Front Left wheel came off. Lucky escape for both me and the E30

[asward]

Driving back from dropping my GF at her parents so she can get her car, I start to hear a deep rumble. Concerned, I slow down to 30, on a 50mph Dual Carriageway.

Next thing I know there is a massive jolt, and I lose the ability to steer, as I see my front left shell go rolling passed me.

I manage to somehow steer the car into a little unused turning, scratching a nice line into the tarmac with my brake disk. Funnily enough I stopped about 5ft from where the wheel came to a stop, both out of the road.

I wasn't injured, and it was dark out, so there wasn't anyone else around to witness/get injured by zooming wheels thankfully.

No bodywork damage at all, only the front left Suspension Arm is bent, and the brake disc should definitely be replaced. The wheel is perfectly in tact, was able to be re attached to be able to maneuver the car so as to be able to be towed by the friendly blokes at AA. Oddly I was going to replace the suspension arms next week anyway, so this is something I'd kind of already budgeted for!

My only concern is something/someone did something that loosened my wheel nuts. Should I invest in some locking wheel nuts?

As there was minimal damage, I have no real images to show unfortunately. Very lucky this didn't happen 2mins later, as I would have been on the M2.

This happened last night, my GF is now terrified to get in the car in the future, even thought it's getting a repair and a service before it's driven again

[paultv]

So what actually seperated? All the wheel nuts lost and the wheel fell off ? You should have a long period of noise and vibration long before seperation...to lose all 4 nuts is crazy..... are you in trouble with cosa nostra?

...and yes get a set of locking nuts...at least one per wheel will stop this ever happening again.

I'd have expected a broken hub shaft...but not losing 4 nuts!!!!

Paul

[Cloggy Saint]

This happened last night, my GF is now terrified to get in the car in the future, even thought it's getting a repair and a service before it's driven again

Maybe she knows more than she's letting on, have you taken out life insurance recently?

[Satan]

This happened last night, my GF is now terrified to get in the car in the future, even thought it's getting a repair and a service before it's driven again

Maybe she knows more than she's letting on, have you taken out life insurance recently?

Lol......

[asward]

So what actually seperated? All the wheel nuts lost and the wheel fell off ? You should have a long period of noise and vibration long before seperation...to lose all 4 nuts is crazy..... are you in trouble with cosa nostra?

...and yes get a set of locking nuts...at least one per wheel will stop this ever happening again.

I'd have expected a broken hub shaft...but not losing 4 nuts!!!!

Paul

Yeah there was some rumbly road noise, which I wrongly assumed was the suspension arm that I had planned to replace next week.

No breakages that caused the accidentally. I'm shocked I was able to drive as far as I did considering what happened.

Getting a set of locking nuts on them asap.

[martauto]

I lost my power steering pump on the e46 and that scared the hell out of me but to loose a wheel ??????
You walked away from it

Mart.

[asward]

I lost my power steering pump on the e46 and that scared the hell out of me but to loose a wheel ??????
You walked away from it

Mart.

Yeah it was terrifying. Honestly I was so lucky to manage to get it pointed towards, and into, a turning and get it off the road.

[HenryM3]

Locking wheel nuts won’t stop them coming off if they aren’t tight in the first place which I assumed is the only reason they worked loose.

[Satan]

When you dropped the GF off did you go inside the house and her Father went out? Just checking........

[BHadley]

I’d be checking the other wheel nuts with a torque wrench.... happened to me at low speed Moving a car round a yard as was in the way of something and just bung the wheel on quick ..it was scary enough!

[Brianmoooore]

, as I see my front left shell go rolling passed me.

Happened to me once with the rear right wheel on a Mini. Same relatively low speed and no traffic around, and no serious damage done, but the main thing I remember after all these years is the utterly surreal sight of my own wheel rolling past me.
As said above, locking wheel bolts won't stop already loose bolts from working their way out, nor will they stop someone from loosening the other three.
Has the wheel been removed for any reason lately?

[Satan]

Check the threads on the hub.

[flybynite]

Yes, have the wheels been off lately?

There is a problem with air wrenches (windy guns) when they are old and worn, they can sound and feel like the nut is tight but in reality it is no more than finger tight.

Had it many years ago on a family car, then more recently on one of mine from a dealer service. Thankfully both times they were caught before they actually came off but each time all four/five nuts were loose

Each time I have gone back to the garage put a nut on as tight as it would go, then taken it off with my fingers.

These days I check everything by hand myself.

[DanThe]

Most garages now have some small print at the bottom of their invoices that says to check wheel bolts after 10 miles or something, Its more common than you think

Either way, its always best to check the wheels and tyre pressures yourself, most places wont even clean the rust/brake dust off the hub, just smash the wheel back on dry and gun the bolts up...

