wheel came off

[B and R]

ok checked and all wheels were torked to specs. on highway about 50mph and 30 miles down the road I happened to look in rear view to see the back tire drivers side fly off. luckily I saw it come off and safely got stopped on the side of the interstate.

I looked at the hub and all five studs were sheared off! I retrieved the tire from a field still intact minus the lug nuts and studs. Took hub off went to truck stop and got 5 new studs put in and 5 new lug nuts from AutoZone.
Put spare on and 4hrs later back on the road.

The holes are wallowed out some on the wheel and tire is not damaged but guess the fit was bad when the tires were put on a year ago? The lug nuts are the kind that go into the rim slightly as opposed to a flat lug nut.

Any thoughts on what happened? I have since changed the lug nuts on the other 3 wheels.

Also, looking for a 15" white spoke replacement wheel American made) Tire is a 225

Thanks all.



l

[Wingeezer]

Is it possible that they were initially put on and torques to spec - but with some sort of lubricant or anti sieze on the lug bolts?

If so, clamping force may have been inadequate and the bolts worked loose causing the wallowing of the wheel rim holes and eventually, due to slack motion, causing the bolts to eventually shear.

As far as I know, torque specs for wheel nuts are intended for "dry" threads unless specified otherwise.

Brian.

[PKI]

Sounds like they were over torqued in the past.

Have had some concern that continual torquing lug nuts could negatively impact their life. We see the nuts with exterior caps degrading in a relatively short period. The solution there is to go solid. So, how often should studs be replace as a predictive maintenance action? And should a higher specification stud be used?

What to do to keep that smile? Pat

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by B and R

ok checked and all wheels were torked to specs. on highway about 50mph and 30 miles down the road I happened to look in rear view to see the back tire drivers side fly off. luckily I saw it come off and safely got stopped on the side of the interstate.

I looked at the hub and all five studs were sheared off! I retrieved the tire from a field still intact minus the lug nuts and studs. Took hub off went to truck stop and got 5 new studs put in and 5 new lug nuts from AutoZone.
Put spare on and 4hrs later back on the road.

The holes are wallowed out some on the wheel and tire is not damaged but guess the fit was bad when the tires were put on a year ago? The lug nuts are the kind that go into the rim slightly as opposed to a flat lug nut.

Any thoughts on what happened? I have since changed the lug nuts on the other 3 wheels.

Also, looking for a 15" white spoke replacement wheel American made) Tire is a 225

Thanks all.



l

If the wheels were wallowed out , they were loose, and the wheel is junk...should not have used it...studs were over torqued at some time...or run loose...

[HowieE]

What was the temperature? It is a common problem when tires are installed in the summer at a tire shop with a impact gun to way over specs. When winter comes and the studs shrink do to temperature the studs can shear off.

Generally that only happen to one or two studs and someone hears them rattling around in the hub cap before a complete failure.

I always loosen the studs as soon as I come from a tire shop that has used a impact gun. The kids always have them set to max. I have even had to return to the shop to have them break some studs loose so i can set them correctly.

Similar issue. I was about to go out last month and every tire on my TV and trailer were low below the setting on my tire monitor system due to it being 10 degrees.

[Wingeezer]

Originally Posted by HowieE

What was the temperature? It is a common problem when tires are installed in the summer at a tire shop with a impact gun to way over specs. When winter comes and the studs shrink do to temperature the studs can shear off.

Generally that only happen to one or two studs and someone hears them rattling around in the hub cap before a complete failure.

I always loosen the studs as soon as I come from a tire shop that has used a impact gun. The kids always have them set to max. I have even had to return to the shop to have them break some studs loose so i can set them correctly.

Similar issue. I was about to go out last month and every tire on my TV and trailer were low below the setting on my tire monitor system due to it being 10 degrees.

You'd think that at least tire shops putting on lug nuts with impact wrenches would use torque sticks - they don't cost much.

I have one although I don't use it to run up the nuts and avoid overtightening if I leave the impact gun on too long. I finish the job with a regular torque wrench.

Having said that, I did run a few tests in the garage comparing the torque stick with a digital torque gauge I have as well as with a click wrench and a couple of beam wrenches and was pleasantly surprised how closely they all matched.

Brian

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

You'd think that at least tire shops putting on lug nuts with impact wrenches would use torque sticks - they don't cost much
Brian

You are correct they don't cost much and a set hangs on he wall of the shop I use. The problem is they require thought and an action. In case you haven't noticed a diminishing quantity in the overall approach to responsibility.

[rmkrum]

For me, they use a calibrated torque wrench, by hand, while I watch, or they don’t touch my wheel lugs. Nor will I buy tires from any such outfit.

