"Yup, I just lost a wheel."

In reply to AngryCorvair :

That is why you should re-torque after a run.

In reply to dculberson :

Oh, but they use Torque Sticks.    Been through that.

The point I guess , like any tool, they have to be used properly.

The service manager was dumfounded when he checked my lug nuts with a torque wrench and

found them way over torqued after a "Tech" had used a "proper" Torque Stick".

This was after a couple of complaints.

If I don't torque my lugs before every session, I'm out there worrying about--and on those long turns, like T3 at Roebling--you have lots of time to worry. 

Solution: You'll see me constantly torquing my lugs. 

Only time I had a wheel come off was due to a collision.  Tore the hub right out of the bearing.  Brake rotor was still there too, minus a caliper-shaped chunk of it.  

A bit pothole hit did something like this to my old Crown Vic in a construction zone on the QEW. I thought the vibration was just from the really bad road surface. A couple kilometres later, and the road smoothed out as the vibration got worse. Just as I was coasting to a stop on the shoulder of an exit ramp, wham! The right rear wheel was no longer attached to the car.

ain't nuttin' new

But don't torque your lugnuts while they're still hot unless you want them to be overtightened and possibly stretch.

MotorsportsGordon said:

David S. Wallens said:

Some rather exciting footage from our friend Christina's recent Sebring outing:

Good wheels,but certainly not great wheels.

Not sure how many people got that reference...

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I raced my Jaguar with wire wheels for decades.  Wonder how much torque that brass hammer of mine had, anyway? 

I had this happen to me twice while racing on track. The first time it was due to the stress of the rear suspension bottoming upon landing after going over a hill. It was A FWD car and the stub axle broke allowing the whole wheel/brake assemble to part company with the car. Due to a fellow racer having the same kind of car I was able to replace the whole rear axle and race the next day.

The other was on a different race car, it was caused by me not re-torquing the rear lug nuts. During the race one set of nuts loosened up enough to cause total failure of all 5 studs.  I thought the wheel vibration was a flat spotted tire.

Knurled. said:

In reply to irish44j :

I have seen wheel studs shear off several times.  Usually it is only one, after the other three/four lug nuts fell off.  Never all four/five.

 

In any kind of motorsports, EVERYTHING is a maintenance item on a long enough timeline, tho!

Yeah, that's basically what I was saying..I've seen one break, but if ALL of them break, it usually means the pit crew didn't torque things correctly....

Ottawa said:

MotorsportsGordon said:

David S. Wallens said:

Some rather exciting footage from our friend Christina's recent Sebring outing:

Good wheels,but certainly not great wheels.

Not sure how many people got that reference...

It's a true classic.