what would cause wheel bolts to loosen themselves?!?

[KrissyBufton]

on my way home from a journey from Bournemouth yesterday, my car started rumbling vibrating and juttering around on the motorway... pulled over coz i had NO idea wot it was... called RAC... and he took cover off my passenger side front wheel, and was literally just PULLING the bolts out of the holes?!?! any idea if bolts can work themselves loose?! or does someone hate me and has undone them??

 

[C.slicker]

I had this problem a few weeks back. If one isn't really tight then they tend to work loose.

It may also be a sign that the wheel is buckled or not balanced correctly, which would course abnormal movement around the hub.

Sam

 

[KrissyBufton]

i dont think the wheel buckled, i havnt hit any bumps or kerbs or potholes since ive had it, and had the tyres changed about 3-4 months ago, and they woulda surely spotted a buckled wheel and told me about it... the strange thing is the car was driving fine (no veering off direction, etc) which i thought wouldve happened if the wheel was hanging off as it was :-O perhaps the wheel isnt balanced properly as u said... ill get it checked out i reckon... dont fancy the wheel popping off at 80mph!

 

[C.slicker]

Hmm if you had the tyres changed more than 3 months ago it seems strange that its taken at least 3 months for them to work loose.

Sam

 

[Fred@BTM]

use a torque wrench set at 100NM

 

[Don]

When you get your tyres done...they normally tell you to check the bolts after 50 miles or so...just in case. Did you do this?

 

[ADS22]

upset anyone recently ?

 

[kully]

loosened by a mate :quiet: or not torqued correctly

 

[Fletcher]

I've heard stories of tyre places not doing up the bolts properly, and then working themselfs loose.

 

[C.slicker]

loosened by a mate :quiet: or not torqued correctly

Hmm maybe the former? It just sounds a bit weird for it to be soo sudden.

Having said that if you had centre caps on them the mate would have needed to get a centre bolt removal key.

Sam

 

[kully]

It either that or some fcukas got spooked as they were trying to steal your wheels

 

[rustybolt]

if their aftermarket alloys and there are no spigot rings fitted this will happen, if there standard alloys then f**k knows! lol

 

[KrissyBufton]

im thinkin it could be the above too (someone got interupted in the middle of a steal?) but the centre cap was still on it, so i doubt they wouldve put it back on s urely :-S

 

[TomTom]

They can come loose its not common, but does happen on clios.

Have you got locking wheel bolts?