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| My adventures on my way to work.. | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 19 2012, 08:42 AM (598 Views) | |
| geo4thewin | Oct 19 2012, 08:42 AM Post #1 |
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So I have a metro for my wife but I am on the hunt for a good one for myself. As of now I drive a 2000 eclipse and I changed out the front struts about 5000 miles ago but never got the front end aligned big mistake!! So as I was driving to work yesterday I heard a pop followed by continuous pops in my front driver wheel so I stopped and looked around no luck so i got back in and drove a couple hundred feet and stopped again and called my dad. It sounded like a cv joint pop but I was going straight so he said just drive slow and he would come take a look at it when I was at work. So i get back on the road and im doing about 35-40 with it still popping and all of the sudden the wheel flys off of my car and passes me I try to stop but the breaks dont work of course, but i thankfully slide straight (what are the odds) and come to a stop about 200 feet from where my tire initially came off. Crazy part was that I went and found my tire in the ditch and all five lug nuts were right by the rim no studs were broken or stripped and neither were the lug nuts.. I have no idea what caused it except maybe the fact that it was out of alignment? I know this isnt about a metro but I was just wondering if you guys had any ideas or experiences? |
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| Turbo Dan-O | Oct 19 2012, 08:48 AM Post #2 |
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Obsessive Car Detailer
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Glad you are okay! Aluminum wheels? I have had this almost happen to me a long time ago. That's when I learned that aluminum wheels need to be torqued down with a torque wrench. If not the lug nuts will work there way lose! |
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| Coche Blanco | Oct 19 2012, 08:49 AM Post #3 |
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Troll Certified
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Did you properly torque your lug nuts? Alignment won't do this. |
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| geo4thewin | Oct 19 2012, 08:56 AM Post #4 |
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Yeah turbo dan-o they are aluminum rims, I had just rotated my tires a couple of weeks ago and had tightened them by hand but perhaps I didnt get them tourqed down enough. I dont think I need a torque wrench though because I have been driving it for 80,000 miles and most of them time the wheels are tightened by me. But i do suppose that is possible
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| Turbo Dan-O | Oct 19 2012, 09:33 AM Post #5 |
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Obsessive Car Detailer
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It's more of an issue of getting them torqued down the same amount rather than "enough".
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| Old Man | Oct 19 2012, 10:07 AM Post #6 |
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For just that reason I torque my aluminum rims monthly. If they arent torqued then the one that is not as tight as the rest works looser, then the next one etc etc. Thankfully you weren't hurt but you just got an expensive lesson, learn from it |
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| geo4thewin | Oct 19 2012, 11:04 AM Post #7 |
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Yeah I am thankful I wasn't hurt! What all do you think will need replaced? drum, rotor, caliper? just trying to get an idea
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| Old Man | Oct 19 2012, 11:36 AM Post #8 |
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lug bolts, lug nuts, check rim for out of round holes, anything that hit the road, alignment |
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| Turbo Dan-O | Oct 19 2012, 06:24 PM Post #9 |
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Obsessive Car Detailer
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If someone told me they torqued there aluminum wheels every single day I would think they were smart as hell. Yes, this has happened to me but I pulled over and called for help before I lost a wheel. I almost destroyed a good '69 Chevelle. Leason learned.
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| Potter | Oct 19 2012, 06:34 PM Post #10 |
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Col. Potter
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be sure to get your wheels retorqued after 100 miles every time.... the lug nuts CAN walk out even when torqued to spec they DON'T ALWAYS back out but they CAN .... this is the norm for every car with alloy wheels. we have repaired several vehicles like this even tho on the door of the shop their is a sign that says "ALL WHEELS MUST BE RETORQUED AFTER 100 MILES" customers still come back and complain and we just point at the sign. but I'm mostly just a body man but i have a year or so experience from the tire shop as well
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| Turbo Dan-O | Oct 19 2012, 07:01 PM Post #11 |
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Obsessive Car Detailer
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Another good post. I love to save money as much as anyone but this really is not a joke. I bought a nice name brand torque wrench a long time ago and have never had a problem since. Still have all of my cars. Money well spent...
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big mistake!!
no luck so i got back in and drove a couple hundred feet and stopped again and called my dad. It sounded like a cv joint pop but I was going straight so he said just drive slow and he would come take a look at it when I was at work. So i get back on the road and im doing about 35-40 with it still popping and all of the sudden the wheel flys off of my car and passes me
I try to stop but the breaks dont work of course, but i thankfully slide straight (what are the odds) and come to a stop about 200 feet from where my tire initially came off. Crazy part was that I went and found my tire in the ditch and all five lug nuts were right by the rim



If someone told me they torqued there aluminum wheels every single day I would think they were smart as hell. Yes, this has happened to me but I pulled over and called for help before I lost a wheel. I almost destroyed a good '69 Chevelle. Leason learned.
3:32 AM Jul 11