Wheel nuts losening

Is it possible for wheel nuts to become undone even though they have been torqued up to manufacture spec ?

My left wheel just keeps coming lose noticeably with a rumbling, I pull over and the wheels nuts are all finger tight.

Could it be a problem in the wheel nut threads ? possibly a new hub or perhaps new bolts first ?

Is a weird problem this one, I've heard of this problem on Mercedes vehicles and audis, but not on a vw golf ... but I'm no uthority on it though.

Reply to
Pete
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Yes it is possible but unlikely unless the nuts , threads or both have been damaged at some time .

One of the causes is extreme overtightening stretches the bolts damages the threads

Reply to
steve robinson

Check the bolts against one from another wheel. The bolt seating face should be matched to the wheel, and make sure there's no grease/copperease on the seating as well.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

Has it happened once or does it keep happening?

Is the manufacturer spec in lbsFt and they have been done up in Nm and they're not tight enough?

If the spec is Nm and they've been torqued in lbsFt they've been overtightened the bolts may be stretching?

There may be something between the hub/wheel which compresses after initial tightening? Perhaps you could wire-brush both faces?

Inspect the threads of the studs with the wheel off and of the nuts, it's possible they are buggered.

Are the correct type of wheel nuts fitted? Steel wheels often use a fitting with a different taper/collar to alloys.

It's fairly normal for manufacturers to reccommend re-torquing after a set mileage as they don't only go loose on Mercedes and Audis.

Reply to
Douglas Payne

does it have original wheels with the correct bolts or nuts? are there any wheel spacers, is anything damaged? Correctly tightened parts of the right type are very unlikely to come undone.

I have seen this happening when there are wrong bits fitted or wrong torque applied, such as 102mm wheels on 100 stud pitch hubs or similar fault with a wheel where the centre hole is wrong for the vehicle. Also, severe overtightening of steel wheels could cause it, I had that on a trailer with austin cambridge wheels, the wheel design was too weak for the use and overtightening squashed the conical bit that the nut fits into, they loosened after quite a short time. It also used to happen on Hillman imp steel wheels, they had an uncommon taper angle and if you used wheel nuts off something else, they did not mate properly and undid very soon.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Or dirt on any of it. It's one of those things you always recheck after the 1st time it happens to you.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Pete" saying something like:

Yes, especially if you've pissed off a neighbour.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

Do you live near the OP?

Reply to
Douglas Payne

Are they the original wheels and nuts?

Only found this happening with incorrect matching parts. That was a merc with different model wheels.

Secondly if for some reason the seats or nuts were damaged at some stage when the wheel had been incorrectly tightened. Then you may have to replace the damage.

More technical info later.

Reply to
Rob

From the VW/Audi techo

From what you have described, by now the centre of the wheel has been damaged.

He usually lubricates the threads before they are inserted then tightens the studs up to 120Nms, this ensures that the threads don't bind in the holes when torque is applied.

If the wheel has come loose you may have a damaged wheel centre spigot hole. The wheels are supported off the centre spigot. Also you can check if there is any slop before the studs are inserted.

Are they genuine wheels? Aftermarket may not fit the spigot correctly?

Reply to
Rob
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Possibly worth swapping the wheel with the other one on the same side to see if the fault is the wheel or the hub.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

He also said that you can have a warped flange. The wheel may not be sitting flat on the surfaces. This is due to over tightening of the wheel nuts at some stage, which seems a problem with VW's. (do you get any brake shudder which indicate a warped hub/rotor.) So in removing the wheel and replace it in another position, it sits on the high spots.

I would be a bit hesitant with swapping in case you bugger another rim. (which is most likely what has resulted at this stage.)

r
Reply to
Rob

This is known to happen on caravans from time to time. Its always the nearside wheel (due to the laws of physics). Indeed some cars used to have left hand threads on the nearside for just this reason.

I'd replace both the bolts and the nuts.

Reply to
TTT

Daft question maybe, but has the wheel hub been painted ?

Reply to
krak

very sensible question, painting bits like that does not occur so much nowadays, but could happen and as the paint disintegrates under pressure could reduce the tightness. maybe that was one of the original reasons that wheel nut tightness is a service item.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

No nuts - the studs go into the threaded hub on the VW Golf.

Reply to
Rob

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