Stripped thread in Alko hub?

[Guzzilazz]

Just got back from a minor "prepare" as we were planning on going to Canterbury for a week from Sunday.
I always check tyre pressures and wheel bolt torques prior, and today the hairs on my neck stood on end as I got near the torque wrench clicking and the wrench started to move more easily... I've torqued many bolts and nuts over the years, so immediately stopped and removed the bolt - which showed no signs of going plastic or the thread going bad.
Fortunately our dealer is right there and they are going to take a look, but it looks as if our trip will be off

 

[JTQ]

So the stripped thread mentioned in the title is in the cast drum; though expensive these are readily available spares unlike some caravan spares.

Then with a new drum avoid the clown who along the line over did the torque, or quite probably oiled/greased the threads without modifying the dry torque up figure.

 

[Guzzilazz]

The bolts have been torqued by me more than anyone else... The bolts were marked last service by the dealer, andwhen I checked the culprit there was no sign of any grease on threads or head of the bolt...

 

[Thingy]

Points to one of two things if you have always been careful. Either the dealer overtorqued at service, and given my recent experiences of dealers, it would come as no surprise, or, your torque wrench needs calibration as the only way to strip those threads is excessive force.

Just a thought though. have you tried new bolts/studs. I came across streched bolts regularly on trucks when the tyre fitters had been in over a weekend and just used a long bar.

 

[Guzzilazz]

Points to one of two things if you have always been careful. Either the dealer overtorqued at service, and given my recent experiences of dealers, it would come as no surprise, or, your torque wrench needs calibration as the only way to strip those threads is excessive force.

Just a thought though. have you tried new bolts/studs. I came across streched bolts regularly on trucks when the tyre fitters had been in over a weekend and just used a long bar.

Thanks a lot...

My torque wrench was my dad's Britool (he came off the spanners in 1973!) but I "assumed" the spring would soften over time and so under read if anything...

I looked at the bolt carefully, as I've experienced that with very low torque bolts previously - even to the point they "necked" , and they were only 6 ftlbs! I couldn't spot any sign of stretchingwith the threads spreading out...

 

[JTQ]

So has a tread stripped, in either the bolt or the drum?

The comments already imply it has not on the bolt.
Therefore, has it in the hub/drum?

 

[Thingy]

Given the nature of the beast, I wouldnt be tempted to try to retap it. If the threads in the drum have gone, it needs replacing!

 

[Guzzilazz]

Yep, in the drum...