Hey Vern, you remember to torque those lugnuts?

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

http://www.teamjamoto.com/dixeregionpage.htm#v8301600

clinehall · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:40 am

That gave me a sick feeling in my stomach.

Rick Butters · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:37 am

Let someone else torque your lugnuts? I don't think so.

Vern Geddings · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:28 pm

Why is it always Vern's fault?

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:35 pm

Unreal. Obviously he put them on finger tight and never touched them with anything else. And even then, I *still* can't believe all four came off basically at once. Astounding.

Another reason why I like my cordless impact. It's not so strong that you can over-tighten things to the point of hurting wheels, but I rarely have to give more than a quarter turn with the torque wrench, either. I try like the dickens to not forget to torque, but if I did I have confidence I could go a long way without issue.

--Donnie

David Teague · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:40 pm

There's actually some pictires on rr-ax.com of the threads and most them are unharmed which has to lead to some speculation that the lugs where the wrong thread/pitch.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:59 pm

Donnie Barnes wrote:

And even then, I *still* can't believe all four came off basically at once. Astounding.

Same here.

JamesFeinberg · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:23 pm

It looks to me like he just drove the wheels off the thing-- isn't that what we are all trying to do? I don't see the issue... :whoknows:

Jim

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:21 pm

JamesFeinberg wrote:

It looks to me like he just drove the wheels off the thing-- isn't that what we are all trying to do? I don't see the issue... :whoknows:

If that were possible, you'd be going through a lot more fenders.

--Donnie

JamesFeinberg · **Posted:** Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:59 pm

I actually did forget to torque one wheel earlier in the year at a NASA event. Somebody came up to me while I was torquing the lugs, we started chatting and poof, I forgot to torque the right front. I did 14(!) runs in one heat (low turnout) and when I returned to my pits and started removing the wheels, I discovered that the right front lugs were only hand-tight at that point.

Like Donnie, I use a battery-powered impact gun to tighten the lugs and it is only rated at 85ft-lbs on a full charge. The battery was running a little low but it still managed to torque them enough to get me through the heat. It only takes a minimal effort from a torque wrench after hitting it with the gun so it's definitely added security if you are forgetful or get distracted easily.

Look! Shiny object! Um, what was I talking about again?

Strangely enough, my trusty 15-year-old Craftsman torque wrench bit the dust in Huntsville along with discovering that my similarly aged air gauge was toast. Not a good weekend for tools...

Jim

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

I recall a wheel coming off a car at Laurinburg once. The driver had torqued the lug nuts to spec, but the (new to him) wheels he was using only allowed the nuts to engage a couple of threads. The wheel came off on the front right as he started a left hander in the P, and jammed in the wheelwell, denting the back of the fender lip.

Vern Geddings · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:36 pm

Did anyone notice that he pulled the parking brake after he stopped. :lol:

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:45 pm

I saw a Lotus Europa many years ago shed both rear wheels in the first corner. He was (trying) to run slicks and needed spacers . . . so the guy used washers as spacers. Combine washers with only a few threads engaged and instant loss of wheels. He actually got lucky. The car didn't roll over and it didn't appear to damage the fiberglass.

Shortly afterwards the local autocross rules began requiring a "thread engagement check" as part of tech inspection!!! (min engagement equals lug stud OD).

I dismounted two GY cantilever slicks at Peru (in a practice event) in a corner. They were freshly mounted and after a couple of really hard runs first one and then the other lost all air (right turn dismounted the left tire, resulting spin dismounted the other). Fortunately the wide cantilever tires on narrow rims served as effective rim protectors. Got "jack towed" back to the pits and "returned" the tires. Hoosier Tom actually got my money back from GY. I know Tom had seated the beads. Don't know if it was fresh bead lube, oversize tire ID, undersize wheel OD, or just I drove too hard. I liked the tires compared to the Hoosiers but . . . :cry:

Chris Halweg · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:26 pm

Quote:

Strangely enough, my trusty 15-year-old Craftsman torque wrench bit the dust in Huntsville along with discovering that my similarly aged air gauge was toast. Not a good weekend for tools...

Any suggestions on a cordless impact wrench? Suprisingly my habor freight one died after 7 uses. :roll:

It was a gift.

JamesFeinberg · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:39 pm

Chris Halweg wrote:

Any suggestions on a cordless impact wrench? Suprisingly my habor freight one died after 7 uses. :roll:

It was a gift.

Sorry but I haven't shopped for one in ~10 years. I have an ancient Milwaukee 3/8" 12V model. Surprisingly, the 2 batteries that came with it are still operational although they definitely don't last as long as they used to. It was also never strong enough to break the lugs of a typical car but at the time I got it, I was racing karts and it was perfect for that.

I'm thinking of finally picking up a new one that is capable of breaking lugs but I haven't really looked into it yet. That new monster SnapOn one (rated at ~500ft-lbs!) currently has my eye as it's not easy for me to use my air tools anymore until I get a garage. But it ain't exactly cheap...

Jim

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Hey Vern, you remember to torque those lugnuts?

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