[rix313]

I think you're getting a bit mixed up on the function of a locking wheel nut

For all four wheel nuts to fail that's pretty impressive, You must have been driving around with some missing for a while which is quite alarming. As suggested check the threads in your hub, make sure there's no damage there. Then if that's ok buy a new set of wheel bolts. Also invest in a 1/2inch torque wrench and check the rest of your wheel bolts are also no all falling out.

[Satan]

I think you're getting a bit mixed up on the function of a locking wheel nut

For all four wheel nuts to fail that's pretty impressive, You must have been driving around with some missing for a while which is quite alarming. As suggested check the threads in your hub, make sure there's no damage there. Then if that's ok buy a new set of wheel bolts. Also invest in a 1/2inch torque wrench and check the rest of your wheel bolts are also no all falling out.

The elders also amongst us always do a quick visual check before entering the car.

Lost one wheel nut years ago and I could feel the difference especially on the turns to lose four is unimaginable but a mate did it on a Beetle in Poland but I think they where trying to steal; the wheels.

[Brianmoooore]

Yes, have the wheels been off lately?

There is a problem with air wrenches (windy guns) when they are old and worn, they can sound and feel like the nut is tight but in reality it is no more than finger tight.

Had it many years ago on a family car, then more recently on one of mine from a dealer service. Thankfully both times they were caught before they actually came off but each time all four/five nuts were loose

Each time I have gone back to the garage put a nut on as tight as it would go, then taken it off with my fingers.

These days I check everything by hand myself.

For the last several years I've done all my tyre changing myself, but back when I used local tyre places, the wheel nuts/bolts working loose was not a problem I encountered. The first thing I did when home after a wheel being fitted was to find a long breaker bar, and undo the bolts from the 500 odd Nm they appeared to have been torque up to, and to re tighten them to something a bit nearer the correct figure.
As well as the total wheel loss incident with the Mini, I've also had the bolts come loose on an E30. This was the bargain 318i 2 door with the mis diagnosed blue temp. sensor fault that I've mentioned on here before.
I had just collected it from it's previous owner, and was about three miles into driving it home, trying to be inconspicuous, since it might have been a little light on options like road tax, MOT and insurance, when I become aware of a clicking noise from a front corner of the car. Stopped, and found all four bolts well on the way towards falling out, and the bolt holes in the wheel looking more than a little oval. Did them up with the OE wheelbrace, and then checked the other wheels. All 12 bolts no more than finger tight.
Didn't enquire, and still don't know why all the wheels were loose. It came with five 15" BBS, and car was absolutely unmodified in any way, so it seems unlikely that a set of more expensive wheels had been removed and these swapped on for the sale.

[BristolE30]

Since we are all here ... what is the correct torque spec for wheel bolts? I could of course check my Bentley but that’s no fun

[Brianmoooore]

Since we are all here ... what is the correct torque spec for wheel bolts? I could of course check my Bentley but that’s no fun

A nice, easy figure to remember. 100Nm

[rix313]

For the last several years I've done all my tyre changing myself, but back when I used local tyre places, the wheel nuts/bolts working loose was not a problem I encountered.

Exactly this for me. The 'check them after 10 miles' thing is just an arse covering process for low skilled tyre fitting establishments. Once a wheel on a road car is torqued it will not find it's way out. They will do tens of thousands of miles.

[Satan]

I still would be suspicious of the future Father in Law.............

[martauto]

I took the lads car for a new tyre and when it was changed, out came the torque wrench
I passed comment and he said looking puzzled, "thats what should happen"

Mart.

[asward]

Yeah, all nuts are nice and torqued now. Will be making the wheel nuts part of my visual check from now on. Car is all repaired and back on the road now! Sounding smoother than ever with some fresh wishbones/bushings, as well as some shiny new brake discs/pads.

[E30Derbyshire]

I once had a Mini 1275gt Clubman. Turned a corner into a side street and the n/s hub sheared off, wheel and hub parted company with the car and I landed neatly into resident’s parking bay. Retrieved the wheel, jacked the car up and left it overnight. Came back next day to find I’d got a parking ticket

[964russ]

I had a wheel come off my caddy van.
About 20mph, mega busy road, front disc hit the tarmac, the wheel bounced up the pavement.
I watched it in slow motion, bounce off the pavement into the main road, into the path of an ambulance (lights & sirens on).
He stopped, I grabbed wheel!

No harm done! Put wheel back on.

I fitted wheel with nut gun, didn't check with torque wrench.
Gun was faulty!