Last month GM replaced all of my smoked chrome wheels under warranty. I previously mentioned that the wheel was never tightened by the mechanic that installed them - left front. It apprears he did tighten it, but it loosens up on its own.

Now, every time I drive about 400 miles the left wheel gets loose all by itself. I have to retork the lugs constantly and it is really becoming a safety issue.

Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? This all happened after the new wheels were installed, and only to the left front one. Could I have a defective wheel? Why would it loosen itself?

 

Can't think of anything on the wheeel itself unless it has a noticeable crack near the lug holes.

Purhaps he used a lubricant on the studs???

When you say loose....do you mean a lug nut or ALL the lug nuts? And how loose....torque specs?

 

If you didn't have a problem with the previous wheels loosening, then I would suspect the new wheel.
But I wouldn't assume such, but deffinately an issue that they should correct.

 

Wow, that is concerning!! I would think there has to be a reason...

Maybe the holes (and chamfered edges) that the lug nuts seat down on are screwed up? I would also verify that the back of the rim and the face of the hub are flat and clean of all corrosion and rust etc. Also, check for wheel run-out. If it is wobbling at all that may cause the lugs to loosen over time I would think. Are you torqueing them down to 100 ft. lbs.?

 

I honestly can't say that I've torqued them to 100 lbs. - just tightened the hell out of them - and I would assume that GM did as well. When I took off the wheel, I noticed that my rotor moves a bit from front to back - say 1/16th of an inch. Don't know if that is related or even normal. Yes, Snoopy - every last one of them are becoming finger tight - wheel just wobbles to the point of feeling it is going to just fall off - and eventually it will at this rate.

I'm going to take it to GM in a couple of weeks and have them look at it and have my daughter check it out where she is using it in Cleveland. Her boyfriend remarked that the wheel appreared to be bowed out, but I'm not sure on that.

Finally, was thinking of switching out the right to left or front to back to see if the problem transfers to the other wheel. Will check out all of your suggestions -thanks!

Crazy.

 

Maybe put 5 new studs on and bolts?

 

Check the angle of the lug seat on the wheels ( the holes where the studs pass thru) ...if they do not match the lug nuts you will only get a small area of contact between the two.this will not be enough for a solid contact and they will loosen up....I'd have to say the wheels will require a different lug nut....

 

" switching out the right to left or front to back to see if the problem transfers to the other wheel "

I think this would tell if it is the wheel or the studs/hub right off the bat.

 

Just a note: Applying too much torque to lug nuts can stretch the studs. In all probability, "tightening the hell out of them" is way, way past 100 lb./ft., depending upon how strong you are. And if a technician used an air impact wrench somewhere along the line, you should replace the studs just as a precaution.

 

Switching the left and right wheel will tell you if it's the wheel or the hub. Simple to diagnose, but no clue to the solution here.

Determine the cause and get it fixed immediately... this is a potentially fatal problem.