wheel coming off our 2006 bailey caravan.

[marlot]

I've been mulling over this today, and can think of another possible cause.

Without a spigot ring, the wheels are located by tapers in the wheel rim, and on the wheel nuts. Now if you have 5 tapers, what is the chance that the hub can be machined accurately enough to alllow proper 360 annular contact at each taper - just about nil!

As the tapers locate the wheel, they take some load as the wheel rotates - the wheel will move around, promoting wheel nut loosening.

If this sounds far fetched, remember doing up the bolt is only stretching it by about 30 microns - so imperfections in the wheel could be a contributory factor.

What to do about it if this is one of the causes? If you have problems with the nearside wheel coming loose (it will generally be the nearside) try swapping the two wheels over - your nearside wheel might be slightly badly machined.

 

[Surfer]

Again i raised the point, what if the person is disabled or not capable of tightening up the nuts that the dealer should have tightened in the first place?

Do they call Green Flag, the AA etc or do they pay for a fitter to come to the caravan after they have done 50 miles so that the nuts can be re-torqued?

Obviously something very wrong here and although I have no wish to contest it in a court, I think it would be a very interesting case if claiming against the company that last tightened the nuts. I am also sure that it could be embrassing for oen or two manufacturers. From posts here, it seems that most manufacturers do not have a problem with wheels coming off.

 

[xtrailman]

I'm sorry but the get out of jail clause, where if you have not checked your nuts after 30 miles, then the wheel falling off is YOUR fault, is complete nonsense!!

How is this mystical mileage arrived at?

What technical evidence says check at 30 miles, or you are doomed?

Don't use a torque wrench or your wheel will fall off?

It is obviously a mileage plucked from the sky, if it is so critical, why isn't the caravan towed for 30 miles, and the nuts checked again.

Why does my xtrail NOT require a nut check?

No one has mentioned that the nuts should be tightened up while JACKED up, final torque is then done when when the wheel is lowered and under load.

This is very important, as it centres the nuts.

I always clean the mating surfaces before refitting, after first smearing a very fine layer of grease on the mating surfaces.

In addition, on both car and caravan studs/bolts, i smear a fine coat of anti seize grease, this is NOT recommend, but i have always done it, my nuts NEVER rust on.

These practises evolved over 40 years, having cars where both nuts and wheels had seized on.

 

[Gumbo]

Why does my xtrail NOT require a nut check?

It does if you have had a wheel change or puncture repaired that meant removing the wheel. Kwik Fit recommend a check in fact they do it for free.

Having said that when my Toyota goes in for service etc no one says check after 100k etc even though the wheels have been off !!! strange one this

 

[Gafferbill]

....well they should !

 

[xtrailman]

i cant find any reference to checking wheel nuts after a given mileage in my cars manuel, what page is it on?

 

[Gafferbill]

...If there is a section on dealing with a flat tyre it will be there.

...If there is a section on wheel rotation 'front to back' it will be there.

Quote from my Nissan Owners Manual:-

WARNING!

After refitting wheel check tyre pressure and tighten wheel nuts with a torque wrench.

Retighten the wheel nuts when the vehicle has been driven for 1000km.

Personally I check after 100km as well

 

[Lutz]

Nuts should not be greased before fitting. Otherwise, the torque applied will result in much higher tensional forces within the screw thread and may even exceed the safe elastic limit of the stud.