Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

[jimpittman]

Can someone give me some help in figuring out how all of the lug bolts (not nuts) came off my driver side trailer tire while towing? I figure I did something wrong but not sure.
Backgroung: Bought used hand trailer in good shape. I replaced all the lug bolts and re mounted tires. Took boat fishing last week with no problems. Went fishing today and wheel comes off on top of a highrise bridge. Drug trailer to bottom. Hub looks good. Threads not stripped. Can't find wheel.
Can these lug bolts unscrew on the driver side? The wheel rotates in the unscrew direction. Has any one ever had this happen to them.
This may be part of the problem. I put grease on the threads when I mounted the tires to make them come off easy if I get a flat.
I have already decided to replace the axle, I just want to avoid any more problems.
Any constructive advice will be appreciated.
PS I have been boating and towing trailers since the 1960's and never had a problem
jimpittman

 

[donnymac]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

I'm not too keen on putting grease on lugs. Anti-sieze compound and proper torque(wrench) and there shouldn't ever be a problem.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

Whether it be a car, truck, or trailer, anytime lug bolts/nuts are removed and installed, they need to be retorqued after being driven a short distance. It used to be that some manufacturers used right and left hand threads on opposite sides of the vehicle but thats not done anymore. They are all right hand thread. Grease on a lug bolt is not recommended and may very well be the cause for the failure. I don't mean to sound critical here but did you by chance reverse the nuts so the taper was out rather than in?? Don't laugh folks, a very mechanically challenged friend of mine did just that with his car.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

I have seen that also ST.
Yea, grease on lug studs is not good idea.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

Anytime i mount a wheel on the trailer i tow it a few miles and check the lugs.They will almost always take another half turn or so to get them tight again.I doubt the grease would do it but its possible.
I don't think you need a new axle.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

had the same thing happens last year, the kid that mounted them admitted he put grease on the threads, instead of never sieze. total cost of the incident was $1,000. including tow fees for boat, new under carriage, motel room. finally, collected from service center.

 

[wire2]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

.... all of the lug bolts (not nuts) came off

.... did you by chance reverse the nuts so the taper was out rather than in??

My EZ Loader uses bolts, too, as do a lot of commercially made trailers.

I worked at the Chrysler assembly plant in Brampton, ON, (300C, Charger, Magnum, Challenger) on maintenance for 15 years and any kind of lube on the wheel studs was a no-no. It drastically increases the tension on a bolt for a given torque.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

Ayuh,......

Did you Paint the wheels by any chance,..??......

When you do,.... You need to Retorque Several times before their actually Tight...........

Btw,..........
Never-sieze is on Every lug nut/ bolt that I've ever installed in the last 30-odd years.........

 

[MikDee]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

I'm not saying this is the cause, But I had to put this out there, I see you replaced the lug nuts (lug bolts) are you sure that they were the right ones? I mean, were they matching S.A.E. or Metric? If they were S.A.E. 7/16" and the axle flange thread is 12mm metric, they are very close, but will tend to be a loose fit.

I only ask this because I bought a 92' S-10 Chevy pickup a few years ago, and the lug nuts were tight as an S.O.B. to get on, or off, all the time, even though they were cleaned, & lubed with anti-sieze. It was only after I sold it, that I realized they were 12mm studs, and the previous owner must've put old style standard 7/16" Chevy lug nuts on by mistake (which happened to have a close but not exact fit!) IMO the lug nuts appeared a bit smaller inside then they should be, hence the tight fit.

 

[jimpittman]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

Good thought. I will check this out and let you know. Bolts seemed to fit right when installed. I got the same number bolt that was on the wheel.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to help me out.
jimpittman

 

[tommays]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

I find that if you do not use grease OR never-siez in saltwater you will never be changeing a flat


i would think they were just not made that tight with a good size 4 way lug wrench

And the trailer had to be misbehaving a bit while before the wheel lost all 5 nuts


Tommays

 

[Mark42]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

The problem with putting anything on threads is it acts as a lube. That means the bolt is being stretched farther than is should be when tightened dry, and is at higher risk of breaking.


