Author Topic: The Answer Is NOOOO!!! (Read 1109 times)

MarkStang · « **on:** April, 05, 2010, 12:41:39 PM »

Should the driver side rear tire pass you when you drive down the road?

The answer ac-cured to me as I was driving yesterday about 15 miles an hour and saw my rear tire pass me. I felt a bump ....saw the tire....and turned onto a side street 10 feet away. After I got out and walked towards my tire that was still rolling away I played back how could this happen. the tire was one that I had just took off AND torqued myself, double checked. As I was walking I decided to look back at the car to see how ugly it might look....not bad....drum brake sitting on the ground, no apparent damage...my ego...OMG, I had 20 new lugs in the car waiting for the new tires this week, 35 feet back I found all 5 lugs in the middle of the road within 10 feet of one another.

I am telling this true story because I want others to know how the seemingly impossible can happen. I had just removed the rear tire to bend the inside fender away from the tire, I could hear it rub sometimes and knew the PO had used spacers to fix the problem. My new rims have less back spacing so this will not be a future problem. Well, just before I put the rim back on I decided to go into the garage and get one of those old 1/4 inch spacers and put it on until Wednesday (tire day). It was aluminum and showed signs of age and oxidization. I rub it on my pants and looked briefly for some 80 grit paper and decided it would probably be ok, I was only going around the block. So....on it went, I almost put the 3 ton jack into the trunk but did not want to scratch my new tank, ah...just going around the block , don't be so paranoid.

After the wife showed up with the racing jack, tire block and a new ego I drove it back home and analized what happened.

"The spacer had oxidization on it and even though I torqued the wheel on properly, it would never mater. The oxidization vibrated off while driving leaving the tight wheel loose. That weird feeling I had a half mile back before it fell off made a whole lot of sense now. I started driving slow in a neighborhood to try to figure out what the weird jostle was. This was the smarted decision of the day...listen when your car speaks. I don't mind telling this story because I did everything right...torque wrench still in the front seat. Spacers, never again".

I do not have pics because my wife handed me her cheap phone just before I headed out because I could not find the Iphone. 9 people stopped by to help. The couple walking on the side walk that I passed, I heard "holey Sh...." arrived just after I got the tire back to the car. The guy said "MAN, Nice Car..." His wife ribbed him and told him to help me , I said "thank you guys, my wife is on the way"

66gt350 · « **Reply #1 on:** April, 05, 2010, 12:46:36 PM »

Been there done that, but for me it was the rear driver's tire. It's a very uncomfortable feeling to see your tire passing you!!! Luckily, I have a set of under-rider traction bars, that now have a little bit of road rash on the bottom of one. I wasn't too far from home, so I just walked home got my truck, jack and new lugnuts.

I've heard horror stories about running spacers. Not a good idea!!

MarkStang · « **Reply #2 on:** April, 05, 2010, 12:51:07 PM »

This was also my driver side rear. I had just replaced the leaf springs with new ones. The old one would have let the car bottom out. I was really lucky.

2ndgen · « **Reply #3 on:** April, 05, 2010, 02:50:06 PM »

Are you sure it was the oxidation and not too few threads engaged? I recall the rule of thumb to be at least 8 full rotations of the lug nuts to ensure they will hold torque... Unless you installed longer than stock wheel studs your spacer may just have shortened the effective length of the studs too much!

In any event glad to hear that only your pride got injured...

-Rory

P.S. I hate wheel spacers!

AzPete · « **Reply #4 on:** April, 05, 2010, 02:57:39 PM »

Sounds like they backed off real quick or the studs were short. Once a nut has engaged all the threads, it should hold the torque.

I lost a tire and wheel on a '57 Chevy when the rim peeled over the lug nuts due to ovaled out stud holes on supposedly new wheels I bought.

My Dad had on pass him from the '45 Ford Pickup when the spindle nut backed off.

Always fun. Glad there was no body damage....

silverblueBP · « **Reply #5 on:** April, 05, 2010, 03:00:37 PM »

I run anywhere from no spacers to 1/2" at the track, kinda depends on what type & size of tire I'm running. I've not had any problem with lugnuts getting loose.

Strange situation Mark, glad you and the car are OK.

MarkStang · « **Reply #6 on:** April, 05, 2010, 03:22:15 PM »

I will take a pic of the spacer and post it here . I am sure you guys will say, " well, dumb %#, that does not belong on a car any more" lolol. Just out of curiosity I will count the lug turns. It turns out that one of the pa d spring retainer posts fell off. I heard the shoe scrapping a little while ago and pulled the drum off and the two little discs and spring fell out. I am going to NPD tomorrow to get a full brake rebuild for both sides and new pads while I am at it. I agree that the proper use of a torque bar (and it is a good one) should have held. Soo...I will just have to show you a pic of the spacer, in fact I will show you a pic of the other one that I did not use yet that will resemble what I put on in the first place.

66gt350 · « **Reply #7 on:** April, 05, 2010, 03:31:32 PM »

On a 1/2" stud, shouldn't there be about 1/2" of threads showing once the lugnut has been torqued down?

gwstang · « **Reply #8 on:** April, 05, 2010, 04:10:21 PM »

Did you change your undies afterward? lol. that would definitely be an oh sh*t moment for sure. glad everything is still okay.

