# what would cause my lugs to loosten?



## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

I have a 2000 k3500 dump.


While out plowing during the last storm here I started to hear a grinding sounds from my fron passenger side. I figured, great it's time to replace the axle shaft already with 60,000 miles...so I lift it today and spin the front and no noise...so I drop it and drive it and it's grinding horribly and sounds like a blown u/cv joint. So back up on the jacks, but no noise...so now I'm thinking ok bearing perhaps...so I take off the dust covers off the front, and well the lug nuts on the apssenger side and nearly off the studs! All of them! What the? How? huh? I replaced my brake pads 2 months agao, but thats the last time I've taken anything off the front, and I used an impact wrench to put them back on!...now I'm thinking I need to check them every day! I've never seen anything like it.


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## jacob land and (Jan 25, 2006)

if your rims are aluminum the can move once they warm up and work the lugs out even it it seems like they were tight when you put them on


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

steel bud rims


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

This is the third time in a year I've heard of this on a 3500 DRL since it happened to my '96 last winter. Fully loaded Vbox. Had just had the snow tires put on about 50 miles. Passenger side dual lug nuts came off and lost the duals going down the road. Fortunately, I'd just turned a corner and was going fairly slow on a deserted road 1/4 mile from my house. I'd never heard of it before, either. I heard several theories, from overtightening the lugs to overloading the Vbox. I just know it was a real PIA cause no wrecker would haul it with a plow and Vbox. Had to unload the Vbox and take off the wrecker with a front end loader. Cost over $800, but could have been a whole lot worse.


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

this was a front tire though, but loaded with plow.


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## murphyslaw (Oct 2, 2005)

when u put the tires on Ur supposed to re-tourqe them after 50 miles then 500 miles after that. if there aluminum rims do it more often and make sure that you have the correct lug nuts for your rims.


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

I also never trust final torque with an impact. Always do it final by hand.

Yes its proper to retorque your lugs after a bit. I never do but I know I should


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## THE BOSS 1975 (Nov 16, 2005)

Compressors run low on air and the impact has a hard time torquing them down


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## GripTruk (Dec 1, 2003)

bgingras said:


> I have a 2000 k3500 dump.
> 
> I replaced my brake pads 2 months agao, but thats the last time I've taken anything off the front, and I used an impact wrench to put them back on!...now I'm thinking I need to check them every day! I've never seen anything like it.


yup, like they said, that's your answer. you need to retorque after a week or so, especially with aluminum wheels. An impact wrench isn't a torque wrench, you should use a torque wrench to tighten down your lug nuts, overtightening can be just as bad as undertightening, so even if you have a very powerful impact, just snug 'em up and then finish up with the torque wrench.

-Jer


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## towman (Aug 19, 2003)

i feel you must use a tourqe wrench , it is the only way you can be sure that they are tight enough, like posted above if a compressor is low on air it can leave them loose, plus an air gun can and will warp brake rotors , i work in a shop and it is a real pain in the butt to hand tighten 20 to 30 wheels a day but it is the only way to be sure my work is done right


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

ok, I should state for the record that I do hand check them after gunning. I have had a gun actually cross a stud and spin out the stud, so I know to check by hand...I just find it odd that all lugs on that side were so loose. Oh well, live and learn.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Retorquing is ESPECIALLY important on a dually. Been there, done that, snapped the studs off on two separate incidents. Came down (on my much older truck) to worn threads that would no longer hold a torque. Changed the whole set, never a problem again.

Be sure to remove that wheel and carefully inspect the holes now. I have yet to find a wheel that was loose enough to make noise not have the holes worn oblong afterwards.


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## Dwan (Mar 24, 2004)

They are an "Acuride" wheel, all 3 , dodge, chevy, ford used them and they have been a bad design from the beginning. Ford has sence changed to some other brand wheel but I don't know if Dodge or chevy has. The best way to keep it from happing ing is to fallow the owners manual and retouque at 50 and agin at 500 miles like others have said. 
Our local ford dealer has bought me 2 sets because they hav forgoten to torque them down. Lost one at 6 miles from the deaqler with a full load of sand on the back. bumer.


