Wheel

[Carole Anne]

Hi

Been having problems with the back right wheel, last year got a knocking noise on it turned out was a problem with the calliper got that changed in December and the knocking stopped.

Also flew through its MOT in December.

Knocking noise started again end of Jan on the same wheel but different knocking noise. Got worse, when got home turned out all 4 wheel nuts were loose :shock: Thought a local chav may have had a go.

Anyway last weekend on way back from Morecambe did it again and sure enough all 4 wheel nuts were loose, could turn them by hand.

Gone into the garage today and they have no ideas what is causing it, not the best obviously!

Anyone any suggestions, said it before I'm not to good at the technical stuff so be gentle.

Thanks

Carole Anne :)

[white16valver]

They've definitely been torqued up correctly?

tbh though, mine are generally only handtight as I don't want to be stuck at the side of the road swearing because I can't change a flat tyre! lol

If they've been copper-slipped then that could be a reason perhaps?

Failing that, get some new nuts :wink: :lol: for about a quid or so each and see what happens! :)

[Coops]

faulty disc, threads mis machined maybe?check the wheel balance aswell, could be shaking loose if slightly out. if they are done up to correct torque really shouldnt come undone so bit weird :?

[Carole Anne]

Thanks guys :D

Wheel nuts is a good idea, where would be best place to get them?

They are really loose when it happens and wheel sounds like it is going to drop off :shock:

I'm a bit embarrassed to ask.. torqued up...don't know what that means :oops:

CA

[white16valver]

You can use a normal wheel wrench to get them done up but a torque wrench has a measuring device in it which you can set to a certain poundage so that once you reach that poundage it will 'click' and you know you've reached it - it means you can't overtighten the bolts or leave them too loose :)

Try your local motorfactors for bolts - if you can take one in from your other wheels they'll be able to measure them up and get some for you :) I can't remember what size they are now!

Note that you can get bolts with a 'collar' and also ones with the collar built in. I'm not sure it matters which you use :)

[Wobba]

It sounds to me like you need to invest in some locking wheel nuts in case, as you say, some chav is loosening them.

Wheel nuts came come loose themselves due to vibration on the wheel. As Coops mentioned, it could be due to poor balancing or perhaps they are not seated correctly...why would that be? Who knows, but it could be that they fouled the threads when doing your brakes or that there is a vibration caused by the disc or even the wheel bearing, or maybe they are just not on tight enough.

'Torque'ing' up a nut/bolt is simply a way of measuring the tightness applied to it, measured in newtons per square meter (I think) or foot pounds of torque. We commonly use a tool called a torque wrench for this, but tyre fitters will use a compressor gun that has the same end result.

I would get new bolts with a locking wheel nut, and monitor the car for vibration from the rear if you can or get a second opinion to rule out the disc/bearing. There was a thread by Coops I think recently where he found some nice shiny bolts for wheels...

[Wobba]

That's 'can come loose'. Curse the lack of edit button!

Also, next time you drive the car, when you park up, get out and touch the bolts. Even if they are not noticeably loose, if they are warm/hot it means they are probably working loose. The heat is a sign of friction/movement.

[Carole Anne]

Thanks both.

I did think it could be a chav but then it was a bit of a coincidence that a chav in York could have had a go and then a chav in Morecombe had a go on the same wheel :lol:

Thanks for explaining the torque thingy, get it now.

Was having a search on interweb last night for locking nuts. Will see if that works.

Will make a few suggestions to the garage to as per you responses.

Will also do the checking them for heat bit to.

Thanks

Carole Anne :D

[kenny]

Don't use locking nut until you have found the problem, if 3 come loose it might strain the locking nut too much. Try changing the wheel nuts to a different wheel, maybe they are not seating on the wheel properly. Follow a logic, move the wheel with different nuts. You should be able to determine whether it's the wheel, nuts or disc threads. First thing is put 4 other nuts that don't come loose on that wheel. I they come loose it's prob not the nuts. Etc.

[Carole Anne]

Don't use locking nut until you have found the problem, if 3 come loose it might strain the locking nut too much. Try changing the wheel nuts to a different wheel, maybe they are not seating on the wheel properly. Follow a logic, move the wheel with different nuts. You should be able to determine whether it's the wheel, nuts or disc threads. First thing is put 4 other nuts that don't come loose on that wheel. I they come loose it's prob not the nuts. Etc.

Good thinking batman! That makes so much sense will have a go.

Thanks kenny

Carole Anne :D

[Coops]

That's 'can come loose'. Curse the lack of edit button!

Also, next time you drive the car, when you park up, get out and touch the bolts. Even if they are not noticeably loose, if they are warm/hot it means they are probably working loose. The heat is a sign of friction/movement.

wont work as a test mate, they will heat up due to conduction of heat from the brakes, entire wheel will get hot let alone the nuts :wink:

[Carole Anne]

Phew does that mean I don't have to keep touching nuts to see if they are hot :shock: :lol:

Carole Anne

[broken willy]

sounds silly but how do you tighten the wheel nuts? if you tighten them clockwise/anti-clockwise and not opposites then the first wheel nut you tighten will be looser than the last and may allow them to work loose. you could also try swapping the wheel front to rear and see if it still happens

[white16valver]

Aye, I was always taught to tighten them 12-6-3-9 (times on a clock face) or similar :)

[Carole Anne]

Garage still have it and are apparently putting some substance stuff on the nuts??? :? no idea

now have no car as shock absorber went on the megane today so that is in the garage to :(

[Wobba]

That's 'can come loose'. Curse the lack of edit button!

Also, next time you drive the car, when you park up, get out and touch the bolts. Even if they are not noticeably loose, if they are warm/hot it means they are probably working loose. The heat is a sign of friction/movement.

wont work as a test mate, they will heat up due to conduction of heat from the brakes, entire wheel will get hot let alone the nuts :wink:

It's just that mine, when I had spacers, got VERY hot and became loose. Not normal hot.

[kenny]

Don't think it matters. If you have had the car jacked and the wheel off, replace wheel nuts a little more than hand tight, just nip them up with brace or bar of some kind, lower car to ground then tighten nuts fully. If you have a torque wrench use that, (can't recall the setting) if not one of those extending bars from halfords will do the trick, just bear down on the nut untill it's tight.

[MatBrown]

90Nm.


Mat.

[Carole Anne]

Ok got it back from garage they have checked threads, discs, wheel balance tracking and the actual wheel and swopped the wheel and the nuts about can't find a thing wrong with it. :?

They have put locktight for wheels on the nuts :? to see if that stops it.

Bizarro!

Now just have to get the Megane back :roll: thats not a big job though.

Thanks for all the help/suggestions lads.

Carole Anne

[col]

just a bottom line to this , are the holes in the alloy wheel worn oval?

Happend to me some time ago.

[Carole Anne]

not sure will check that out thanks col.

[Carole Anne]

Just to let you know swapped wheel from front to back but left same nuts on back, seems to have solved the problem fingers crossed cos don't fancy driving along and seeing the wheel fly past!

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

Carole Anne

[katbloke]

then keep an eye on the front wheel flying off, sound as if the alloy is worn as previously mentioned

[Carole Anne]

Oh aye checking the nuts all the time. Still paranoid and not much confidence in it at the moment :shock:

Have checked the holes and they don't appear to be worn.

Wish had cash to buy a new set of alloys that would solve it..... maybe.

Carole Anne