Hey all

A few months ago I replaced my steel wheels on the AU with some 16" alloy mags. About 2 weeks later, whilst driving along, there was an odd noise front passenger side. Luckily I stopped to find all the wheel nuts loose, 4 very, 1 just. Now, after cleaning my undies, I tightened them and off I went.

I thought it was my fault as it was the last wheel I swapped, it was a stinking hot day when I did them in the driveway, and I was stuffed at the end so assumed I hadn't tightened them properly - although it was 2 weeks earlier so was a bit surprised.

Due to this, I've been regularly checking all the nuts are tight on all 4 wheels, and they have been, HOWEVER, the other day I noticed one nut on the drivers side front was missing. What the f*ck is going on? The wheels (and I have to assume the nuts as well - which look like typical closed face, if thats what the are called, shiny wheel nuts designed for the mags) were off a BA Falcon.

Its only been the front, all the backs seem OK. 99% sure they haven't been tampered with.

Would really like to sort this out - its a bit of a worry driving the thing at the moment not knowing.

Thanks in advance.

Someone might be sabotaging your car....Where do you leave it parked of a night? Wheel nuts usually don't come loose by themselves so I'm thinking someone might have it in for you.

check the wheel hub spigot size---dia.and width,on hubs and wheels.the wheel fits on spigot and takes the car weight,the nuts hold the wheel and drive.loose nuts means the spigot is not there,and the holes are enlarging in the wheel.nuts may be wrong as well.

I somehow doubt sabotage. But anything is possible. I did have to take a statement of claim out to get some money from a customer (who could easily track my address through the phone book). BUT, I'm still working on the assumption thats its not sabotage.

Reasons being it started soon after the new mags (but also soon after I got my money I guess), but the other thing that makes me think something else is happening is that the guy I got them off had lock nuts, so could only supply me 4 nuts per wheel. Bob Janes (I think), gave him 4 others when he took them off - now these nuts fit fine, but I need to use a socket one size smaller (or larger, I can't remember) to get them on and off. Now if someone came up with a wheel brace, chances are he wouldn't get them off - a wheel brace won't fit in the wheel 'countersunk' hole, and the difference size required for both nuts.

I thought these odd nuts might have been causing the problem but the rears have never been even loose....

Ok, I've taken them off and measured and put them back on without nuts and there does not seem to be any movement in the wheel up and down. Bob Jane (they are RJR lightnings) say they should also be a direct fit.

Any other ideas?

Some ideas . . .

The fronts may be coming loose but not the rears because the fronts are subjected to more side loads that oscillate more often.

Was the missing nut one of the different nuts? One has to suspect the different nuts may have a different thread even though they seem fine. Maybe get some lock nuts for peace of mind.

Do the alloys have steel inserts for the nuts to tighten against?

Do you tighten the nuts sufficiently?

Are you adding lubricant anywhere?

Are the nuts for steel wheels or alloys?

Do you have hub spacers or adapters?

Even though it seemed they weren't moving, the 'spigot' obviously was a mm or 2 smaller as I have taken it to Bob Jane and they put on this rings. Although he claimed it shouldn't be the problem. He did say that since they were fairly new, that a couple of hundred k's can see them make their way loose - like a 'running in' period. All I can do is see how they go now. Thanks Hans for that suggestion, I've spoken to a few people and its never come up.

Relaxed_diplomacy, in answer to your questions anyway, the missing nut was one of the 'good' nuts. I did think of that.

Not sure what you mean by steel inserts in the alloys for the nuts to tighten against - sorry I'm a bit thick.

Yes, they were definately tight enough.

No lubricant.

The nuts are alloy nuts.

No spacers or adaptors (only the nylon ring now Bob Jane put on).

Thanks all for your assistance, I'm a bit more confident with the rings on that it will be solved and can drive not worrying too much about loosing a wheel.

I thought putting mags straight on designed for it would be something even I couldn't f*ck up. Obviously not. Shows there are so many little things that can cause big problems......

Thanks again

Last edited by falconboy on Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

you will probly find you wont hve the problem now with the rings fitted over the hubs. a lot of the cheaper wheel shops use those cause they get cheap rubbish wheels made as blanks and drill them to suit the indivdual customer

what the hell are these "ring" things u guys are talkin about?

Read here why you need them sometimes

http://www.autospeed.com.au/cms/A_2242/article.html

I've stumbled across a few articles on the internet by Julian Edgar. I like his enthusiasm and he gets some things right but too often there are mistakes. See if you can get him on here.

There are heaps of cars on the road that use the wheel nuts to centre the wheels and do not have balance problems. I have owned a number of them myself. Who here has heard of this "problem"?

I'd like to be convinced otherwise but to me these spigot adapters are mostly about making money. The material and freight cost is minor so they may be making almost as much out of these as they do a cheap set of rims!

I expect the ones made of alloy are clearly better, if one is to put them on, however these ones he put on are made of nylon/plastic, which I would have thought not great as they would get hot. However the guy seemed like a nice guy who seemed to know what he was doing. He was the manager - not that that means anything I guess.

To me it does make sense that having the weight on the wheel nuts can't be a good thing, and I guess the rings can't hurt, so I at least feel a bit more confident driving the thing. Time will tell I guess.

I might just stick to putting petrol in it - even the simple things I do turn to s**t.

The wheel nuts on AU's and BA's have to be done up a bit more tighter then on most cars. According to bulletins I've read at work, they can work themselves loose and it can even warp the discs when they're not done up sufficiently.

ha,ha, they knew they had a problem with the rims,had the solution under the table,and a good speel a***. whats your chances of having it fixed like that? 1 in ???????????????????????????? they knew all about it. buyer beware

a mate of mine bought some secondhand rims and lost a wheel on the freeway, apparently due to the fact that he was given aluminium nuts..! They worked themselves loose after a day of fitting them and he watched his front right wheel overtake him on the freeway as he ground to a halt from 100 kays surrounded by sparks.
Just bloody lucky he lives to tell the tale.
He also discovered that for exactly this reason apparently aluminium nuts are illegal..

can anyone correct me here?