Join Our Ford Truck Forum Today

Document your Ford truck project here and inspire others! Login/Register to view the site with fewer ads.

Register Log in

Lost Wheel at 70mph

Blacktruckdave

Blacktruckdave

151
1
Clifton New Jersey
So I torqued the lug nuts on the rear of the truck to 150' lbs. I ran the truck without the center hub cap because I was checking for axle shaft leaks. After about 60 miles I'm doin 70mph and I feel a shimmy. Looking in my side view mirror I watched in horror as my rear wheel came off and rolled down the hiway as I quickly pulled over, dragging the drivers side rear rotor. I swear I am in shock. $100 tow home, and no one hurt and no LEO. Irony is that I have to pull this side apart to replace the dust shield as I just last week did the passenger side. Any insight? Wrong torque? Center Hub lock lug nuts? Shitty harbor freight torque wrench?:redface:
 
Blacktruckdave

Blacktruckdave

151
1
Clifton New Jersey
no I had just loosened and then torqued both rear wheels to 150' lbs with my harbor freight 1/2" torque ratchet. I was an hour earlier telling my friend how important it was to torque as to not warp the rotor or stretch a lug. What a fool I feel like. My luck is that no one got hurt and I was able to handle quickly to the side of the road. Wheel rolled 60 feet into the grass center and leaned up against the guard rail. I am still in shock. That did not just happen to me.smilieloser

and yes all the nuts came off
 
DNFXDLI

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
49,083
1,089
The Great White North
Jesus Murphy...did it feel like 150 lb/ft?...meaning that I know myself what that feels like on a wrench as far as how much "oomph" I have to put into it.
 
Blacktruckdave

Blacktruckdave

151
1
Clifton New Jersey
I'm going back to my own arm torque as I have been doing all my life. Scary situation. Surreal feeling watching that rear wheel come away from the hub in the mirror and the the thud of the rotor slamming the road. No skid but I did stop quickly. Did I mention I had my buddy and we were transporting a giant pet pig in the bed? Best case scenario for me I must admit. Never again tho. The potential for that runaway wheel causing chaos is there.
 
DNFXDLI

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
49,083
1,089
The Great White North
I've had it happen when a C clip broke and the axle came out....spatula time to clean out my shorts.
 
smokey

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
13,257
706
Garrett Co. Maryland
I have a front wheel come off watched it roll over a steep bank into the river below. At first it was look someone's tire is rolling down the road. The the oh crap moment hit.
I was on a very narrow twisty road with a steep drop off on one side.
 
fatherdoug

fatherdoug

Tonto Papadapolous
18,892
650
90 Clicks East of Hell
Wow! One of our contractor's showed me tire tracks on the top of the cab from a lost wheel. It went over the cab and down the road ahead of him.
 
68F1006.4

68F1006.4

680
18
The Woodlands, Tx
That sucks, but I'm glad no humans or pigs were hurt. That just sounds like a really bizarre case of Murphys Law. Was anything broken or was it just the nuts that came off?

I had a '78 Ranger that had a wobbly tire, but it never came apart and I believe that was because of a bent axle shaft.
 
Blacktruckdave

Blacktruckdave

151
1
Clifton New Jersey
Well the rotor looks like it needs to be replaced which I was gonna do anyway. All the lug nuts are gone. The lug nut studs all need to be replaced. Other than that the inside of the wheel got a little chewed up but I think its fine. I just did the passenger side dust shield which required surgery and I was putting off the drivers side since it was not rotted out yet like the pass side. Again, there was no warning, no noises, just a shimmy 1 second before I watched it come off. Holy Hell!
 
Fellro

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
7,952
360
Iowa County, Iowa
Blacktruckdave said:
no I had just loosened and then torqued both rear wheels to 150' lbs with my harbor freight 1/2" torque ratchet. I was an hour earlier telling my friend how important it was to torque as to not warp the rotor or stretch a lug. What a fool I feel like. My luck is that no one got hurt and I was able to handle quickly to the side of the road. Wheel rolled 60 feet into the grass center and leaned up against the guard rail. I am still in shock. That did not just happen to me.smilieloser

and yes all the nuts came off
Click to expand...
I would venture to guess the torque wrench only actually goes to 120, but either way. If the wheel is cocked at all, and not cross pattern tightened, this can happen. That is why I always make a second check pass. Depends how many miles later too, but commonly on duals especially, the lugs need rechecked within 100 miles. I had a set of duals take off on me, but I was a long ways from home and at the mercy of a small town shop. That pretty much cost me well, plus to add to it, I had just come into head to head construction on the interstate. My dual crashed head on into a brand new Chevy pickup that was on its first trip home. It popped the airbags on that truck...
 
Last edited:
SuperCab

SuperCab

Moderator
Staff member
10,068
547
Montana
I'm betting your torque wrench lied to you. I had a tire fly off my old Suburban. Had put it on with my impact gun as always but the gun turned out to be on the outs. Nuts were still loose and all came off, along with the left rear wheel.
 
SuperCab

SuperCab

Moderator
Staff member
10,068
547
Montana
Lucked out... messed up the wheel opening a little. Coasted to a stop riding on the brake drum. Was a hell of a walk to go get the wheel though. Damn thing traveled quite a way!
 
cbaker65

cbaker65

4,938
68
Mcfarland,Calif.
Wow...

I had a friend of mine car get side swiped by a wheel ,put a black
crease down the whole side of his car going down the freeway...
The wheel was going faster than the traffic!

Afew years ago ,a lug nut came off an hit my windshield in the parks
truck ,I was glad that my boss was with me when it happened ,so
I didn't get blamed for it.

It was a loud pop like someone shot the truck!...
 

Ford Truck Articles

Recent Forum Posts

Top