Wheel came off during towing, how did that happen?

[pacem]

I only realized it way too late, when I heard this bump and pulled over and this is what I saw.
The wheel could not be found within 3 miles of it and I gave up.
I was towing a light trailer, empty. The truck, 2003 Dodge was also empty.

 

[Eddie]

Appears that only one stud was holding the wheel on. When that stud broke the wheel was gone. The other studs appear to not have a lug nut on them is the recent past.

 

[pacem]

You are saying the wheel was not tightened with most lug nuts?
It's not my vehicle and I didn't perform any maintenance on it.

Weird how it just came off. I think had I gotten a flat, it would have still remained attached, correct?

 

[Convert]

It looks like there is anti seize on the remaining lugs. YES/NO.

If yes ------------ That's a NO NO.

Or it that the residue from aluminium rims.

Convert

 

[Lyman]

By the looks of it that vehicle had been neglected for a very long time.

 

[JHZR2]

Yikes, so you rode down the road on three wheels plus the trailer?

Did you look at all lugs and tires (pressure check) before towing?

Its more scary that the truck launched a wheel that could have hit another driver...

 

[PimTac]

You heard a bump? I would think this would have felt far more drastic. Do you think you drove 3 miles with just three wheels?

 

[supton]

You heard a bump? I would think this would have felt far more drastic. Do you think you drove 3 miles with just three wheels?

Crew cab truck? Maybe it's that heavy up front.

 

[philipp10]

Aluminum wheels? Lugs on those should be checked once in a while. I doubt he towing part had any factor in it.....would of came off anyway. How does someone not notice his lugs are missing?

 

[Rand]

neglected truck with loose lugnuts would be my guess.

 

[pacem]

Aluminum wheels? Lugs on those should be checked once in a while. I doubt he towing part had any factor in it.....would of came off anyway. How does someone not notice his lugs are missing?

When I left, all wheels were there. Sometime between the departure and the stop, the wheel came off. That is all I know.

It's not my vehicle, I borrowed it, don't know the maintenance history of it at all. I assumed all the lugs nuts were tightened correctly.
I am trying to understand how that happened?

 

[The motor guy]

It's a dodge she'll live

 

[pacem]

You heard a bump? I would think this would have felt far more drastic. Do you think you drove 3 miles with just three wheels?

Yeah, I think so. For several miles at least. I don't understand why or how the wheel detached itself. A flat would not have. I've had a flat before on other vehicles, and it will stay flat but not detach itself.

 

[pacem]

By the looks of it that vehicle had been neglected for a very long time.

That is true.

 

[JohnnyG]

Man, what a mess! You lost a great deal more than just a wheel and tire! I don't see any sign of the brake disc, let alone the drum for the emergency brake. Brake shoes (for the em. brake) were shot for a long time. That brake hasn't worked for ever!
I'm not wondering why it fell off.
I'm wondering what the heck kept it ON!

 

[Danno]

Brake rotor is gone, neglected maintenance. No visual inspection done on truck wheels in a long time.
Something like this failure would have given many clues way before the wheel fell off, like metal on metal grinding and metal screeching.

 

[Astro14]

When I left, all wheels were there. Sometime between the departure and the stop, the wheel came off. That is all I know.

It's not my vehicle, I borrowed it, don't know the maintenance history of it at all. I assumed all the lugs nuts were tightened correctly.
I am trying to understand how that happened?

That assumption was clearly wrong.

From the looks of the remaining studs, four of those lug nuts were loose or missing. The single, remaining, tightened stud broke, and off came the wheel. Rotor, too.

 

[pacem]

It's not my vehicle. I borrowed it. Knew nothing about it. I thought the wheels would not fall off like this.

 

[kschachn]

It’s odd that there wasn’t a long gouge in the pavement created as the vehicle came to a stop.

 

[pacem]

That assumption was clearly wrong.

From the looks of the remaining studs, four of those lug nuts were loose or missing. The single, remaining, tightened stud broke, and off came the wheel. Rotor, too.

I see