I am a f#%$#ing dumb a55!
08-26-2011, 01:41 AM
#21
Melting Slicks
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St. Jude Donor '13
Reminds me of when I worked for a Jeep dealer. Did a tire rotation and tightened 3 of the wheels. The 4th wasn't so lucky. The customer backed out of the bay and the drivers front tire fell off. The lug nuts were still sitting on the arm of the lift where I left them. Whoopsie.
08-26-2011, 06:30 AM
#23
Le Mans Master
I did this once....now every time I loosen even one wheel, I put a piece of tape around my key to remind me to check the torque on all of the wheels one last time before going driving. Simple, but so far effective.
08-26-2011, 08:19 AM
#24
I am going to buy a lotery ticket today, and yeah I am quite lucky nothing happened. A coworker just now told me that it might have helped that the tires are wide because if they where too skynny they would have "woobled off" the car, and our roads have almost zero curves. I am still amazed I forgot to tighten them.
Yes, skinny tires will wobble and come off.
Within a mile or so.
I've never forgotten since.
08-26-2011, 08:46 AM
#25
Race Director
08-26-2011, 11:54 AM
#26
Safety Car
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That's pretty scary, especially after realizing what could have happened. Glad you figured it out. 
08-26-2011, 02:44 PM
#27
Melting Slicks
On one of my many clutch/driveline jobs I forgot to tighten something. Car felt very unstable and squirrely for about a week. Was almost home from work one evening and felt a "clunk!" and heard the "tink tink tink" of a bolt bouncing down the road. I retrieved the bolt and immediately recognized it as one of the upper control arm bolts. 
08-26-2011, 03:23 PM
#28
Instructor
Be sure to thoroughly inspect the wheel studs and the holes (for the lug nuts/studs) in the wheels for any damage and replace as needed as this could cause further problems down the road if the lugs are not seated properly against the wheels. Also be sure to torque the lugs down to around 90 lb/ft anytime you r and r the wheels using a torque wrench and always check them 100 miles after just to be safe.
You are extremely lucky this didn't cause an accident. This is why I always double check my work before any test drives.
You are extremely lucky this didn't cause an accident. This is why I always double check my work before any test drives.
08-26-2011, 03:35 PM
#29
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Actually, the fact that you hand tightened, all the way I assume, is what saved you because you set up a condition where you got an audible warning before the wheels came off....when I did this years ago as a dumb 20 year old I heard a lot of loud screeching....I knew right away what I did.
08-26-2011, 03:40 PM
#30
Le Mans Master
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I just plain forgot. I do double check my work, but this time it slipped past me because hey the wheels where mounted. I don't have an excuse what so ever.
08-26-2011, 03:42 PM
#31
Le Mans Master
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Yeah, they where hand tightened all the way in while the car was still on jack stands. I do need to check the studs to see if they are damaged tonight after I get off work, good point.
08-26-2011, 03:47 PM
#32
Corvette C5 Enthusiast
08-30-2011, 12:21 AM
#34
Instructor
I have had two instances like that. The first was when I was fresh out of college and was driving an RX-7 (before I could afford Corvettes and when they were pretty sucky anyway.) I had it at a Midas to check the brakes and when they presented me with a ridiculous quote I told them "no". I was driving down the road a few miles later and I felt the drive getting pretty weird so I pulled over just in time to watch one of my wheels come off and roll down the road a couple hundred feet.
The second instance was when I took my wife's 1975 CJ-5 to a quick lube place and they forgot to put the radiator cap back on after checking the fluid and it overheated. That cracked the radiator.
As a result of these instances, I try to do what I can myself because these $8 per hour idiots can't be trusted.
The second instance was when I took my wife's 1975 CJ-5 to a quick lube place and they forgot to put the radiator cap back on after checking the fluid and it overheated. That cracked the radiator.
As a result of these instances, I try to do what I can myself because these $8 per hour idiots can't be trusted.
08-30-2011, 10:50 AM
#36
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I am pretty sure I won't be forgeting to make sure my wheel nuts are tight. Yeah, those kids at Wal-Mart, Jiffy Lube, etc are just there for s#!ts and giggles when it comes to customer cars.
08-30-2011, 04:01 PM
#37
Pro
A friend of mine and I picked up a car dealers car that had been in a storage lot. Someone had tried to steal the right rear tire and had taken all the lug nuts off the wheel.He drove the truck back to car dealers lot ,about 25 miles and some interstate driving. When he got to the lot he said the truck had a vibration we checked the wheels and found the problem. Luckily the wheel was rusted stuck tp the hub. I would not have believed it if I hadn't seen it.
Glad to hear that no damage was done. 
