TJefferson2020

I was hauling at 70mph with loose nuts on one wheel.

I put lug nuts on by hand then hit it with a torque wrench. I may have missed one wheel.

Damn senility.

6D2148

I never used a torgue wrench (on wheels), never lost a wheel, its a feel!

kellsdad

I'll echo this PSA. I'm in my seventies now and I've noticed that I'm making mistakes I didn't use to make. For example, I use to follow the old adage, measure twice and cut once. Now its measure twice, mark it. Wait a while and measure it two more times. If any of those four times is different, start all over again. Then when it matches the drawing (not my memory of the drawing) four times, cut it. None of us can stop getting older, but its just foolish to ignore changes in how we think as we age.

Frankie the Fink

Sad but all too true...

3JsVette

For sure. Those of us that realize our limitations are light years ahead of those that don't.

pop23235

And I thought it was just me!

leif.anderson93

Frankie,
Is the new avatar your "new and improved" 63SWC?

TJefferson2020

I'm definitely more sloppy these days with the memory. I've been making lists and marketing bolts - that sort of thing. I really can't believe I made such a rookie mistake. Could have turned out very badly since I was hauling *** on the freeway.

Frankie the Fink

Indeed.

Brian VH McHale

Cool, how is it?

Frankie the Fink

Meticulously repaired including prior issues with damage and paint bubbles.

GearheadJoe

I did something like that when I was 18 (pre-senility). I had my '61 Chevy 409 listed for sale.

I had the back end up on jack stands with the rear wheels off, and a guy called and said he wanted to come look at the car "right now." I was just dropping the car off the jack stands when he arrived, and I managed to forget to torque the lug nuts on one wheel.

Turned out the guy was a police officer who really wanted a 409. We went for a test drive and a rear wheel started making noise, but I wasn't sure what the noise was. Then the wheel fell off completely!

I managed to put the wheel back on and we continued with our test drive. And, he bought the car anyway.

mmaturo

Congrats, looking forward to seeing it all done.

As to the post subject I also learned the lug nut lesson of always check your lug nuts after sessions (between runs after the wheels have cooled down) at the track. Had a wheel start to wobble on the way home from a track day...stopped fast and sure enough the nuts where backing off. I didn't check after my last run and almost paid for it. Only time in 15 years of track days but I sure as heck check every time now. As they cool down they can loosen up.

I am triple measuring anyway and start over if something is off. Though 20 years younger than one poster anyway I'm not a spring chicken anymore.

RatDog

Also, check your lug nuts if your car has been in the shop having work done that required removing the wheels. Years ago, I had a wheel come off a couple of days after having my car in the shop for a tire rotation. Luckily, it happened at slow speed on a surface street right after exiting an expressway.

Steve

Frankie the Fink

My nephew arrived at my annual Christmas party last year in his Kia Soul (POS) with his newly licensed son driving. A three hour drive from Southern Florida. They just got off the Florida turnpike after cruising at 75mph and made it to my house and they said the car was acting funny. One, repeat ONE lug nut was on loosely on the right rear wheel and the rest were gone.

They'd just had brake work done at some shop that they used regularly. The shop had let the minimum wage broom jockey install the wheels. The other three wheels were fine.

davekp78

Unfortunately, the old adage "if you want something done right, do it yourself" seems to be more applicable every day.

Frankie the Fink

Its why I like my local Discount Tire....they know my classics and me and I can stand beside the techs when they are working. I always watch that last round of tightening lug nuts with the torque wrench in person, for my own piece of mind.

pop23235

What’s this “watch” business Frankie? You’re supposed to DIY.

Plasticman

The opposite applies as well.....Wife had the Dodge in for oil, filter, etc. service, and they threw in a tire rotation for "free".....I always check that they tightened all the lug nuts properly afterward (with a torque wrench - if I see no movement at all, I then loosen them and re-torque). Spec is 110 Ft-Lbs.

Well, it took a 3' pipe on top of my 18" breaker bar for me to just loosen them..........

Finished 63 looks good Frank...

Plasticman

John BX NY

I lost a wheel on one of my jalopies many years ago just after a run on the highway. I use a torque wrench always on the corvette.