Hey Scotty looking for a possible diagnoses.
I own a 2018 Jeep JL Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited. I have a little less than 30k miles on it.
I purchased aftermarket wheels two weeks (pro comp 32 series badido) 17x9. I had them mounted/balanced/rotated on to the stock KO2 tires onto the vehicle. I also had new black acorn style lug nuts installed.
That weekend I drove on the freeway and noticed at 45mph+ the vehicle would vibrate like crazy. I took it back to the same shop this past Thursday and they claimed they fixed them. I drove straight home and did not verify. The next day Friday 4/30 I drove my wife and baby out of town. On the freeway I noticed the vehicle would vibrate again (though not as bad). I drove approx 55 miles to my destination with only the vibration Issues.
On the drive back I drove for approx one mile. I was on the freeway driving approximately 65-70mph. The rear drivers side wheel/tire flew of my vehicle and rolled away. My lug nuts of course were lost as well.
Luckily I was able to maintain control of the vehicle and drove approximately 100 yards to the shoulder dragging the axle and who knows what else.
My questions are:
What could have caused my wheel and tire to fall off even tho the lug nuts were tightened?
What potential damage am I looking at with the much drag in that area?
my insurance is currently taking care of the issue. They said if they are not able to provide some proof to the shop they will not go after them. So I’m out my deductable money plus the money I paid to the shop for the mounting of the tires.
thank you!
The lug nuts they sold you were probably not deep enough, If the lugs extend past the rim further than the depth of an acorn type lugnut then the nut will bottom out on the stud giving the impression that it's tight but the wheel may still have some play on the lug itself. It will be able to move back and forth a little, eventually tearing up the hole in the rim into an oblong shape, also as it moves it will loosen the nuts and eventually will come off. Check your other tires. the tapered part of the nut should be buried into the hole on the rim. Take off a rim and look at the holes on the rim for damage.
Also sometimes a wheel can nut be snugly on, but be slightly cocked on the studs. The nuts will appear to be tight even though the wheel isn't all the way on. Same scenario, it will vibrate like it's out of balance and eventually cause damage and come off.
Usually when a tire comes off you can plan on the rotor, lower ball joint, and knuckle to be damaged along with the wheel hub studs. Sometimes you can have body damage if the wheel comes off at high speeds and impacts before leaving the vehicle. Have whoever is working on it examine your other wheels and have your insurance company go after the peeps who installed them because it sounds like to me they are responsible. Hopefully that isn't the same place you have it at now.
3 and a half hours to change 4 tyres ... lol
He was absent on LUG NUT DAY
The same thing happened to my friend's Tacoma. He put fancy mags on it. The only problem was, they were thicker than the OEM steelies, and the lugs nuts were only hanging on by a few threads. He took a turn one day and wheel came off. The next winter we drove his truck on a long distance trip, and the wheel bearings completely disintegrated. We were lucky to get home when we did. These are the pitfalls of wheel mods.
Hy there!
Sad story. If you have any proof (a bill, a video etc.), it will be a lot easier. Tyre shop will probably fight tooth and nail to decline their responsibility.
Anyway, it is recomended you check wheel lugs or nuts (whatever your vehicle has) if they are tighten enough some ten miles after wheels were mounted.
Same thing almost happened to me too. Since then I do that check several times after mounting.
Good luck!
Correction: bolts or nuts 😀
I’ve a similar thing happen.
I don’t know exactly know the root cause, but I have a few theories into my case, both involving torque specs.
1) some nuts were too loose.
2) some nuts were too tight.
3) a mix of both.
Torque specs are torque specs for a reason. I don’t know the veracity to this, but I came across something saying that over torqued nuts can actually come off or even break off.
Assuming you had the proper nuts on it, it could very well have been torqued incorrectly. Either too tight or too loose.
Some tire companies recommend going back to them 25-50 miles after you get new tires or a rotation, to get retorqued.
Word of advice, watch how a tire company screws on the nuts. If they aren’t using a torque wrench, or torque head, be very wary.
I've had a similar thing happen, and embarrassingly enough it was my own fault. Back when I was young and stupid (well, stupider) after changing a flat tire on a 1962 Rambler American, being in a hurry, I forgot to tighten the lug nuts. Hilarity then ensued a little later when I saw the driver side front tire take off down the road as I was driving along. Things quickly came to a "grinding" halt.
Fortunately I was not going fast, no one was near me, and there was surprisingly little damage. The car was a rusty $50 junker anyway and was not on the road very long before going to that big Nash dealer in the sky for other reasons.
