Check your nuts boys! (and Girls!)

Took the Golf out for a spin this morning and was fine until taking a right hander at a fair old lick… suddenly there was a slight rumbling sound from the nearside front, same velocity as the wheels (CV joint? Wheel bearing?)

Fortunately not too far from home so limped it back, with the rumbing noise getting worse rather quickly. Got to the driveway and had a poke around to find the front nearside wheel was almost ready to come free. :shock:

The bolts had slowly been working their way out and there was about 3mm of play between the wheel and the hub. Tightened everything up and we were all merry again, but I think I may replace the bolts forthwith, quite a few iron filings in evidence.

Never had that happen before, it never occured to me it might be something that simple. Bolts were all tight beforehand so I'm a bit bemused. :dontknow:  Maybe my wife has checked the life insurance and is trying to murder me…  

Cheers,

Drew.

Been there, scary. No warning!
 8O

Checked regularly now

(Same wheel  :? )

debs said

(Same wheel  :? )

Now that is a bit spooky…  8O

Cheers,

Drew.

Happened to me twice, once the wheel actually left the Corrado and hit the front window of the local florists…thanks to big sill it did not enter the flower shop after hours :roll:  but jacking up the car at 2 am in a town center and walking up the street looking for bolts was not a fun thing to do..

2nd time was after having new wishbone fitted at garage 3 miles from them and the wheel starts wobbling.. this time i just stopped as I knew what was coming. luckily i had the jack and bar ready in time. it appeared that in the first instance some one had loosened my bolts and 2nd time it was the garage not torqueing them up. So I always check them before setting off on long trips..

Never had it happen on a car, but I had a trailer loose a wheel once on a busy main road, it flew across the road, narrowly missing some pedestrians  8O  Was very lucky it didn't hit them, or anything coming in the opposite direction.  8O

Many years ago one of the rear wheels on my Driver came loose. Only noticed after my mother had sat in the back on that side…… made a loud knocking sound so had chance to tighten it up.

Mate lost a trailer wheel on motorway last year. Loads of people have lost trailer/caravan wheels. We decided it was;

they are never used or checked for long periods at a time
its difficult to tighten them as the wheel spins 'cause no weight in trailer or poor hand brakes
you don't get any warning that they are loose like you do on the car it self.

Another mate with a new caravan says that the garage selling them tighten the wheel nuts up infront of you and get you to sign a form to say that you are happy that they are OK! They must have had many come off before and don't want any more blame.

Lucky escape there Drew, I've had a wheel come lose but never come off, its a bit scary when you think of what could of happened. Had a few tyres blow out which isn't very pleasent either.

Had that in a Jensen Interceptor before…….not good.

Glad all is well now though, sudden scary noises are rarely useful things….  

I done 1000+ miles with front nearside bolts slightly loose so the wheel knocked when I let go of the accelerator  8O

shouldn't have mentioned it on here though as some still mention it now  

I'll be sure to ask if you've checked them at Gaydon drew

My Nuts are fine! Thanks for asking.

I nearly lost a rear wheel due to the bearing falling apart!

Felt it wobble a bit out back and slowly drove it home. Got the jack out the next morning and could actually pull the wheel off with the hub nut still in place! Bearing had completely disintegrated!

Close call…

This recently happened to me after I took all 4 wheels off, got a rumbling noise and was able to stop before anything abd happened 8O

Scary though!

happened to me once last year but luck would have it,i stopped befor the wheel came off.found out it was someone trying to take my wheels in the night.they must have been desturbed half way though taking them. result!!!

Maybe all us mk1 drivers are just thickos

I had the same near side front wheel exactly as described, i noticed its when going round a mini roundabout. Stopped just in time to tighten the blots back up….

Could have been messy  ops:

Tip: smear a little copper grease (brake pad paste) onto the threads of the bolts, and on the "cup" between the hex-head and the threads, where it touches the wheel-rim. When tightening them, you can torque them up more predictably than if some are free running, and others are a bit stiff/rusty - the stiff ones get (accidentally) left loose.
Also, it makes them easier to open with a wheel brace.

Equally scary - mothers boyfriend replaced standard steel wheel nuts with adonised green aluminium ones on his Triumph herald (don't ask - the car or his great idea!). Obviously these stripped, the rear off side wheel came off near the Cooper Dean flyover in Bournmouth. Bounced over the side and managed to miss every car and person. Took a while to find though…