Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
You’re not sure you noticed if a wheel was missing for a couple miles?
I feel like this is a GHT thread?
I feel like this is a GHT thread?
Wheel came off during towing, how did that happen?
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yep. I cannot envision even driving a hundred feet and not know that something is not right.
The condition of the brakes, especially the parking brake shoes tells me everything I need to know. Maintenance history is minimal at best. I work on my own stuff, so I am fully aware of the condition, and I still check torque on the lugs and tire pressures before I tow anything. I had a friend who didn't once and lost a wheel while towing heavy. It broke seven of eight studs off when the wheel came loose.
I bet the lug torque has not been checked in a while, and there appears to be anti-seize on the studs. Low torque + lubricant = failure.
Yeah, the heavy rust and lack of friction material on those parking brake shoes speaks volumes. Doesn’t explain directly why the wheel came off, but sure lets you know that inspection and maintenance was never done on this truck...
When you heard the bump is most likely when the wheel came off. If you immediately pulled over when the wheel came off, it is possible that the wheel continued on the road and gradually made its way to the opposite side, into the ditch. I would go back and look ahead of the truck in the ditch on both sides of the road.
Few to many beers?
I'm trying to picture how 4 loose lugs would do this. The 5th would take the load and snap, got that. But the loose lugs would have retained the wheel, at least until they snapped. Until those snapped, the wheel would have flopped and rubbed and done more damage.
I'm almost thinking those 4 lugs were removed...?
Can the rotor on this model come off without removing the caliper bracket? Sometimes I think it's possible... In this case, if it's not, then where's the carnage from the rotor hitting the road and shattering?
Wild shot in the dark: any chance that someone pulled this wheel to do a brake job, noticed it had a seized caliper, left the rotor off, put the wheel on with just one lug, and... something happened, and off it went?
I'm almost thinking those 4 lugs were removed...?
Can the rotor on this model come off without removing the caliper bracket? Sometimes I think it's possible... In this case, if it's not, then where's the carnage from the rotor hitting the road and shattering?
Wild shot in the dark: any chance that someone pulled this wheel to do a brake job, noticed it had a seized caliper, left the rotor off, put the wheel on with just one lug, and... something happened, and off it went?
Its clearly a broken stud, and it was the only one holding the wheel on. the other lugnuts were missing.
So you could lose a wheel and the axle can contact the pavement but not leave a huge long gouge?
Op, is someone trying to kill you for insurance money?
I’m wondering how long he drove on the brake rotor before that, too, came off...but to your point, this picture doesn’t add up entirely.... I’ve never lost an entire wheel, but I’ve had a shop leave the lug nuts loose (after a state inspection) on one wheel and you could FEEL that something was seriously wrong when they got looser...
This one looks like it had only one lug nut installed, and perhaps it was tight, so he didn’t feel a loose wheel until that stud snapped and off it came.
In my experience, even with 1 tight nut and 4 loose you feel the flex. At least in an otherwise up to spec vehicle.
Threads on the 4 remaining studs appear damaged, my guess from the rotor working it's way off.
I'm amazed that still drove, must have either 4x4 or a limited slip diff.
Threads on the 4 remaining studs appear damaged, my guess from the rotor working it's way off.
I'm amazed that still drove, must have either 4x4 or a limited slip diff.
I talked to the owner, he said that he personally tightened all the lugs nuts and put 400 miles on them.
Whether that's true or not, I have no way of checking. He has a lift in his garage and buys autos at auctions, fixes them up and sells them, so he does not appear to be mechanically ignorant. I think he got this rust-bucket probably for $200. It has a long list of issues: Loud exhaust, AC not working, battery runs down frequently and has to be charged, the car is not road-worthy but he says he tightened the lug nuts 400 miles ago.
He said the rear axle fell apart because I overloaded the truck and the Uhaul trailer it towed, is that plausible?
I had the truck bed full with firewood. The trailer attached to it was about 1/4 full with firewood (6x12' Uhaul trailer).
So the lug nuts appear to be a dead-end, or so it seems, could it be the axle that's at fault? Due to overloading? I don't think it was overloaded however.
Whether that's true or not, I have no way of checking. He has a lift in his garage and buys autos at auctions, fixes them up and sells them, so he does not appear to be mechanically ignorant. I think he got this rust-bucket probably for $200. It has a long list of issues: Loud exhaust, AC not working, battery runs down frequently and has to be charged, the car is not road-worthy but he says he tightened the lug nuts 400 miles ago.
He said the rear axle fell apart because I overloaded the truck and the Uhaul trailer it towed, is that plausible?
I had the truck bed full with firewood. The trailer attached to it was about 1/4 full with firewood (6x12' Uhaul trailer).
So the lug nuts appear to be a dead-end, or so it seems, could it be the axle that's at fault? Due to overloading? I don't think it was overloaded however.
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Kestas
Staff member
Wouldn't the caliper have kept the rotor in place? As said, there is a lot going on here.
The owner blames me saying he is not at fault and that I overloaded the vehicle.
So no long gouge in the pavement as the vehicle skidded to a stop on that side?
In the first post you said the truck was empty, pulling a light trailer that was also empty. Now it was full of wood? Presumably you unloaded it, then it failed some time later?
Did this have alloy or steel rims?
No.
I towed it full of firewood to a location. Unloaded it without issues. Checked it out, it was fine. Wheels still there.
On the way back, a good 2 hours later after I left, 2 hours of driving, when it was empty, that's when it happened. I noticed a bit of fishtailing but didn't realize there were issues at that point. I went back to the highway, looked for the wheel and it was not within several miles of where I stopped. Or so it seemed, maybe it jumped to the other side in the area where I came to a stop. Or maybe someone picked up the wheel and it was in the immediate area.
It's the 2003 Dodge 1500, whatever is standard on it. I have it sitting here, I can take a look at it.
Wait a minute. In the original post the trailer was empty.
This story gets better and better.
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