Snapped lug bolts

[Ken / Claudia]

In March I did the spring check up on the boat and rotated the wheels (4). It sat for several days than I gased it up and rechecked the wheels. 1st time I found a nut mabybe 1/4 turn loose on steel wheels, mine. On the work boat trailers both type of wheels it would happen but, not often. I have had the tire dealer start telling me to bring the vehicles back to check the nuts after rotation for the last couple years. By the way I have met Murphy, he comes around when I am wore out or in a hurry and I don't like him.

[Javi]

I knew that when I posted my distaste for aluminum wheels that it would provoke many to disagree and some to tell me how wrong I am. That's the nature of the internet, everyone is ready to tell you you're wrong.


But in the fifty years since I first became a legally licensed driver I've owned three vehicles with aluminum or more accurately ALLOY wheels.

The first was my '57 Chevy which in 1964 I equipped with American Racing “MAGS”. After nothing but trouble with the lug nuts backing off and other issues I swore that I'd never use a Mag again on the road.


The second time was in 2011 when I let the local Ford dealer talk me into a set on my new F150. His line on those wheels was pretty good and had about the same amount of truth as his line about how the truck would pull my soon to be trailer. Both were less than factual. Based on my past experience I was meticulous with checking the torque and rarely did I find the nuts to spec. Usually at least one had backed off a little and often more than one on the same wheel.


The third time was on the New Passport which the dealer assured me was only available with Alloy wheels. I accepted that and went on with the plan to ditch them when the tires wore out. I have again been very conscientious about checking the torque and in more than twenty trips I've only had one time that at least one of the lug nuts were not below torque specifications before hooking up to the truck.


In those same fifty years I've lost count of how many trailers, trucks, tractors and cars I've owned and driven with steel wheels, but I can count on one hand the times I've found a loose lug nut on a steel wheel.


My new truck has steel wheels and when I buy the new trailer it will either have steel wheels on it or I will find another dealer. I don't mind checking the torque before hooking up for a trip, but I do mind that I nearly always find a few loose nuts when I do. So no more ALLOY wheels for me from now own.

That's my opinion and the reasoning behind that opinion...

[SAABDOCTOR]

AND THAT IS WHY GOD MAKE STEEL AND ALUMINUM WHEELS. KEEPS YOU HAPPY KEEPS OTHERS HAPPY. oops forgot the caps lock again sorry if we keep this up it can turn into my truck is better than yours and so are my wheels!!! how did this start?It's friday and it is time to that's my story and i'm sticking to it!

[gearhead]

In my 45 years of ownership I can't recall how many vehicles I owned that had alloy wheels. Couldn't count them all. I also can't recall one issue with loose lug nuts or failed studs. But in a moment of sheer boredom last week, I did check the torque on the lug nuts of the boat trailer. Out of 4 wheels maybe 3 nuts turned less than a flat before they reached torque. Of course all the others could have been over torqued.
But, dang it, I will go check the Cougar, because if I don't it will drive me crazy.
I'll report back...
Y'all don't want a last word indicator on the studs to measure bolt stretch do ya??
just kidding.

[Javi]

Originally Posted by SAABDOCTOR

AND THAT IS WHY GOD MAKE STEEL AND ALUMINUM WHEELS. KEEPS YOU HAPPY KEEPS OTHERS HAPPY. oops forgot the caps lock again sorry if we keep this up it can turn into my truck is better than yours and so are my wheels!!! how did this start?It's friday and it is time to that's my story and i'm sticking to it!

Naw... I'm done with it

It's Friday and I have a full bottle of "Buffalo Trace" Kentucky whisky a bin full of ice, a small bottle of soda water and a highball glass waiting on me at the house. Y'all have a good weekend.

[SAABDOCTOR]

Javi that sounds as good as the rum and cokes that are in the chiller as Jimmy Buffet and Allen Jackson said "it's five o'clock somewhere" let the others argue 'bout wheels we'll drink!!!!

[hankpage]

FIVE O'CLOCK???????? I don't care what the song says ..... Why should happy be limited to one hour?????? Cheers To stay on topic ... torque the steel cap off that bottle or pop the top of that aluminum can and relax. It's Friday.

[SAABDOCTOR]

Hank I was not talking happy hour i am talking all week end hour!!! 10 min. to go work is done! torque wrench is put away. everyone's nuts are tight. Moday will bring more Sorry About Another Breakdown's SAAB's and we can do it all over again

[Jim W]

Originally Posted by SAABDOCTOR

Hank I was not talking happy hour i am talking all week end hour!!! 10 min. to go work is done! torque wrench is put away. everyone's nuts are tight. Moday will bring more Sorry About Another Breakdown's SAAB's and we can do it all over again

Explain what is work again!!!

I have not worked in four years forgot what that is like, Cat pays me to stay home. Best job I have every had.

Jim W.

[gearhead]

I'm just wondering what Javi is gonna do with that "small bottle of soda water".
I'm stocked up on Makers Mark.
I eyeballed that bottle of Woodford Reserve on the store shelf but....naaa.
Hey Javi: have you tried Shiner Ruby Redbird? Takes a few to get your taste buds acclimated, but once done it's a great summer brew. Kinda Shiner light with grapefruit juice in it. Tastes better than it sounds.

