Just had one of thoughs hoildays that you want to forget! for once I couldnt blame the waether which was perfect!

It all started on the way to Norfolk, a young female driver ( got to be PC as I'd like to say something stronger) got in to the wrong lane on an roundabout and decided to leave at the same junction as me, in fairness she was positioned behind my car but unfortunately not behind my caravan thus rubbing down the side on my new pride and joy that me and the wife only picked up 3 weeks ago, fortunately the van came of lighly as its made with a new fibreglass/plastic side wall that her car bounced of but she didnt miss the bottom door hindge which did a fair bit of damage to her car, shame!

Now to the point of my article, On the way back about 40 miles from home we started to notice a rythmic knocking noice that was the same at a constant speed which ever gear I was in, Stopped had a look couldnt find anything, Carried on and it got louder but did notice that when accelerating or braking it wasnt as bad as when coasting, having two small children we had to stop for several pee breaks each time I checked the car and couldnt find anything, the more we drove the louder it got and I slowly convinced myself I had a drive shaft or CV joint problem because of the fact it was louder when not loaded. When we got back to near home we had to do about 10 miles on 30mph street with a stop of a the caravan doctors and the noice only got louder and louder till at one point about 2 miles from home ther was an unmighty knock and the world nearly fell ouy of mine and my wifes arses (although you get the universe up my wifes arse:P, dont tell her i said that:thumbup:) bearing in mind all this way we had been towing a caravan and yes I know the sensible thing to do would have been to stop and call the AA but we soldiered on and limped home, when I finally got the caravan on the drive I had a look at the car and to my disbeleif 2 wheel nuts were missing from the NS wheel and the other 3 were rearly loose, Felt rearly angry with myself for not noticing this earlier then my anger turned to a small tyre company that had fitted 4 new tyres for me 3 weeks ago, Rang them up and they were as shocked as me as I had covered 700 miles since due to my holiday, they had the car in and checked everything over, they could only contibrute it to corrosion that had previously bulit up behind the wheel had worked clear after the wheel hand been refitted and torqued (this I witnessed them do the first time as as an Enginneer I'm a stickler for it being done) thus causing it to come loose, they were very appolgettic and gave me a free set of locking wheel nuts to at least replace the ones I had lost.

The morale of my story is, apparently German wheels are renowned for being susseptable to corrosion, BMW worst VW/Audi next, when ever going on a long trip or not long after having new tryes fitted always periodically check your nuts!!!!!

(yes i know there bolts but it does sound as good!)

What can also happen on the Superb (has happened to me on a Passat) is the brake disc isnt secured with a screw to the hub. When you take a wheel off the disc is loose.This then slips off its mounting on the hub. The wheel goes back on with the disc not sat properly. The wheel will torque up fine and be ok for a while, but when that disc moves back into place the wheel sits on a bit further and the nuts come loose. Really annoying as the tech has done everything right, wheel nuts are tight to 120nm etc. Led to a written warning for me and a worried customer. :(

all work vehciles have to have their nuts checked after so many miles as per company policy.

I have 3 kids that I know of. My nuts are fine, thanks.....

Bas

Cheers for that tale Ross. I will now jump on anyone who insists that disc locating screws are only a convenience for the factory in future.

Good old VAG bean counters division. Do they give a toss about safety or are they just so thick they didn't think of it?

rotodiesel.

Thanks for the info , please use paragraphs my head hurts

I will ask my wife later to check mine....................