The phone call goes like this: "Honey, I was driving to work today and the steering wheel was shaking in the MINI."

Hmmm, no problem I say, probably lost a wheel weight or something. Be sure the tires look like they are full of air.

"Ok Dear, love you."

...............

Later that day comes a second phone call: "Honey, the steering wheel is still vibrating and now I think I hear some scraping or thunking noises coming from somewhere."

Hmmm. Is the Tire Pressure Sensor On? "No". Walk around the car and be sure all the tires, especially the fronts are ok. "They looked ok before I started driving."

I am immediately thinking to myself that she should stop, pull over and do some serious checking. I am running all the scenarios in my head and I think I know what the problem is but it's dark, cold and rainy out and I am pretty sure she is not going to be a cooporative mechanic.

Where are you dear? "Well, I am on the highway...( oh great ) and just a couple miles from home."

OK, come home. Be careful. Drive slow.

.......................

I meet her at home and immediately run into the garage and throw the MINI up on the lift. My hunch was right.

There were only two lug nuts on the left front wheel and the two remaining were backed out about 1/4 of the way.

I had taken off the summer hi-perfromance wheels/tires last weekend and put the stock all seasons in prep for winter. I had semi-tightened the lugs on all the wheels (Milwaukee cordless wrench with 80 pound torque stick) and when I brought the car back off the lift neglected to do my final torque to 90 pounds with my torque wrench. DAMN! First time for that!

So for now I have installed a couple "emergency" lugs until I get to the dealer for replacements. The wheel looks ok.

...................................

Car is fixed, dear.

"Thank's, honey. What was it?"

Oh........nothing.

 

Man, that is scary

I'm gald you got it fixed so she/you did not get hurt. Good call on the "Oh nothing":smile:

 

Wow, I'm glad nothing bad happened and your wife is OK. I am going to go check my lugs now...

 

Always double check your torque jobs. I usually throw my torque wrench in the boot, drive a couple of miles, park, retorque to 90 Lb. then go home and clean up the garage. That was scary. Give your wife a NICE x-mas gift. She deserves it for being your "test pilot".

 

I was always told to triple check on big things such as wheels and suspension. Its better to be safe then sorry. Glad your wife is ok

 

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!

Glad wifey is okay! And thanks for sharing...it may really save/help someone else! I know I'll be checking the tires this morning! :smile:


Clover

 

what is a good and cheap cordless impact wrench?

 

That is really scary!

I know the feeling, but when it happened to me it was the dealer's fault. About a month ago, my hubby's Evo was in the shop and he was out of town, so I went to pick it up. About half way home I started getting alot of vibration in the steering wheel to the point that when I got got home I thought "I'm going to check the torque" On the front passenger side wheel 3 of the lugs fell off when I touched them and the other 2 weren't finger tight! So, I think to myself "I'm just happy I made it home"

2 days later I was getting on the expressway in it revving to high RPM and in full boost when I hear a loud pop and the engine dies. Fortunately, I was able to get to the side of the road. The air intake hose had popped off b/c they hadn't tightened it back down! 2 nights ago a girl from the dealership called to ask if I was satisfied with my service experience. All she could say when I told her was "Oh, I let my manager know, that's not good"

Sorry to highjack the thread a bit, but the point is that know I really make sure that everything is tightened down as best as it can be!

 

Next time send her on a longer trip.

Scott Peterson

Seriously, I'm glad she was not on a longer trip. I worked at Sears in the auto center YEARS ago and some "mechanic"/tire changer did not tighten up the lugnuts and a lady lost her tire. Of course Sears ended up paying for her four new tires

Earl

 

well, I wouldn't be laughing if something did happen, but I've done that once myself. I always re-torque after about 5miles after changing wheels
so it wasn't to the point the lugs were that loose, but I looked at myself
like oh boy....

 

Good end to a bad beginning. I must admit when I read the title to your Thread that I thought you were going to kill you're wife for breaking the car. It took a little while to sink in what was really going on.

On to MyPocketRocket's question -- cheap and good should not be used in the same sentence. I've been looking for one under $100. Nothing. Hwever BradB mentioned it in the first thread. Milwaukee makes one that will do up to 200 foot pounds (or is it pounds feet?), but costs under $300.

It's on my Santa list.

HunterBoss

 

Wowza! I'm SO glad your wife is okay......it's probably a good thing she didn't know what was happening at the time......

Chow!

Donna

 

I always double check everything...I just got distracted, I guess. (keep kicking myself).

While up on the lift I give the lugs a pre-tightening with a torque stick on the end of my impact wrench. It is set so it doesn't go over 80 foot pounds of torque. (You don't want to overtighten and damage threads either.)

Then as I said, I forgot to take the last step of using my torque wrench and bringing the torque up to 90lbs, where I keep it normally.

It's amazing what a difference 10-12 foot pounds of pressure can make. My point is....everyone should use a torque wrench when playing mechanic! Doing things "by feel" can be very dangerous!

 

I did a similar thing, but I did it to mySELF...and....I lost the wheel! I knew there was a sound coming from the front end....

I was on the way to pick up my MOM, and there's this noise...I detour to a muffler shop I'm familiar with...we put the car on the lift, push on stuff, I tell him I thought it was from the left front near the wheel...don't find anything..(don't remove the hubcab, either...)
the guy gets in the car with me and he's convinced its from the right front since the noise appears when we turn towards the right...and it DID sound like that, so I'm confused

I continue on towards my mom's (surface streets) planning to stop into a tire/suspension place I know on the way...suddenly the noise gets louder, then its BAD...I'm in the right hand lane of a 6 lane busy street, and turn into a restaurant parking lot...as I turn in, I see my left front wheel continue on straight down the road....it just went and went and went...

my car had turned with the left front riding on ONE bolt on the bottom of the ?rotor, (I don't remember, wish I'd taken pictures) but it was
and then I realized WHEW, I'm ok, no one else is hurt, the car is essentially ok RELIEF:smile: it all worked out ok..
(and my MOM, who would have been totally freaked out and driven in the MINI again, wasn't in it yet-long exhale)

long story, happy ending--and lesson learned, I could have TOTALLY avoided it....

So Brad, you are not alone...sorry you're not in better company

 

THANK THE HEAVENS THAT SHE'S OKAY

 

That's one way too keep the wife from driving the MINI...
"Take the other car - last time you drove the wheels off this thing!"

Glad to hear all ended ok. Be sure to check all the mating surfaces!
I'd be surprised that they wouldn't hold at 80ft-lbs, though - you sure you didn't just hand tighten those? Juice run low on the cordless wrench?

 

I don't.

 

Even at 88-90lbs, you should still retorque it after a few miles just

to be on the safe side.

 

, I would write a long response but I have to check go to the garage to retorque my winter wheels.


Nice