Almost Lost My Rear Wheel Today

[Troybilt]

So as some of you know my wife lady took my truck on a road trip to Kansas. About a 2,000 mile round trip. Right before she left I had the dealer do a oil change and rotate the tires. She came home a day earlier than expected so I took my truck to work this morning. As I drove down the road I could hear a slight clunking noise and I was only getting 13MPG. The noise got worse the longer I drove. When I got home from work I pulled the center cap off of my rear passenger and noticed that a lug nut was not sitting centered in the hole.

I rocked the wheel back and forth and could hear the clunking sound and see that the wheel was loose. I then jacked it up and the wheel was as loose as a 10 year olds tooth. It is sitting at my mechanics shop to be looked at in the morning. I hope he can diagnose the problem.

The wheels are off of my JK and the dealer swapped them out for me when I picked up my truck and tradded in my JK. They had to go to NAPA and pick up some lug nuts I guess the factory nuts would not fit with the wheels. They also mentioned that the hub size of the JT is a bit smaller than the JK.

I put 5,600 miles on the truck before my oil change and tire rotation with no issues. Do you think it was the dealers fault with installation of the wheel or that the wheels are the wrong size for the JT? Either way I am glad my wife lady is home safe

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[arosen1997]

So as some of you know my wife lady took my truck on a road trip to Kansas. About a 2,000 mile round trip. Right before she left I had the dealer do a oil change and rotate the tires. She came home a day earlier than expected so I took my truck to work this morning. As I drove down the road I could hear a slight clunking noise and I was only getting 13MPG. The noise got worse the longer I drove. When I got home from work I pulled the center cap off of my rear passenger and noticed that a lug nut was not sitting centered in the hole.

I rocked the wheel back and forth and could hear the clunking sound and see that the wheel was loose. I then jacked it up and the wheel was as loose as a 10 year olds tooth. It is sitting at my mechanics shop to be looked at in the morning. I hope he can diagnose the problem.

The wheels are off of my JK and the dealer swapped them out for me when I picked up my truck and tradded in my JK. They had to go to NAPA and pick up some lug nuts I guess the factory nuts would not fit with the wheels. They also mentioned that the hub size of the JT is a bit smaller than the JK.

I put 5,600 miles on the truck before my oil change and tire rotation with no issues. Do you think it was the dealers fault with installation of the wheel or that the wheels are the wrong size for the JT? Either way I am glad my wife lady is home safe

Sounds like someone didn't torque the lug nuts when they rotated the tires at the dealership op, I'd check all your wheels with a no shit torque wrench to see what's up.

 

[Troybilt]

Sounds like someone didn't torque the lug nuts when they rotated the tires at the dealership op, I'd check all your wheels with a no shit torque wrench to see what's up.

That is why I dropped it off to a mechanic I can trust. I want him to look it over for any damage to the wheel or the studs and then diagnose what happened. I am not going to point fingers yet but I may be waving my last 3 Jeep Wave oil changes.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Sounds like someone didn't torque the lug nuts when they rotated the tires at the dealership op, I'd check all your wheels with a no shit torque wrench to see what's up.

Easy to tell if the wheel isn't correct - but my bet is with arosen - someone didn't finish the job. Wheels should be torqued.

 

[MarineHawk]

For the first few decades of my life, I rotated my own tires by hand with just a cross-bar lug wrench. A year ago, I did that with my H3. A week or so later, I heard the same noise; pulled off the cap, and there were three of five lug nuts on one tire with the broken off lugs in them. Apparently, I over-torqued the nuts on that wheel. Apparently the temperature dropped, and the lugs contracted causing them to break off. I won't mess with my wheels any more until and unless I have an appropriate torque wrench.

 

[arosen1997]

For the first few decades of my life, I rotated my own tires by hand with just a cross-bar lug wrench. A year ago, I did that with my H3. A week or so later, I heard the same noise; pulled off the cap, and there were three of five lug nuts on one tire with the broken off lugs in them. Apparently, I over-torqued the nuts on that wheel. Apparently the temperature dropped, and the lugs contracted causing them to break off. I won't mess with my wheels any more until and unless I have an appropriate torque wrench.

A decent torque wrench is a solid investment and I would recommend getting one and the appropriate 6 point socket for your lugs. Doesn't have to be a crazy nice snap on one, as long as you're within 5-10% which even the cheap ones will usually do, you'll be fine

 

[ShadowsPapa]

For the first few decades of my life, I rotated my own tires by hand with just a cross-bar lug wrench. A year ago, I did that with my H3. A week or so later, I heard the same noise; pulled off the cap, and there were three of five lug nuts on one tire with the broken off lugs in them. Apparently, I over-torqued the nuts on that wheel. Apparently the temperature dropped, and the lugs contracted causing them to break off. I won't mess with my wheels any more until and unless I have an appropriate torque wrench.

Hey, I know - that sounds like my life but I never had a broken lug or lost a wheel - it's just I decided I'd seen enough........

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have so many sockets they won't all fit in my tool chests.
I have a quarter inch drive, 2 half inch drive and 2 three-eighths inch drive. Come to think if it I may have 3 half-inch drive torque wrenches.
Engine and transmission building, differential rebuilds, they are absolutely necessary.

(these are about half of the sockets I have....)

 

[Troybilt]

I have so many sockets they won't all fit in my tool chests.
I have a quarter inch drive, 2 half inch drive and 2 three-eighths inch drive. Come to think if it I may have 3 half-inch drive torque wrenches.
Engine and transmission building, differential rebuilds, they are absolutely necessary.

(these are about half of the sockets I have....)

Are you bragging or confessing to your vice

 

[Hootbro]

Dealer messed up torquing them. 2K miles later and non standard wheels and lug nuts to begin with, good luck getting them to fess to it or take care of it. FCA is also not going to touch the issue with a 10 foot pole.

 

[Troybilt]

Dealer messed up torquing them. 2K miles later and non standard wheels and lug nuts to begin with, good luck getting them to fess to it or take care of it. FCA is also not going to touch the issue with a 10 foot pole.

I agree that the dealership will be no help. I have no plans of fighting with them about it. I will just pass on my 3 free oil changes and not deal with the shop part of the dealership again.

 

[ZTMAN]

That is why I dropped it off to a mechanic I can trust. I want him to look it over for any damage to the wheel or the studs and then diagnose what happened. I am not going to point fingers yet but I may be waving my last 3 Jeep Wave oil changes.

Did your wife notice the sound on her road trip???

 

[TrailHiker]

You can get the free WAVE program oil changes done at any dealership. As for the tire issue, I had the same thing when I got some new tires at a Sears Center, got one mile out of town, about five miles total, and lost a wheel. Needless to say Sears fixed all the damage, but I lost a day in my trip. I would notify the dealership shop what had happened. Factory wheels or not, they should have been remounted properly.
Cheers

 

[Troybilt]

Did your wife notice the sound on her road trip???

No. She was listing to music and a book. It was also not very noticeable at speeds above 25MPH and her trip was mostly highway.

 

[ZTMAN]

Glad the wheel did not fly off on her road trip

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