have any cracks. I'll take it off tonight and clean everything up and do another inspection.

[RSBob]

After doing some brake work, I took the car out for a test drive. About 3 miles from home, after doing a little work out on the twisties, my idiot light went on. Actually it was the idiot light in my brain that I hadn't torqued down the bolts, but just tightened them a bit before lowering the car. A few were finger loose, but they were all there. Got out my lug wrench and took care of that on the spot.

Jeremy's idea is a winner, and I will do that from now on.

[Komenda Fan]

There are two types of do-it yourselfers...those that have forgotten to torque their lugnuts , and those who will....

[imcarthur]

Also in the DID category. Luckily just around the block.

Ian

[Hugh R]

Did on a pop up camping trailer, fortunately I only got about 100 feet from the house, both wheels!

[Chuck Moreland]

Originally Posted by JeremyD

I physically lay my torque wrench in the drivers seat whenever I have a wheel off.

Excellent idea!

I check torque before the first session on track days, then twice more per day even if the wheels stay on (rarely happens).

[arerrac]

Just a quick antic dote. I’m with a buddy in his lifted Toyota 4x4 that is beat up from being a Rubicon monster. We’re going down a city street and all of a sudden a wheel passes us up. We look at each other and say, “what the f**k, where did that come from.

Then he hits the breaks for the upcoming stop sign and the front end goes cockeyed and were on two wheels dragging the now locked rear tire. It was his own damn front wheel that came off and he/we had no clue.

We then watch the wheel gown down the street and into someone’s front yard hitting their house. The owner of the house was cool and AAA was only a phone call away. Very lucky for us no one was hurt from that wheel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JohnJL]

Also did it on my jacked-up 74 FJ40...weird feeling watching your wheel pass you at an intersection!

[foamy911]

subscribed, waiting for the pics !

[rusnak]

I love stories of people being passed by their own car/truck/trailer wheel....when the story ends with "and no one got hurt neither".

Makes me laugh every time.