Wheel bolts loose!

[TMB]

Think I might have mine welded in place... that should stop the buggars coming out right?!

 

[hutchysrs50]

Depends if you use lock tight on them before welding them.

[Phil-E]

Depends if you use lock tight on them before welding them.

 

Oh god... why didn't I think of that. Double secure!

[indars]

Check seats in disc where bolt's sphere (or taper) contacts disc.

Trick is that disc secures ONLY on FRICTION between bolt's sphere (taper) and disc.

And if everything looks ok then 120Nm (+few Nm to be sure ;-) should be enough.

Accordingly, NO grease on sphere / taper of bolt- just a lil' lil' bit on beginning of thread.

 

But to be honest, smear on thread will lead to overtightening of bolt- that's for sure (120Nm- "click!" on tool- but in reality bolt will be lil' bit overtightened).

 

During last 7 years have done my wheels with factory reccomended 120Nm for sphere bolts (OEM metal discs for winter) and same for taper bolts (aftermarket alloys for summer)- and never had undertightened / overtightened wheels...

[Gizmo]

Your solution is ???

Quite simple really:

Make sure the bolt threads are clean and rust free

Torque the bolts up to the recommended torque.

[viewer]

Indars is right - no grease on bolts. For a long time I didn't bother with this forum as some....insisted, that although VAG are clear about it, he was going to use lube on all his bolts.

Important that all threads are clean; with a bit of sand in there it will be tight until the sand become dust.

Tighten across wheel as otherwise can be slightly out and tighten up hard only to move into position on the road leaving loose bolts

I always check after 100 miles; usually all tight, but only once  found one wheel in need of a tweek.

Lorry wheels? - I once had one bounce right over me. It was a 30mph road in Warrington early morning; hate to think of the results on a faster road or when the road was busy.

[ricardo_smooth]

2 pages of debate in how to tighten wheel bolts with a mechanic who started the thread! Clean bolts and threads, tighten in opposites (like a cross pattern) to proper torque and re check 100 miles later as is suggested above (much later than I would expect on this thread!)

Edited 15 April, 2014 by ricardo_smooth

[danny6189]

Think I'm going to check my nuts...... Got my coat left yesterday.....

[giandougl]

A small amount of grease and the correct torque setting.

That's a great idea never would have thought of that, adding grease and torque up the wheel nuts.

UM!! didn't the fella say he did torque the wheel nuts, and they worked loose, (didn't mention grease), and your saying put grease onto bolts..hmmm!!! got to think about that one..LOL

[danny6189]

I always use a dab of copper grease. Never had mine work loose

[TMB]

Jesus what a lot of fuss about nowt. Never had wheel bolts/nuts come loose in 30+ years of driving.

[hutchysrs50]

He forgot to mention his torque wrench is 25 year old and never been calibrated.

[VWD]

Jesus what a lot of fuss about nowt. Never had wheel bolts/nuts come loose in 30+ years of driving.

Nor have I in 48 years of driving. Till last year I fitted new tyres to my car on alloys. I checked 100 miles on and found loose nuts, so went out with my cheap torque wrench and tightened. To date no loose nuts ( except, perhaps driver).

[PeterM]

Hi guys. This is getting interesting!

No lubricant on the bolts, torqued to 120 with a calibrated wrench.

Actually my original reason for posting was not how to tighten wheel bolts, I've managed that successfully since the mid eighties! My question was after 1400 miles has anyone suddenly had a wheel loosen? How can it be fine for such a high mileage and amount of varied driving and then loosen?!

No reason to suspect anything malicious, plastic covers still in place etc..

[giandougl]

Quite simple really:

Make sure the bolt threads are clean and rust free

Torque the bolts up to the recommended torque.

Just like the mechanic did then??

[fordfan]

We had to do a ball joint on the front of a Mercedes, we couldn't get the wheel nuts undone, we tried impact air guns, a breaker bar with a scaffold pole over it and a 20 stone mechanic hanging off the end of it.  We ended up doing the job without removing the wheel.  If only I had found out who put the wheel on I could point him in your direction.

[hutchysrs50]

I wouldn't worry fordfan, his methods would still be wrong to some certain fannys on this thread.

[rwbaldwin]

...My question was after 1400 miles has anyone suddenly had a wheel loosen? How can it be fine for such a high mileage and amount of varied driving and then loosen?!...

I refer you back to post #14.

The last time I saw this, it was on a Golf Mk4 that had done 650 miles before the bolts came loose. When the disk was removed, there was a big patch of 'rust dust' that would have started out as flakes (probably from corroded disk guards).

Sometimes the flake has a sliver of metal in it and it often ends up embedded in the face of the hub.

[PeterM]

Rwbaldwin-I hear you. But discs are brand new, it's one of the reasons the wheel was off at the time! When it came loose I looked for something like that: dirt etc.. Nothing there.......

[rwbaldwin]

Rwbaldwin-I hear you. But discs are brand new, it's one of the reasons the wheel was off at the time! When it came loose I looked for something like that: dirt etc.. Nothing there.......

Did you look behind the disk?

If there is no trace of anything, I'd replace that set of wheel bolts as a precaution.

[Tech1e]

I refer you back to post #14.

The last time I saw this, it was on a Golf Mk4 that had done 650 miles before the bolts came loose. When the disk was removed, there was a big patch of 'rust dust' that would have started out as flakes (probably from corroded disk guards).

Sometimes the flake has a sliver of metal in it and it often ends up embedded in the face of the hub.

 

3B Passats and MK1 Superbs have been known to do this as there are no disc retaining screws on them. If the disc drops a touch when the wheel is removed the wheel can be tightened with the disc on the ****. You go u the road and the disc shifts and the bolts come loose. Seen it happen a few times.

[Guest BigJase88]

I thought you were ment to throw the disc retaining screws in the bin