MarkStang · « **Reply #9 on:** April, 05, 2010, 04:47:19 PM »

I was smiling as I walked to grab the tire. I knew the moment was lucky and that it could have been worse in every way. The tire even rolled along a curbed edge as cars drove by, it didn't even go across the road. The lugs are the longer chrome kind. I will count the turns tomorrow.The weird part was walking back to the car rolling the tire and seeing such a perfect looking classic sitting on the drum.The people driving by were priceless rubber neckers so I just put my butt on the hood and faced the other way. All 9 people that offered help turned around and turned onto the road I turned onto. Nice people.

blue65coupe · « **Reply #10 on:** April, 05, 2010, 05:22:33 PM »

First off, I'm glad everything turned out ok. Secondly, I'm literally lmao right now trying to imagine your thoughts as your tire went by.

70_Fastback · « **Reply #11 on:** April, 05, 2010, 06:07:51 PM »

Quote from: blue65coupe on April, 05, 2010, 05:22:33 PM

First off, I'm glad everything turned out ok. Secondly, I'm literally lmao right now trying to imagine your thoughts as your tire went by.

:wstup

hivewax · « **Reply #12 on:** April, 05, 2010, 06:16:09 PM »

When getting a car like ours back on the road, you got to drive first at low speeds (10-15mph) to make sure everything is tightened down and everything works. Glad nothing serious happened to you and your car.

Jonk67 · « **Reply #13 on:** April, 05, 2010, 06:53:39 PM »

That's an awesome 'a funny thing happened on the way to my break in cruise', at least it was your tire that passed you and not a PT Cruiser!
Glad the worst injury was your ego, expect the wife to bring it up at your next Mustang party if she's anything like mine...
Jon

daveSanborn · « **Reply #14 on:** April, 06, 2010, 09:43:34 AM »

Mark,

Isn't this a re-telling of what happened a couple of years ago? I seem to remember reading this story back when it happened.... it's either that or deja-vu.

Rob Z · « **Reply #15 on:** April, 06, 2010, 11:14:31 AM »

Quote from: MarkStang on April, 05, 2010, 03:22:15 PM

I I am going to NPD tomorrow

1st, Glad you, others and the car are OK.

2nd, I hate you guys that can just make a run to NPD, or where ever for parts. :rp I am 3 days UPS from anywhere and they do not deliver on weekends. So order on Monday and hope it gets here befor the weekend.

And they say New Mexico is not a Third World Country :craz

KBMWRS · « **Reply #16 on:** April, 06, 2010, 01:32:03 PM »

You should have JohnPro tell his story of his wheel/tire passing him. Its hilarious. :lol And the way John has a way with words, WTF is sprinkled heavily throughout. :lol :lol :lol

RapidRabbit · « **Reply #17 on:** April, 06, 2010, 02:32:53 PM »

Well here is what happened to me 2 years ago when the front wheel came off. :cry
I wasn't even driving the car myself. I had taken the car into my local shop for a new timing chain and they took it for a test drive when they were done.

lethal289 · « **Reply #18 on:** April, 06, 2010, 04:22:00 PM »

Quote from: RapidRabbit on April, 06, 2010, 02:32:53 PM

Well here is what happened to me 2 years ago when the front wheel came off. :cry
I wasn't even driving the car myself. I had taken the car into my local shop for a new timing chain and they took it for a test drive when they were done.

Holly Chit, i hope they paid for that.

tarafied1 · « **Reply #19 on:** April, 06, 2010, 05:15:05 PM »

Quote from: Rob Z on April, 06, 2010, 11:14:31 AM

1st, Glad you, others and the car are OK.

2nd, I hate you guys that can just make a run to NPD, or where ever for parts. :rp I am 3 days UPS from anywhere and they do not deliver on weekends. So order on Monday and hope it gets here befor the weekend.

And they say New Mexico is not a Third World Country :craz

at least you don't need a passport to get in like I do for Kentucky, :lol

man, if I lost a wheel I think my ego would prevent me from sharing. And ouch on the fender!!! :cry

MarkStang · « **Reply #20 on:** April, 06, 2010, 07:12:55 PM »

Quote from: daveSanborn on April, 06, 2010, 09:43:34 AM

Mark,

Isn't this a re-telling of what happened a couple of years ago? I seem to remember reading this story back when it happened.... it's either that or deja-vu.

Two years ago in Dec 2008 the Engine was just going into the car for the first time in 3 years and it did not have fenders on it until a month ago. I am guessing that this must have happened to someone else and it sounds familiar? Until a few weeks ago I have not driven this car on the road since 2004ish :)

on another note: I just put new tires on the front 215/60/R15 BF's and I have to wait till Thursday for the 255/60/R15's apparently Discount tire has only one pair of this tire this size in America and they are FED Exing for me here. They said the factory does not show this tire in stock either. wtf

Jonk67 · « **Reply #21 on:** April, 06, 2010, 07:35:47 PM »

Quote from: Rob Z on April, 06, 2010, 11:14:31 AM

2nd, I hate you guys that can just make a run to NPD, or where ever for parts. :rp I am 3 days UPS from anywhere and they do not deliver on weekends. So order on Monday and hope it gets here befor the weekend.

And they say New Mexico is not a Third World Country :craz

You should move to the US :)
Jon