Watching a wheel depart is not a confidence-enhancing scenario. I suspect it would be ‘lawyer time’ if it happened to me...especially since it is easily preventable.

And yes, I’m more than paranoid enough to carry my own torque wrench and check torque on TV and AS regularly...even on the road.

[djarrett]

If you had one come off without doing body or wheel well damage, you were lucky. The fact that the wheel didn't hit another car makes you blessed.

I had a South African off-road trailer (one wheel/tire) on each side and we were going the road at 60 MPH - They were 33" BF Goodrich All Terrains. Tire/wheel weight about 78lbs. It passed me and launched 300 yards into a soybean field.

Luckily for me, the trailer was beefy enough that when it sat down on the raw wheel hub, it came to a stop without damaging anything. It was a day delay while we got the wheel back on and running down the road again.

[Twinkie59]

Not on Airstreams but in General I change lugnuts and studs every summer especially if I catch a nail and the tires get pulled. Between rust humidity taking off over torquing sometimes they shear. It's not as uncommon as you think. I had a truck that had 8k monthly in miles I would change studs every two months preventive maintenance. Oil changes every two weeks.
Happy to know your okay

[AL’ UM- MONEY]

I too have faced the problem . Traveling on a Six lane rood in a large city and lost a wheel. Did considerable damage but was extreamly releaved on one was hurt. Sheared one stud and damaged the others. I inspected the wheels every two hours but did not check the tightness. Cost me three days of travel time, good amount of money and a million dollars worth of frustration. This blog has convinced me to purchase a torque wrench and not assume the tire shop does it properly.

[rmkrum]

Yup. Assuming someone with no skin in the game will do it right every time is a good way to get hurt. That’s why all the Navy helicopter mechanics that worked on the bird get to come along for the check ride...they know their lives depend on doing it right...especially if they had to pull the spider and then replaced the “Jesus Nut” that keeps the whole bird in the air...only one big nut and washer keeps any 3 or more blade helo attached to the rotor assembly. Single point of failure...

Sobering thought, huh?

[perryg114]

I have never had a problem with using an impact wrench to tighten lug nuts/bolts but then again I know when to stop. The tire monkeys don't. Sometimes rims or hubs are not flat and the rim won't seat against the hub properly. In other words one surface is dished. In which case, the rim won't seat and the bolt heads are taking all the force. Their job is to hold the two pieces together and the friction between them holds the rim on the hub. Lube will make the actual torque higher than spec. If there is grease on the mating surface or thick paint etc. the rim won't seat properly. I usually take in loose wheels to the tire shop and put them on myself. I do all my own car and trailer maintenance and have never had problems with lug nuts or bolts or studs. It is a good idea to check that they are tight with a lug wrench before taking a long trip. Corrosion between alloy and the steel hub can be a problem that causes the mating surface to degrade. Wire brushing the mating surface ever so often is not a bad idea. If you use a torque wrench the beam type is less likely to have calibration issues. The click type have to be calibrated often to be accurate.

Perry

[Iansk]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Yup. Assuming someone with no skin in the game will do it right every time is a good way to get hurt. That’s why all the Navy helicopter mechanics that worked on the bird get to come along for the check ride...they know their lives depend on doing it right...especially if they had to pull the spider and then replaced the “Jesus Nut” that keeps the whole bird in the air...only one big nut and washer keeps any 3 or more blade helo attached to the rotor assembly. Single point of failure...

Sobering thought, huh?

If only every profession required this sort of skin in the game practice...
politicians should be the first in this exercise.

[rmkrum]

At the risk of going too political, yes. On the front line in any armed conflict would be a great start..

...Vietnam era Navy Veteran, 1967-1976

[CoolAl]

2020 27' flying cloud
08-03-2022 On vacation, probably less than 10,000 total miles on trailer, 65-70 mph a man pulls up beside me and tells me a wheel came off app. 4 miles back, stopped and looked, yep it had, 4 lane highway never felt probably due to condition of the road, yes using the Dexter system the RV will drive on 3 wheels, all 6 studs had sheared off, got to next town, found 1 7/16" socket, took drum off and had all new studs pressed in. Very nice people at shop
I am fairly mechanical, I hand check the nuts several time a trip
Now I am wondering what happened, the tires have never taken off,
Don't know the amount of RV damage, it looks like a lot
Scared, now what, no answers
This hub uses 6 -- 1/2" studs 42mm bearing
I wished I could go to 5/8" studs or even 8, but I don't think available

Answers?
CoolAl

[GCinSC2]

CoolAl

If you’re original owner and tires have never been off it might be interesting to contact Dexter directly and discuss with them. But didn’t Airstream install the wheels after Dexter built the axles?

Good luck.

Gary