Slight auto accident

[Forever_frost]

Coming home tonight I had a slight incident. I took the Dakota out for a trip to Quinlan and back, about 80 miles each way. She ran great the whole way and I was excited. I was coming through the S curves by my house and I felt a slight twitch in the steering and then it went away. About a second later I noticed my wheel rolling down the street.

Without me.

I pulled the truck into the ditch to try to save the hub but discovered the only wheel with both traction and braking power was dragging me towards a barbed wire fence. It stopped about 5 feet short. I was mostly upset about my tea being spilled in my floorboard so I had to clean that up and then go chase my wheel from the side of the road about 100 feet away. No big deal. The wheel is trashed and is pouring air from the gouges in the rim where the hub bounced before it came off.

I took my time walking home in the dark and was offered a ride about half a dozen times by people who saw the truck nose down in the ditch. I just thought I'd share. I walked home, whistling and singing praises to God because honestly? It could have been on the 2 mile bridge where the options are water or oncoming traffic, or on the highway where I was doing 70. Instead, I wound up with soft dirt, a mile from the house and my mom reminded me that I pay for AAA so towing it home will be free.

Pictures will come tomorrow.

[jw33]

Didn't you just get new tires on that thing?

[Forever_frost]

Yes but I put them on. It wasn't legal or capable of being moved when I got the tires. Seems the ones I put on last, by tire iron, weren't on good enough and backed off at some point.

[svauto-erotic855]

Glad that you were not hurt.

I read a book years ago about how to prep a race car and one thing that stood out and something that I have always followed is to use a torque wrench on every single fastener and tighten it to its full value even if you are going to take it apart in a few minutes.

[Forever_frost]

Well, I put the lugs on with a tire iron and the iron bent while I was putting them on. I thought I had it tight and was going to recheck them when I got home. Well, the truck is in a ditch and I'm perfectly fine. So, let's check the scoreboard:

Shot in the head
Hit by a semi
Wheel came off the truck and put me in a ditch.

God has a sense of humor.

[Chili]

You either have great luck or shitty luck, depending on how you look at it.

[dsrtuckteezy]

Well, I put the lugs on with a tire iron and the iron bent while I was putting them on. I thought I had it tight and was going to recheck them when I got home. Well, the truck is in a ditch and I'm perfectly fine. So, let's check the scoreboard:

Shot in the head
Hit by a semi
Wheel came off the truck and put me in a ditch.

God has a sense of humor.

damn, seems unlikely the lug nuts would back off if they were that snug, report back after you see the damage in the daylight, maybe broken studs, etc..

[JC316]

damn, seems unlikely the lug nuts would back off if they were that snug, report back after you see the damage in the daylight, maybe broken studs, etc..

Could be the wrong lug nuts too. I know my K2500 has special lugs that are tapered properly, otherwise they would loosen off. I nearly had the same thing happen the day I bought that truck, front tire had 2 of 8 lug nuts left.

[JC316]

Oh and totally relevant

[soap]

About 5-6 years ago on my 03GT, I was doing 70MPH on the freeway when the front end started acting loose. So as Exit the off ramp and turn into a parking lot the steering fleet really bad. Like I was driving on ice! I get out to check expected a flat tire. But to my surprise the right tie-Rod came completely off. So I got really lucky it didn't come off on the freeway.

[kingjason]

"NSWF" Language

[BlackGT]

Aluminum wheels?

Even if you get the lug nuts super tight, it's recommended you re-torque them after 25-50 miles...

Glad you are ok and the damage isn't worse.

[LANTIRN]

This is exactly why I have always hated removing wheels for any reason. I am always worried about this exact thing happening. Glad you are ok, and yes, someone up there seems to like fucking with you.

[Scott Mc]

Stop asking Jesus to take the wheel!


Glad you are ok man.

[Forever_frost]

damn, seems unlikely the lug nuts would back off if they were that snug, report back after you see the damage in the daylight, maybe broken studs, etc..

Up near where the lugnuts would sit with the wheel on, the threads are flattened but everything in front of and behind that point are fine. They are flattened on the top and bottom but nothing other than the studs look hurt. I have a wrecker on the way to bring it home because it's buried in mud and I can't get a jack under the frame.