Very Very Very Very bad day. I had taken both my front wheels off the other day to put on some mudflaps. I tourqued them and everything was good. Well I know that aluminum wheels need additional tourque after a few miles (is what Ive been told) So while I was driving to work I stoped half way and did a hand check on the bolts... the felt tight so I thought I was ok. Later on I-84 in Eastern OR at about 60mph around a right hand corner MY LEFT FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF!!!!
I managed to get her to the side and no one was hurt. Embarassed, humbled, humiliated but no one was hurt. I was able to get my spare on (by borrowing some lugs from the other wheels) and I limped her home. (40mi) The amazing thing is that All it looks like I need is an allignment now? could that be possible, are these things that tough??? I will take her in tomarrow and ask the guys about my rotor but it looks ok, and the brakes worked perfect.
Sorry for the long thread but I had to vent, and I knew you guys would understand.

 

wow thats wild. wild because i used to have a d150 and the same thing happened to me! my pride and fender were badly damaged. those alluminum wheels are killers!

 

was it hard to get it to the side of the road?

 

No broken studs? Just bolts that spun off?
Very strange. Factory wheels?

RJ

 

I had aluminum wheels also and my left front came off too. No broken studs either.

 

Admittedly, Aluminum wheels can be tricky!
I switch between race tires and street tires often.... and have had times when it took tow or three retorques to get them to set, and stay, at 150 ft-lbs.
But once set...never had one loosen up??

RJ

 

Yes they were aftermarket. Ive always had trouble with aluminum. (never to this extent) It wasnt hard to get over, just eased on the brake and gently turned to the side. Very scary though, I dont like to get a scratch on the truck (like most of you too) so this kind of thing SUCKS!!!!!!!! $55 for allignment, im taking it in tomarrow morning.

 

Oh boy...I better retorque my rims..

 

lmao. i had the same crap happen to me about a month ago.. took off steel wheels put on alum. drove about 30 miles to get feed.. drove back, i was 1/2 ml from the house.. going across a whistle on the lake.. and BOOM!!!! left front slapes the pavement.. wheels bounces 2 reallu nice bounces.. and splash. in to the lake.. people was fishing. and the tire bounced rite toward them before it went in to the lake.. so here i am. with my truck setten on the pavment, tire out in the lake. and me on the bank of the lake waiting and trying to get my tire to come to me like it was a puppy ... yea.. studes was filled up with alum. rim edit, ,

 

I guess that's why Mopar used to use left-hand threads on the left side. I still have them on the old Charger, but you got to watch those tire guys or they will attack them with a big impact wrench. :-)

Probably don't need them too often, but when you do...

Regards,

 

I remember when I worked for Ferd back in the late 90's we had the lugnut recall going on the F-150 series with aluminum rims because they back out and fall off after about 20k. A guy brought his truck into the shop for the recall but we were out of nuts so we had to order them. Long story short customer took and drove truck against dealer warnings and a wheel fell off. He was raging ****** but he was warned ^^ Seriously tho nice save there man, I don't know if I could get a rig off the road safely if I lost a wheel.

 

I lost a rear off a chevy that had aluminum rims. It was at night and about 60 mph. When the tire came off it crushed the rear fender and then the bumper hit the tire and shot the back of the truck WAY up in the air. Of coarse when it landed on the rear drum all I saw was sparks. I had no idea what happened until I got out with a flashlight. My tire was way ahead of me on the opposite side of the road in a brook. Took 20 mins to find it. Wiped out all the studs so it was a call to Dad at 10pm to bring the trailer. He was less then impressed.