Technical Can wheel bolts loosen by themselves ?

[Tony123]

Over the past week there has been a rattle on my sisters car.
I checked it out the other day and noticed that there was only 2 wheel bolts on the front wheel and one of them was really loose.
I tightened them up and told her it would be fine and i would get more wheel bolts.
Yesterday the noise came back so i looked at the wheel and noticed a wheel bolts had loosened again.
I tightened them up and all fine again.

Today i was driving the car this time and the noise got very bad.... i was thinking of pulling over and looking at it but as i thought that the wheel had fallen off and rolled off

Do bolts loosen them selves off or has someone undone this deliberatly ?
I have put 4 new ones on the car and they all seem fine be driving back from were i was all seem as tight as when i put them on.

Also what should i look for that could be damaged, all i can see damaged is the front wing, i persume its the suspension that has caused this to bend.

 

[Azzam]

yeah then can, you just gotta make sure they are tight enough not to un-do themselves

 

[Tony123]

yeah then can, you just gotta make sure they are tight enough not to un-do themselves

I did make sure they were tight both times... i couldnt tighten them any more....

 

[Azzam]

tracking can sometimes cause the bolts to loosen themselves

 

[Tony123]

tracking can sometimes cause the bolts to loosen themselves

Checked that too and the car goes to the left only a tiny bit, not sure if thats the camber in the road...

 

[Tombaylis]

I had a similar problem with a knocking noise turned out i hadn't done the bolts back up properly after removing the wheel i had only done them up semi tight whilst i tested it. however when i did realise what the problem was they were very loose.
If there is enough room for the wheel to move between the wheel and the hub ( for example only having 2 bolts then thr other bolts will whiggle loose.

 

[Tony123]

I had a similar problem with a knocking noise turned out i hadn't done the bolts back up properly after removing the wheel i had only done them up semi tight whilst i tested it. however when i did realise what the problem was they were very loose.
If there is enough room for the wheel to move between the wheel and the hub ( for example only having 2 bolts then thr other bolts will whiggle loose.

Im baffled why i had 3 bolts in then one day there was 2, then the next day the wheel fell off

 

[Eklipze3k]

With only 2 bolts the torque is not evenly distributed around the hub so yes, they will loosen themselves off, now that you're back to 4 - as it should be - everything will be hunky-dorey.

 

[Azzam]

have you got alloys on it or steeleys?

 

[Tony123]

alloys

 

[Azzam]

maybe you should take it for a spin and let the alloys and brakes warm up, (aluminium gets soft and gummy when warm heated) and metal expands(the wheel bolts) get them warmed up then see if you can tighten them up

 

[Ziggy122]

Correct torque is 86nm on a 19mm hex Socket i believe

If you dont have all 4, the wheel bolts will come loose

Driving with only 3 or 2 or even 1 is super dangerous - the wheel has play and they'll happily come off

If its fine with 4 new bolts then be happy
If they are coming undone - i'd be looking as to why

Ziggy

 

[Tony123]

Correct torque is 86nm on a 19mm hex Socket i believe

If you dont have all 4, the wheel bolts will come loose

Driving with only 3 or 2 or even 1 is super dangerous - the wheel has play and they'll happily come off

If its fine with 4 new bolts then be happy
If they are coming undone - i'd be looking as to why

Ziggy

Ive had 3 on for ages because i took my car to a garage to check my tyres and they used a wizzy gun on the lock and wheel nuts and snapped all 4

because its only happened recently i thought it may have been the chavs round my estate because they are cocks like that :bang:

 

[Ziggy122]

Whizzy guns = No Good
They all set the pressure too high - and Zzzzt Zzzt Ztt
And the pressure has left the bolts too tight - you go drive put them under strain and they start stripping the threads

Get a New set of Bolts
3 bolt is NOT safe, for you or anybody else on the road
Sure yes its a temp measure to get you round the cornor to the garage or off the motorway
but not a permanient fixture

Ziggy

 

[thelad]

Get some locking ones so the "chavs" cant undo them!

 

[Tony123]

Whizzy guns = No Good
They all set the pressure too high - and Zzzzt Zzzt Ztt
And the pressure has left the bolts too tight - you go drive put them under strain and they start stripping the threads

Get a New set of Bolts
3 bolt is NOT safe, for you or anybody else on the road
Sure yes its a temp measure to get you round the cornor to the garage or off the motorway
but not a permanient fixture

Ziggy

Ill go find some more then
its been fine for the past 2 years.... suppose it was to give way at some point.

 

[s and b]

if fiat wheels whether steel or alloy arent allowed to sit on the hub right due to corrosion where the flange is then the wheels will never be faced up to the drum/
disc
i would never let a trade outlet wizz my nuts up
any decent tyre place also recommends you check your studs after 50 miles driving after leaving the bay
all good advice
of course it might now be possible the threads in the hub are damaged

 

[christianlafond2009]

I drove for about a week with my wheel nuts loose because I replced the rear trailing arm on my pinto and only semi tightened, totally forgot to finish the job and then started to hear clonking whilst turning, tightened and was all good

 

[s and b]

I drove for about a week with my wheel nuts loose because I replced the rear trailing arm on my pinto and only semi tightened, totally forgot to finish the job and then started to hear clonking whilst turning, tightened and was all good

yes but you could be writing this from the top bunk if the wheel came off

and we all know slasher harris below you is a nasty piece

if you forget stuff like this you really need to have a plan of action and tick boxes before you drive off
me?
i do it for a living and often put a sticky note on the speedo for stuff like no oil
no brakes
beware the ides of march
etc

 

[DaveMcT]

If the threads were stripped the hubs may be damaged as well. You will need new bolts but check the hubs threads carefully and check the bolts are tight before every drive.

Do the checks with a short spanner so you dont gradually over-tighten them.