Wheel falls off

[jkaicher]

My 17 year old son is restoring a 1965 Mustang 289 Coupe. He has put Edelbrock wheels on this car. Since then, the lug nuts tend to loosen, especially the front driver's side. He has torqued the lug nuts down according to specification. The front driver's side wheel has fallen off twice, most recently doing extensive damage to the fender. Needless to say, I'm a very concerned Dad. Thanks in advance.

jkaicher

 

[WORTH]

I picture or 2 would help, I am assuming he has the wrong lugnuts for the wheel he has, or if it's one of those unilug setups it may have the wrong spacer. Can you show us the setup?

 

[mustangman70]

He probbly needs to get some sleeved lugs

 

[Swede958]

Sounds like either:
1. Wrong lugs
2. Wrong installation (tightened without full car weight on them)
3. (most likely) a lot of new wheels need to be put on, torqued, driven for a little bit, and then re torqued to seat them correctly

 

[10secgoal]

Or may be the car was put on the ground before therim was flat on the rotor/drum. The lugnuts may show tight on a torque wrench, but not actually bolted to the car.

 

[tylerrocks]

Screw specs and impact them

 

[5.0ina66]

Screw specs and impact them

Spoken like someone with a real death wish!

 

[2nd Mustang]

Screw specs and impact them

The motto of Sears Automotive!

 

[John Z]

The motto of Sears Automotive!

While they are a good target in this case, unfortunately they are not the lone ranger in the improper installation of wheels.

 

[tylerrocks]

The motto of Sears Automotive!

Spoken like someone with a real death wish!

LOL ok then, teach me. whats wrong with impacting lug nuts? Death Wish?!? I'm all ears.

Tyler

 

[tos]

LOL ok then, teach me. whats wrong with impacting lug nuts? Death Wish?!? I'm all ears.

Tyler

Well Tyler my boy I'm going to assume that these are alloy wheels and you never, Never, Did I mention NEVER use and impact to tighten lug nuts on alloy wheels because they will warp or crack from the pressure. Different people have different ideas when useing impacts as far as when to quit cranking em down and of course impacts have different torque capacities (mine is 450 ft lbs). Ive seen people torque em dowm one at a time as tight as their impact would get them before tightening the next one. You dont need that kind of torque on wheels not to mention the fact that if you have a flat while out driving you'll bust a nut so to speek trying to break them loose. You can however use an impact to loosen

 

[jst6]

If you use an impact wrench to tighten lug nuts you can micro-fracture the studs. the next time the wheel falls off it will sheer the studs right off the spindle, causing even more serious damage. have seen this mutliple times on the road. the most recent was from Jack Furriers here in Tucson. I'll give them credit tho... the manager came out to look at the truck of his customer immediately and made sure she would be taken care of properly. the manager told me the "in-duh-vidual" who used an impact wrench on her truck was going to be fired!

 

[tos]

I would look at the wheels first and see if they are made for a chamfered lug nut (look where the lug nut actually seats against the wheel) or a shanked lugnut with a washer and a flat seat. My wild guess would be that you have a universal fit wheel with a chamfered lugnut. This setup would allow the wheel to move under pressure and work the lugnuts loose. Chamfered lugnuts against a flat seat. Universal wheels have elongated holes in them to fit different patterns and the center of the wheel on the backside that fits over your hub is usually larger and will allow the wheel to move a little. Some come with inserts for different size hubs (at least they used to) So im with the others that say wrong lugnuts.

 

[tos]

If you use an impact wrench to tighten lug nuts you can micro-fracture the studs. !

Ditto, I forgot to mention the effect on the studs.

 

[tylerrocks]

Oh, hmmmmmmm. Well I retract my 'advise'. But, just to throw this out there, I have never had a problem using and impact on lug nuts. Maybe I know just when to stop. Thanks

Tyler

 

[MustangMatt1966]

you'll bust a nut so to speek trying to break them loose.

am i the only person that finds that sentence funny, or maybe im just immature lol

 

[krash kendall]

Oh, hmmmmmmm. Well I retract my 'advise'. But, just to throw this out there, I have never had a problem using and impact on lug nuts. Maybe I know just when to stop. Thanks

Tyler

It's just not a consistant method. I have pressed steell lugcentric wheels and yes, I sometimes quickly buzz the lugs on with the impact, but stop before it starts hammering then switch to the torque wrench. Even on my F-150 4X4 the torque specs for the lugs are only 55 ft/lbs. You can easily exceed that with an impact and wind up shearing off a wheel in a pothole at speed.

 

[1320stang]

I always ask for my wheels to be put on with a torque wrench and not an impact when I get new tires put on. I then go immediately home, lossen and retorque them myself.

 

[Jester67]

I always ask for my wheels to be put on with a torque wrench and not an impact when I get new tires put on. I then go immediately home, lossen and retorque them myself.

I take my own Click type troque wrench with me and make them use it that way I know it is in cal.

 

[1320stang]

Well, I only tell them to put it on with a torque wrench so I know it won't be put on to a bazzilion ft/lbs. I've seen what they do to torque wrenches, toss them on the floor without taking the setting off, I don't think I'd hand a flunkie my good torque wrench.