[Javi]

Originally Posted by gearhead

I'm just wondering what Javi is gonna do with that "small bottle of soda water".
I'm stocked up on Makers Mark.
I eyeballed that bottle of Woodford Reserve on the store shelf but....naaa.
Hey Javi: have you tried Shiner Ruby Redbird? Takes a few to get your taste buds acclimated, but once done it's a great summer brew. Kinda Shiner light with grapefruit juice in it. Tastes better than it sounds.

The soda water is for the DW

[hankaye]

Jim W, Howdy;

Originally Posted by Jim W

I guess I am in a different camp when checking my lug nuts on the trailer.

First this is done every trip and every day that we set out to tow the trailer or night before. I do not loosen the nuts since I use static torque to check them not the dynamic torque that is used to install the nuts. This was the method we taught the assemblers and mechanics to use at Cat for all fasteners torques.

The lug nuts are installed by me and only I and they are installed by using hand tools only. When they are installed I bring them up to 50% torque first in a star pattern. Then they are finally torque to their correct value in the same star pattern. I have never had a wheel stud fail on me with this method or a loose wheel nut on my trailer rims.

Jim

My experience is on aircraft, both the Navy's and the Coast Guard's. Counting
active duty and as a Contractor about 25 years worth of main rotor blades,
tail rotor Blades, main transmission attach bolts, and the best of all the Jesus
Nut (holds the rotor head to the top of the shaft). Head bolts on 18 cylinder
Radial engines and the 2,500 ft. lbs. (hydraulic torq. wrench) needed to put
the prop hub nut on the old Pratt & Whitney we had on the old C-123B's I
flew in, in the CG. We couldn't do up all the nuts an bolts ourselves so we
had to do it 'after' someone else, and usually while being watched by an
inspector.

hankaye

[Jim W]

Hankaye, Thank you for your service to our country.

I am not saying your way is incorrect just that there is another way to check these. From my engineering and manufacturing experience; retired engineer from Cat; we just never loosen a nut/bolt to check fastener torque. Could you see that being done on a 16 cylinder 3500/3600series engine? These engines are as big as most trailers that people pull.

So SAE and ISO establish fastener guide lines as far as dynamic and static torque for all grade 5, 8, 9.8 and 10 bolts that I am aware of. We used the static torque values for checking and audit purposes so that is why I proposed this way to check lug nut toques. Just another way to do things.

Jim W.

[gearhead]

OK, I'm reporting back...I checked all 24 of my lug nuts with my Chinese Harbor Freight torque wrench; that has never been calibrated. Of the 24 I think 3 of them moved a tad...less than a flat.
Then I thought what the heck, I'll check and see if I have those flat nosed lug nuts that somebody was talking about. No I don't. I'm getting old but I can't remember seeing a flat nose lug nut.
Similar background as others.....35 years in a huge Houston refinery as a machinist/millwright then foreman, inspector, and finally Machinery Specialist. But I sure haven't seen everything.

[Javi]

Originally Posted by gearhead

OK, I'm reporting back...I checked all 24 of my lug nuts with my Chinese Harbor Freight torque wrench; that has never been calibrated. Of the 24 I think 3 of them moved a tad...less than a flat.
Then I thought what the heck, I'll check and see if I have those flat nosed lug nuts that somebody was talking about. No I don't. I'm getting old but I can't remember seeing a flat nose lug nut.
Similar background as others.....35 years in a huge Houston refinery as a machinist/millwright then foreman, inspector, and finally Machinery Specialist. But I sure haven't seen everything.

Here ya' go

Consider that the alloy wheel will grow and shrink more than the steel wheel due to temperature variations and that the inherent "spring" of the steel wheel tapered seat having a lock washer effect versus the solid "squash" of the alloy wheel I'm still going with the steel offering less chance of a loose nut..

Maybe we should go with Hubcentric vs Lugcentric next.

[Jables]

It was over tightened or over stressed at some point. Can't blame alloy wheels, every high horsepower vehicle runs alloys and blaze tires and heat brakes up beyond reason. Huge heat cycles and no broken studs.

[gearhead]

Javi: "I sure haven't seen everything"; and that's a lug nut I haven't seen. Who uses that??

[Outbackmel]

Really... your wheels can fly off and cause harm to others and you recommend spending $20 for a wrench. Please do some home work and buy something more reliable than a $20 wrench calibrated in Uganda or Vietnam where they don't have RV's....

My wife and I dodged a wheel while motorcycling east on the NB Broward bridge in Jacksonville, Florida, 15 years ago. This thing flew down hill, coming the opposite direction at a force that would have possibly killed us if we had not quickly reacted.

On my 5er, I check the lugs as recommended, takes 10 minutes tops. Safety is number 1. Fortunately in 2 1/2 years and thousands of miles, never had and issue or even a lug that was loose.

Be safe out there....road demons are everywhere

[gearhead]

JimW: This one is the wrong color isn't it?? Installed 10 of these last year on my part time job. I wished they were yellow.

[gearhead]

Outbackmel who are you talking to???