Lug Nuts

Andy78837 · Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2008 2:53 am Post subject: Lug Nuts

Yesterday, I had my 710M loaded with 40 fifty pound sacks of deer corn to fill feeders on a ranch we take care of. As we were traveling to the ranch I kept hearing a ticking noise that would speed up as the truck sped up and slow as the truck slowed.

After about the first feeder was filled I kept hearing the noise, but couldn't actually located it. It sounded like it was coming from my left and behind me. I had my daughter get out and go ahead of me for about 50 yards when we got to the second feeder and asked her to listen as I drove by and try to locate the tick. She told me it was coming from the left front tire (tyre for you lot). We looked and could see nothing caught under the truck.

When we got to the ninth of ten feeders as I was getting out of the 710 my foot happened to touch one of the lug nuts and to my surprise the thing fell on the ground. It had sheared off leaving about 1/4 inch of the lug exposed through the wheel. I tightened the other 4 lugs nuts and we very carefully drove the 15 miles back to the house.

I started to try to take the tire off and the other 4 lugnuts also sheared off! Now I was thinking OMG! What if that would have hapened at 50 mph with a ton of corn in the back? I'm sure it would have been thrilling but not a whole lot of fun.

I got through to Dennis (lindenengineering) and he is shipping me five new lugs and nuts. So when they get down here to Texas, I will continue the story. For right now the moral appears to be check and recheck.

It was not a good thing and now I'm minus a work truck until the replacements get here.

Be careful.

Andy

Bryn Pinzgauer · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:36 pm Post subject:

Scary, but I'm glad you're OK.

Wasn't there another Pinz in the US that lost a wheel at road speed? I think that was due to the nuts coming loose rather than the studs shearing.

Andy78837 · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 5:50 pm Post subject:

I replaced the studs Christmas Day. I'm going to retighten them today if it warms up, if not tomorrow for sure. I need to readjust the brakes too.

Yes, there was a wreck in Florida. I think the owner said he had failed to retighten the lug nuts after changing tires or something. There are pictures posted on another site. The Pinz looks pretty sad all banged up in the median of the highway.

I looked at the EI website yesterday for grins and lo and behold Scott is selling the studs for the lug nuts. Now I am wondering, if fatigue or stress is fairly common, or if anyone else has encountered the problem. Makes me wonder about the other 9 wheels I have.

Andy