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## RYDER (Sep 19, 2005)

I am an ASE Certified Auto Body Tech and Auto Parts Specialists. Murphyslaw is right.:realmad:


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

derekbroerse said:


> Retorquing is ESPECIALLY important on a dually. Been there, done that, snapped the studs off on two separate incidents. Came down (on my much older truck) to worn threads that would no longer hold a torque. Changed the whole set, never a problem again.
> 
> Be sure to remove that wheel and carefully inspect the holes now. I have yet to find a wheel that was loose enough to make noise not have the holes worn oblong afterwards.


I did check the wheel, no problem..it's only been about 75 miles since the tires had been removed. the truck has only been going out for plowing becuase winter is slow construction around here, and well everyone knows how the winter has been, so it hasn't seen much plowing or road time at all, thats probably what saved it. What's bother me is that this wheel loostened up in under 100 miles.


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## h_riderca (Sep 16, 2003)

have you tried changing the lug nuts with one of the other corners. Just to make sure the batch of lug nuts are not not defective in some way.


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## norrod (Nov 3, 2004)

I _*NOW *_retighten my bud wheels at least once a month.

These wheels do not use seated lug nuts, and once the wheels shuck back and forth a little, it's all down hill from there. Then one day you find that you're replacing all the lugs, and a couple of rims.

Like I did last spring on my DRW dump.


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## Dirt_Werx (Nov 26, 2005)

for those of you who think its to much of a pain to hand tighten a ton of lugs, your right. i highly recomend that you invest in a sett if tourque sticks, they come in a case with multiple sizes and tourqu settings and attach right to the end of your impact and will tourque your lugs to the right setting everytime regardless if you just sitt there with a huge impact gun on high for 5 mins. very accurate and reliable they are used in several garages world wide as an accurate time saver, i really recoment looking into them.


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## Northman (Feb 6, 2005)

*Just a thought too.*

When I was in school, many snows ago. Someone had loosened the pass side front lug nuts on my car while I was visiting my girls house. Noticed something was wrong when I went to back out of the drive. They had left about a turn each on each lug nut. Just saying kids could be doing this too.


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## streetsurfin' (Jan 22, 2004)

A wheel on my truck almost came off shortly after the only time I had a shop do the ball joints on it. They had overtightened the lugs and evidently stretched the studs enough to weaken them that they broke. I had to remove and replace all the studs to feel safe. They must have sat there and hammered and hammered them with the impact. I had to really work to get the lugs off the other sides wheel and you could see damage to the tapered seats on the wheels. It pulled metal off of them severely. I'll remove with an impact but tighten with a 4-way or torque wrench.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Anyone who thinks its too much work to properly torque a set of 8-lug rims needs to consider how much work it is to change all the studs, nuts, and rims... not to mention dealing with lawyers.

The real trick is to invest in a set of 3/4" drive tools if you have a dually. The extra beef and length makes it simple.

Expensive? Not always. I bought a set of sockets ranging from 7/8" up to 1.5" or so with extentions, ratchet, and sliding powerbar for around $40Cdn on sale at Princess Auto... like 35% off normal which was still a bargain. Cheap Chinese junk? I use them regularly, even with the impact and have yet to break a single thing. Fit good too. The whole set came in a steel box with latches and everything.

Shortly after that I found a 3/4" torque wrench (also Chinese junk) there, in a plastic hardcase, for under $50Cdn. as well. I'm a little wary of the cheap import stuff when it comes to precision, but checking the torque with a $500 unit at a local tire shop showed that it was pretty well right on the money.

Ever since owning these tools and taking on a torque-and-retorque routine, I have not had a problem since either. Under a hundred bucks folks. I'll tell you what, I'd pay that a dozen times over to not have a wheel ever fly off again. Can you imagine the lawsuit if it hit someone?

PS: I also bought a 1/2" torque wrench there for a few bucks... also seems right on compared to dad's Snap On. The funny thing is that it is absolutely physically identical to his Snap On, with the exception of the lack of logo. Probably an absolute copy of it.

Also bought a 3/4" drive impact gun for around $75 on sale too. Supposed to generate up to 500 ft-lbs. While I don't necessarily believe that, it does handle the 150 ft-lb lugs on the truck handily, which is enough for me.

If anyone wants, I'll watch the sale flyers for these, as they go on sale regularly. The store ships as well, so its not a problem at all.


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