Do you think someone was messing around with your lug nuts/bolts while you were out on the water? Was the other side loose too? Having all the bolts loosen and fall out does seem odd, even if greased.

I dunk the trailer in salt water every time out, so I have a thin coat of Johnson Triple Guard grease on the hub (where the wheel touches) and I keep the lug bolts wire brushed with just a small dab of grease on the threads (and I don't over tighten because they tighten easier when lubed). Makes changing the wheels very easy, and none of the lugs have loosened up by accident.

 

[moterboat]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

I agree,the grease or no sieze or any other type of lube is no good on the lug studs, I always use torque sticks on all lug nuts and studs when I tighten them..

 

[guy74]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

The (To lube the lug bolts or leave them dry) debate again. I've never seen lugbolts break from being lubed before tightening, and the only wheels I've ever had come loose were put on dry. I use oil or anti-sieze on all of the ones I change.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

The problem with putting anything on threads is it acts as a lube. That means the bolt is being stretched farther than is should be when tightened dry, and is at higher risk of breaking.

What Marks says is true. Bolts are tightened thru deformation of the threads and not friction as would be suggested with the no grease theory.

If you don’t believe it here isa test for you.

Properly torque a bolt down with lubrication to 100 lbs. per ft and let it sit for ? hour and see how much torque it takes to break it loose. Now do the same with a dry bolt and you’ll find it will break loose at the exact same torque, that is, if you didn’t gull the threads and strip the bolt becouse you assembled it without proper lubrication.

Seeing that your using new hardware my guess would be you didn't retorque the bolts after installation as required. You deformed the bolt by torquing it the first time and then the material "relaxed" and then you lost your torque. It's very important to "pre-load" any new hardware

 

[moterboat]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

The (To lube the lug bolts or leave them dry) debate again. I've never seen lugbolts break from being lubed before tightening, and the only wheels I've ever had come loose were put on dry. I use oil or anti-sieze on all of the ones I change.

my boat I leave them dry,want no chance of them coming loose,if they need lube on them,I replace them,only needs lube if there is something wrong with them,like threads stretched from over tighting, or rust - damage.. lugs are a pretty important safty part of the trailer,no use in taking chances..

 

[jimpittman]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

Bingo!! Bolts were not re tightened after initial installation. Went to trailer shop yesterday to have a new axle made. Owner of the shop said they do not use the lug bolts anymore. He said he had installed a new wheel on a guy's trailer with lug bolts and tightened it with a torque wrench. The guy didn't make it to his home 20 miles away when his new wheel came off.

What I will do. Never use lug bolts. Use only studs and lug nuts. Use only never sieze. Torque and let set for a few hours and re-torque. Check for tightness before every trip out.
Thanks

 

[Mark42]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

For what its worth - VW Bug used wheel lug bolts for many years. Never hear of wheels falling off Bugs.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

I put grease on the threads

Root cause right there.
CLEAN and DRY threads always - clean with a wire brush and torque to specification - never use lubricant.
Do not use never seize.
Any lubricant causes the rotary torque of your wrench to turn the nut or bolt FURTHER than it would if properly mounted clean and dry.
Turning further, as is dictated by the pitch of the threads, increases the stretch of the fastener beyond it's elastic range and into it's plastic range, where it can YIELD and provide little or no clamping force to hold the wheel rim on.

Even thread locking compounds can cause this yielding, as they lubricate when they are still liquid.

Unless specifically specified in the manual, standard torque for all fasteners is based on clean, dry threads.

 

[Hoss]

Re: Wheel came off trailer. Root cause?

I know your pain!
i had an old utility trailer that used lug bolts and for the life of me i could not keep them tight. although i never had a wheel fall off, you could turn the bolts by hand after only 30 miles. I assume that the bolts were the wrong size. but i just bored out the lug holes in the axle and pressed studs through and used lug nuts. it worked great on this trailer.