Just a friendly reminder to check your lug nut torque

[Daschicken]

I was out on a ride with my dad, heading 200 miles up to north carolina to get the title for the new-to-us SV650S notarized(because bureaucracy) when we were stopped at a stoplight on the highway. I looked over at the truck next to me and noticed all 8(or 10) lug nuts on one of the trailer's wheels were about an inch away from the wheel. Wait..what? At first I almost brushed it off, it almost looked like it was meant to be, but then I saw that the lug nut seating holes were mangled. That was all I needed to see to confirm my fears, so I rode up to the guy's window and told him his wheel was about to fall off! His initial reaction was quite appropriate if I do say so myself.

"Holy ****."



So pretty much I just prevented a potential wheel off. I hope the driver would feel the wheel rocking around on the studs before it actually came off, but the trailer was pretty far back, and it wasn't a small truck, but it also wasn't a semi either. So it wasn't a 200 pound 22.5" wheel ready to come off, but it was a fairly heavy duty looking wheel, at least a 235/80/16, plenty to do some sizeable damage or worse if it jumps.

Its bad enough that our drivers are practically trying to kill each other, now our vehicles are trying to do the same! Maintain your stuff!

This is what I saw except less severe, which convinced me to go tell the driver.



Oh yeah, I got to ride the SV650S, it reminds me of a 450cc dirt bike. Lots of power, thumpy power delivery and sound, and nice tall-ish gearing. I will get a better feel for it when I actually take it out of the neighborhood, but really liking it so far. Baby viff might be getting the boot and another SV650 could take its place. Someone else needs to give that bike some love, the CBR 250R has mine, and that vfr with its carb problems among other things is just turning me off to it.

[oil pan 4]

On the other end of that spectrum i had some friends break a 4 way lug wrench the other day when they had a flat at the grocery store.
The stupid tire shops just spin them on with an impact.

I always bring only the tires to the tire shop any time possible. Then put them on my self with a torque wrench.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

The stupid tire shops just spin them on with an impact.

Well, you hope they spin them on somehow. I recall one shop that didn't bother to put the lug nuts on my truck.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Having fully tightened lug nuts also helps with fuel economy. On my trip to Virginia at one point I noticed my fuel economy dropping, so I pulled over and tightened 15 of the 16 lug nuts a quarter to half turn each. Fuel economy jumped right back up after that.

[MetroMPG]

My sister-in-law once picked her car up from the dealership after some brake work.


"It's making a new funny noise. Will you take it for a drive?"


Sure!



And within 50 feet there was no need to guess what the mechanic forgot to tighten. Both front wheels were rattling around on the studs. Well, not quite. But the nuts were only finger tight.