Wheel has a terrible habit of dropping off

[ollieboy]

This is amusing but scary,

Today I checked all my wheel nuts and they were all tight, I then went to move the car and on one of the wheels the nuts just fell off, not all of them though, just two. I don't want this happening out on the track so I really need it fixed, Heres what I think the problem is: The last owner bought performance superlites or someother brand of wheel for them. They were fwd offset so he needed to put a spacer on the front wheels to get the correct offset, but since he did this the wheel would no longer fit over the studs* with enough room to do up the nuts, so they had to put studs off a Hilux on it. That is where I believe the problem is, either the nuts don't have enough room to tighten correctly or there is something else dodgy in the setup.

Would anyone have any ideas?

Also, is it simple to change over studs for factory ones and me just getting some rwd offset wheels. The wheels on there at the moment are only for bling effect really.

*And I say stud because I think thats what they are called, if they are not well I will be shamed out but they are the wee things with thread on you put the nut on.

[Leon]

Sounds like you've got the wrong thread wheel nuts on. That'd be my best guess.

[ollieboy]

Sounds like you've got the wrong thread wheel nuts on. That'd be my best guess.

Ok, i will have to check that then because I really want to get the car out on the track and we can't have wheels falling off now can we, and I don't want to go out until I am absolutely sure they are solid.

[Leon]

wheels falling off on racetracks is interesting. Wouldn't recomend it though, as it tends to be quite expensive, and it isn't an experience I would care to repeat.

Though, it was impressive seeing the front wheel of my Mini travel the entire length of the back straight without a car attached to it.

That was the last time I ever used a widened steel wheel on anything.

[Punter]

they were all tight

the nuts just fell off,

You sure they were tight?

Whats the condition of the thread on the stud, and whats the thread inside the nut like?

What are the wheel nuts made of, are they light weight alloy ones?

[fivebob]

Have you got the right type of nut for the wheels? Some wheels use tapered seat, other use a stepped seat.

Check that there's no crap between the wheel/spacers and the hub as that could get compressed and cause the nuts to come loose.

Also do the nut up with a torque wrench and make dure you have enough turns of thread engagement (should be about 8 for a 12x1.5 thread), but that's only to stop the nut stripping the threads, shouldn't have much to do with the nuts coming loose, unless the threads are already stripped.

[ollieboy]

They are just normal nuts, not alloy ones or anything. The thread seems fine but I will have another look later on.

[fivebob]

They are just normal nuts, not alloy ones or anything. The thread seems fine but I will have another look later on.

But what sort of seat do they have, and is it what the wheel uses. If they're tapered seat nuts and the wheel doesn't use a taper seat then they won't work.

[ollieboy]

They are just normal nuts, not alloy ones or anything. The thread seems fine but I will have another look later on.

But what sort of seat do they have, and is it what the wheel uses. If they're tapered seat nuts and the wheel doesn't use a taper seat then they won't work.

I'm not sure of the difference, I can get a photo of thread and nut if you like?

[fivebob]

I'm not sure of the difference, I can get a photo of thread and nut if you like?

Taper seat on the left, stepped seat on the right.

[pc]

also make sure wheel is correct for hub/rotor. make sure the wheel is 'seating' correctly... clean dirt off things etc.

[ollieboy]

They are tapered and heres a photo of the thread:


Hope it helps,

Cheers

[fivebob]

Change your wheels, that's seriously dodgy

There's nowhere near enough thread engagement for a tapered seat nut to work, and I'm not even sure the wheels should have a tapered seat nut in the first place, as there seems to be some sort of a step before what looks like an insert that seats the nut.

[ollieboy]

Change your wheels, that's seriously dodgy

There's nowhere near enough thread engagement for a tapered seat nut to work, and I'm not even sure the wheels should have a tapered seat nut in the first place, as there seems to be some sort of a step before what looks like an insert that seats the nut.

Good to know before I take it out on the track for the first time. Will have to find some new wheels then, how would I change the thread back to original seeming it has Hilux one on, is it a simple procedure?

[fangsport]

interesting.
me and Grant had issues with wheel retenion with Superlites on the ill-fated Starlet before he replaced the nuts to something with the correct degree of taper. how long are the studs? how thick are the spacers?
there are a few motorsport companies that can supply long studs for slip on spacers, but maybe you ones are too thick?, and should be bolted on.

[ollieboy]

It appears I have bought the bogan race car from Nam! I knew it would need work but never expected this.

I jacked up the car today and heard metal moving then something landed on the ground. The rear spring on the side I jacked up fell out. On closer inspection the springs were cut, and cut so much that even in normal resting position the springs were pretty loose. Lucky I know where some parts cars are so I can go get some proper springs.

Does anyone know if the factory springs will come out just by jacking up the car and not having to use any tools?

[ollieboy]

I looked around about 6 starlets but all the springs were gone would any other vehicles use similar springs.

I did however pick up some nice shiny wheels, they are off an old cortina so rwd offset and I kept the nuts so I can use the correct ones. I found an old rally tyre lying round the backyard at home and I was all happy but then I discovered the other rally tyre has been misplace/stolen. I'm real gutted now because the tyre I have has heaps of grip on.

[wde_bdy]

Cortina wheels are the wrong stud pattern (4x108mm rather than 4x114.3mm) so won't fit. The nuts will probably be the wrong thread too for your studs.

Callum

[ollieboy]

Well they fit

[FXGTV]

A few of my work mates had the same problem - wheel nuts comming loose/wheels comming off completely...they put it down to someone screwing around with them to be a dick. Got any enemys? Not a bad way to get back at someone, making their wheels come off at 100km