Left rear wheel fell off

AndreBenson · Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:51 am

Hi guys.

Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.

Since Thursday I've had this knocking sound on my car. Only when I stop accelerating and breaking.
No I got through everything in my head, propshaft, exhaust, etc etc.

Just got of the highway travelling at 120km/h with my wife and baby in the car. Turn right to go under the bridge and just as I was about to come to a dead stop the left of the car sagged. Got out, and behold my left rear wheel standing at a funny angle with NO nuts keeping the wheel in place.

Jacked her up and started taking one nut from each of the wheels just to get moving again. I was able to loosen every nut on everyone of the other wheels with my fingers. All loose. then a black dude came running to me with all six my wheel nuts in hand, saying he thinks their mine. I thank him profoundly!!

Put the wheel back and drive of.

How dangerous this could have been, I don't even want to think of it.

Could the nuts be wrong for my rims, could someone have tried to steel them, or could the tire company that fitted them never have tightened them properly??? Suppose I would never know.

Any chance someone could send me a picture of hoe their wheel Nuts on their gen 3 with these rims look like??

4ePikanini · Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:28 am

wow! Close call and your guradian angel must have had a heck of a time keeping all your nuts together.

An old phrase comes to mind.

- "If you want it done right......."

Glad you and family are ok.

Wilddog · Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:43 am

AndreBenson wrote:
Could the nuts be wrong for my rims, could someone have tried to steel them, or could the tire company that fitted them never have tightened them properly??? Suppose I would never know.

Shoo! close call Andre, Could have been any of the above I guess. Fit some locking wheel nuts to solve the one possibility. It still astounds me that you never see torque wrenches being used in any of the tyre dealers.

Its like 4epikanini says. "Do it yourself"

CATS · Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:44 am

Andre

I am sure it is the nuts that are wrong. Have you not changed rims recently back to the standard items? They need very specific nuts to work properly.

CATS

tonton · Mon Sep 06, 2010 1:01 pm

CATS wrote:Andre

I am sure it is the nuts that are wrong. Have you not changed rims recently back to the standard items? They need very specific nuts to work properly.

CATS

The wrong nuts will do this, and will damage your rims.

I was surprised (impressed) to see torque wrenches used at TWT and Kwikfit (both in Bellville) recently.

You have to check yout wheelnuts after some 200 km afer a wheel has been fitted.

And you must thank the Lord for protecting you and your family in this instance.

Anton

AndreBenson · Mon Sep 06, 2010 4:03 pm

Trust me we were lucky.

What wheel nuts should I use??? Where do I get them, lease don't say stealers....

I have purchased 5 lock nuts on Sunday. So problem 1 solved...

Does anybody can like to have a picture of mine nut needed???

Wilddog · Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:56 pm

Andre,
If you have the five locknuts then you will have five nuts when you remove one from each wheel (incl. spare) to fit locknuts. no need to purchase.

tonton · Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:36 pm

Andre,

If you have standard Mitsubishi rims, check with the dealer (otherwise TWT will be able to advise) whether you used the correct nuts when you (recently) replaced your rims. You may very well have the wrong nurs on all of your wheels.

Anton

AndreBenson · Sun Sep 12, 2010 6:48 am

Got 24 new nuts from Mitsu for R342. Comlpetely different than what was on. So touch wood that that was all..

Gerrit Loubser · Sun Sep 12, 2010 7:59 am

Not a bad price at all.

The proper nuts are of the flange type that are flat where they seat on the alloy rims and not of the conical type that seat on a conical (beveled) surface on the edge of the hole in steel rims.