My lucky wheel dissaster...

[spiderverde]

On my way to bring car back to Ma from NH for the Larz Anderson Tutto Italiano show a few weeks ago.. this happened.. http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd29 ... 11l010.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd29 ... 11l012.jpg

I say Lucky because 5 min earlier I was doing 70 on Rte 95 and Rte 16 in NH .. I had just pulled off for lunch and was doing maybe 30 mph.. no earlier vibrations... all 4 lugs backed out in a span of maybe 100 feet and were all found.. The last one got hung up and caught the wheel vertical and caused the skid to the breakdown lane..... causing no damage to the wheel the car or the axle.....

Some one was looking down on me that day....

Had car flat bedded home 75 miles....

This is what I found..

2 bolts were .015" to .020" undersize....
The concentric polymer spacer had sheered off in 1/2 (thickness wise)
I ended up drilling out all 8 in rear and installing SS Heli-Coil inserts
While Torquing bolts to 65 ft/lbs noticed one bolt would not seat ..I thought I has stripped out the Heli-Coil but after another full turn it finally did torque up.. .. Apparently these (Performance, Aussie wheels) Aluminum wheels have steel inserts that are pressed into a tapered hole.... Oddly they have no seat to bottom out on, and could lock into the taper at different depths if the holes or inserts are not exact same size....
Either this was the case on this one hole, or it had not been pressed into taper all the way...... I've put over 2000 miles on these wheels since I put them on.. through mountain passes with my daughter, wife and different friends over 3 years ...
I now have a torque wrench in the car at all times and will not take a trip without checking each wheel again......

The following weekend after repair...At a show in my town with my Porsche..
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd29 ... 011057.jpg

Scary to think what could have happened to me, my family and the car.... I was lucky...
Ray
Maybe someone can get image to show directly.. don't know what I'm doing wrong this time....thanks??

[azruss]

nice pics. thats what i call a random assortment of cars.

[aj81spider]

Hi Ray,

We talked about that incident at the Larz Anderson - unbelievable how lucky you were!

That is a really nice Spider! It's too bad it couldn't make the show.

A.J.

[boogiedude]

That's a great looking 944! I love me some gold center RS's

[Jimb]

luv the colour of your fiat

[vandor]

Yup, that is a bit scary.
Something similar happened to me about 20 years ago. I lost all 4 left rear lugbolts, the spacer, and the two studs that hold the spacer on!! No idea how that could have happened, as I had not had the wheel (stock steel) off in months, and this was my daily driver.
The wheel stayed in the wheelwell as the car ground to a halt.

[124JOE]

a while back i went to get a alinment and they didnt tighten my lugnuts
i drove it 14 miles to work and on the way home i seen lugnuts passing me while doing 60
i pulled over and walked back to pick them up as i lost 3 and found 2 with one still on the car
i re bolted the rim and drove it back to the shop only to be tolled we are closing in 5 min for the week end
and i dont have any of your studs
feel for the wobble

[spiderverde]

Hi Ray,

We talked about that incident at the Larz Anderson - unbelievable how lucky you were!

That is a really nice Spider! It's too bad it couldn't make the show.

A.J.

Hey A.J.
You and the guys from NH and Manchester will have to make it to the show in Swampscott next year...Well over 125 cars showed, for a thrown together last minute event and right on the waterfront.. Nice venue...

The BBS RS Rims were the last major purchase before I got married back in summer of 84' (ah to be single and spend foolishly) With a set of Pirelli P-7"s, which are still on the car, I think they cost me $2,800.00

The color is original "verde" the pics don't show it to well... It's really Italian flag green... Next year we plan on parking my cousins white spider between them to complete the flag.....
Ray

[Zulu]

I had my tire blow out while sitting at a stop light. When I pulled away it was real sluggish and I realized what had happened. I thought I was too lucky.

Except that the next day, doing 65 miles an hour down the high way, the replacement wheels flew off the car and down the road about half a mile. The only damage to the car appears to be on the brake rotor, where I now have a few flat spots. I wish I could have seen the sparks flying out the back... The wheel was absolutely fine (thank goodness.. it was a borrowed Abarth Cromodora...)

Zulu

[124JOE]

a new brake rotor is cheap

[MrWampus]

a new brake rotor is cheap

Yes, but damaged pride is awfully expensive to repair!

[spiderverde]

a new brake rotor is cheap

Yes, but damaged pride is awfully expensive to repair!

You got that right....!!!

It was embarrassing to be sitting there on the side of the road with a shiny car and the wheel sitting in the well cocked off like that....

Especially when you do your own work and you can't put your finger 100% on the cause of the wheel falling off...

Ray