oldrusty Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 We finally got our first real snow of the winter here on Friday night. Got up yesterday and put the old mache through her paces. I had been plowing snow all day and running all over the place with no problems other than what I thought was a front unit bearing that was getting tired. I was on my way back to the house when I watched my left front wheel leave me and cross the road as I continued down the road in a shower of sparks. :fs1: :fs1: What puzzles me is I have been driving this truck daily again since right after christmas. I can't believe if the wheel wasnt tight it would have waited this long to come off. It never shook or shuddered just came off. I can't believe if it was getting that loose I didnt feel it in the wheel. I got up this morning and tore her apart and other than a tweaked fender and a rotor that looks like a stop sign I have to say she took it pretty well.
kyleag89 Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 Wow that must have been scary! Glad your ok. What parts broke that caused the wheel to come off?
oldrusty Posted January 22, 2012 Author Posted January 22, 2012 Not sure exactly what went wrong. I had one broken wheel stud and the other 4 are fine but lugnuts are long gone. I have never lost a wheel on anything before and really am stumped as to what caused this. I must say the old mj is a real trooper. I had to drive it probably 1 and 1/2 miles on three wheels to find a place where I could get it off the road far enough to safely replace the wheel and tire......can't stop the old girl even on three wheels...lol
mvusse Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 I've done that while going 60mph on I-77. In my case the unit bearing separated, taking out the outer axle shaft and brakes in the process. Half the unit bearing and most of the rotor still attached to the wheel, brake caliper hanging by the hose, other half of the unit bearing still in the (bent) steering knuckle. When it landed, the bottom of the lower ball joint snapped off. I highly doubt yours is still okay. If you have aluminum wheels, the lug nuts need to be retorqued after 10 miles of driving and again after 100 miles. If you don't do that they will quite often loosen by themselves.
kyleag89 Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 I have seen a lot of Jeep lug nuts loosen by themselves. I have no idea what causes it but thats why I put a little extra torque on my wheels. Seems like this is the same problem with yours seeing as how the lugs are missing and nothing is visably broken.
Pete M Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 yup, sounds like 4 loosened themselves into oblivion and the 5th was snapped off. I'm assuming you tighten them properly (star pattern), then drive around the block a couple times, then re-torque?
AMCJeepMJ Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel... In all seriousness glad you were okay. I've caught loose lug nuts before after a winter tire changeover which had properly torqued lugs on aluminum wheels. Must be a common thing with these rigs. Never had a problem with my Ford or Buick's lugs loosening on their aluminum wheels, however. Or broken wheel studs for that matter. I've had broken studs on both my MJs.
mvusse Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 I arrived at Badlands Offroad park (after a 400 mile drive) with 5 loose lug nuts on my driver side front wheel. The hub cap was the only thing preventing them from completely coming off. When I finally figured out what the problem was, I tightened the ^&@#* out of them and in the process snapped off one of the studs. :fs1: Still wheeled on it all day Saturday and drove home 400 miles Sunday before I replaced that broken one.
oldrusty Posted January 24, 2012 Author Posted January 24, 2012 Well after driving the truck to work today I pulled it in the shop today after work and checked everything on the front end. Everything looks to be ok. I also rechecked all the rest of the lugs and they were all nice and tight. Obviously the offending wheel has to have worked loose I just have never had this happen to me before after driving that far. (kinda hard on the pride). The good news is that I never did get together with a fellow comanche club member that was wanting to buy my spare factory alloy to match the ones on my truck..... The wheel that I lost doesnt appear to be damaged but no sense taking chances when you have a spare.
mvusse Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 That was me, wasn't it? I believe I PMed you to let you know I didn't need it anymore as I sold the XJ I needed it for.
oldrusty Posted January 24, 2012 Author Posted January 24, 2012 yeah it was you...... no problem....you did pm me.....its just funny how things work out sometimes
Thunderbear Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel... In all seriousness glad you were okay. I've caught loose lug nuts before after a winter tire changeover which had properly torqued lugs on aluminum wheels. Must be a common thing with these rigs. Never had a problem with my Ford or Buick's lugs loosening on their aluminum wheels, however. Or broken wheel studs for that matter. I've had broken studs on both my MJs. :clapping: :rotf: Nice. I had it happen on my TJ. Rolled on the rear drum, broke the fender flare, but she's still truckin.
carnuck Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 Don't put it past some mentally defective environazis or Chaos loosening or removing the other 4. Had that happen while i was in a restaurant.
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