And then my nearside front wheel fell off at 80 mph...

[diamondblack]

Hope that photo above has come through. Anyway, if it hasn't, the photo's of the red 318iS I used to own. One night on the M1 at 80 mph the nearside front 17" M3 fell off - and to add insult to injury it bloody-well overtook me, bounced over the two lanes inside me - missing the other cars - and carried on bouncing up a grassy bank.

Because the car was lowered there was less drop so it didn't actually feel too bad! I guided it on the brake disc to the hard shoulder. Within seconds... it started to snow. Thanks. Then when I went to use my mobile... it almost immediately ran out of charge. Thanks. Then I looked in the rear view mirror to see a squad car pulling up behind me. First bit of luck I'd had because one of the plod helped me to go look for the wheel up the grass verge. thanks to the fact he had a torch, we finally found it.

So I'd left London in a BM and ended up in a Reliant Robin.

I think the wheel had come loose because whilst it was parked up in London someone had been disturbed whilst trying to nick the wheels and left the nearside one with loose nuts. To my suprise the traffic cops suggested I take one nuts off each of the other wheels to put on the nearside one, then I'd have three on each!

But it wasn't until after they'd left that I found the car was actually too low to get the jack under, so I still ended up having to call the roadside recovery anyway.

Six years later I've now I've got an absolutely brilliant conditon, low mileage, FSH metallic black 318iS with black leather interior. And it's on standard 15" BMW crosspoke alloys, so there'll be no repeat of the loose wheel incident.

[dogsdanglies]

Jesus dude, very unlucky for that to happen to you, but then you are very lucky to walk away safely I suppose

[willow]

Hey Diamond black, welcome to the zone!

Nice story, better luck with your current E30

[diamondblack]

It was suprisingly undramatic, considering. I mean, if before the event someone had offered me Ԛ£50,000 to drive a car where the wheel fell off at 80mph I would have refused. But it would've been much more easily earned than I would have imagined. I guess like many things it's the fear beforehand that's the killer. Or the lifesaver.

Mind you, if the M1 had been busier than it was that night... then that 17" alloy probably wouldn't have bounced clear across the other two lanes without landing on someone's roof.

Thankfully, my current 318iS is completely standard (apart from a sports exhaust) and an absolute joy to drive. I'd only give it up for a Corrado (my last car).

[Adammcf]

That sounded nasty but at least you walked away from it ok.
I know of someone who had a similar thing happen to their 205 GTI. The wheel over took them and bounced down the road and over a wall into the sea! LOL

[Jesus325iTouring]

I've had a wheel fall off a Mini,I wasn't going fast,maybe 10mph,was more comical than anything to see it bounce down the road into a ditch

[Brianmoooore]

Reckon you got away with it because you kept your head and steered rather than standing on the brakes. If you had, it would have probably turned sharp right and .......

[Simon13]

handbrake could of worked?

[astondg]

I have had a wheel come off when I was racing. I was going about 50mph when it started and only about 20mph when it came off. I wasn't soo lucky though, the car ran over the wheel and flew up in the air. Then it came down on the sump and put a hole in it. Required sump repair, new front guard bit, and some panel beating . Also a new font inner gaurd bit (plastic inside wheel arch) but I haven't replaced that yet, I have the old one zippy tied in there .

Aston