Since I'll have to drive a couple thousand kms tomorrow at highway speeds, I'd like to know if I'll be safe driving at 110 [links]
See full version: Driving a car with four out of five studs tight on one wheel
Since I'll have to drive a couple thousand kms tomorrow at highway speeds, I'd like to know if I'll be safe driving at 110 [links]
While prepping for a drive tomorrow I noticed the far side front wheel of my car has one stud out of five that is somehow loose. All other four studs are secured and tightened. By "somehow" I mean that the stud seems to be turning along with its lug nut, although it requires some force to be turned (can't turn it with fingers, but with a cross it does turns easily). I'm not trying to tighten it more as I don't want the thread to possibly give in.
The car is a 2007 Civic Type-R Euro (FN2) with stock alloys (5x114.3).
130kph for an extended duration. Additionally, is there any precaution I should take to be more safe?
Another hazard with a missing wheel nut is broken rotors. Since there is more pressure on one side of the rotor than the other, there is potential for the rotor to get bent out of shape. A warped rotor can be noticed by a pulsating feeling in your brakes, or the rotor failing the next time you are driving. [links]
Here are some of the concerns that involve missing wheel nuts:
A wheel nut can go missing due to wheels being mounted at different temperatures, not tightened down enough, or tightened too much. Over time, the loosened wheel nut may fall off of the wheel, but you may not notice it right away. As soon as you do notice it, the missing wheel nut should be replaced because these are part of the system that holds on the wheels to your vehicle.
Wheel nuts help to balance the pressure between the tires. If one wheel nut goes missing, that extra pressure is distributed between the remaining wheel nuts. If other wheel nuts are loose, chances are this extra pressure will cause them to fall off as well. It is common to lose more than one wheel nut at a time. Therefore, as soon as you notice a wheel nut missing, contact a mechanic right away to have it replaced so the pressure can be evenly distributed.
Since more pressure is being exerted on the tire, all parts of the tire feel this pressure, including the wheel bearings. More pressure can cause the wheel bearings to fail prematurely, causing an extensive repair. If you hear metal grinding on metal, you waited too long to replace your wheel nut and your wheel bearing needs to be replaced.
Another danger of a missing wheel nut is that extra pressure will be placed on the studs. This means cornering, braking, and accelerating will put extra strain on the studs, which can cause fractures. These fractures can break, causing the wheel to fall off.
Here are some of the concerns that involve missing wheel nuts:
Another hazard with a missing wheel nut is broken rotors. Since there is more pressure on one side of the rotor than the other, there is potential for the rotor to get bent out of shape. A warped rotor can be noticed by a pulsating feeling in your brakes, or the rotor failing the next time you are driving.
Wheel nuts help to balance the pressure between the tires. If one wheel nut goes missing, that extra pressure is distributed between the remaining wheel nuts. If other wheel nuts are loose, chances are this extra pressure will cause them to fall off as well. It is common to lose more than one wheel nut at a time. Therefore, as soon as you notice a wheel nut missing, contact a mechanic right away to have it replaced so the pressure can be evenly distributed. here
A wheel nut can go missing due to wheels being mounted at different temperatures, not tightened down enough, or tightened too much. Over time, the loosened wheel nut may fall off of the wheel, but you may not notice it right away. As soon as you do notice it, the missing wheel nut should be replaced because these are part of the system that holds on the wheels to your vehicle.
Since more pressure is being exerted on the tire, all parts of the tire feel this pressure, including the wheel bearings. More pressure can cause the wheel bearings to fail prematurely, causing an extensive repair. If you hear metal grinding on metal, you waited too long to replace your wheel nut and your wheel bearing needs to be replaced. here
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Lug nuts are designed to hold a certain amount of pressure, which is why larger vehicles have more lug nuts. After you lose one lug nut, that pressure has to be distributed to the other lug nuts. Over time, this can wear down the other lug nuts on the wheel.
This article originally appeared on YourMechanic.com as Is it Safe to Drive With a Missing Lug Nut?.
One of the dangers of a missing lug nut is that it can cause the vehicle to wobble. Since the pressure of the vehicle is unevenly distributed, the vehicle will shake. Pressure will also be placed on the vehicle as it turns corners, brakes, or accelerates to high speeds. All of these combined can cause other lug nuts to come off, or the studs to snap. The studs are what the lug nuts attach too, and hold the wheel on. So if the stud snaps, the wheel could fall off. Normally the studs have fractures before they snap, but once the fractures get too large they will snap. This can be dangerous to you and the vehicles around you. here
A lug nut is also called a wheel nut, and is used to hold the wheel securely onto the vehicle. Depending on the type of vehicle you have, you may have four, five, or six lug nuts. Some vehicles are equipped with loose wheel nut indicators, so you can catch the lug nut before it falls off. Other vehicles do not have this sensor so it is a good idea to inspect lug nuts on a regular basis to check for loose ones. If you notice a loose lug nut, you should make sure to have the lug nut tightened as soon as possible.
If you are missing a lug nut on just one wheel, there will be uneven pressure on the wheel hub. This can have an effect on the wheel bearings. The wheel bearings will have to hold more pressure than the others sides, which can cause them to wear prematurely. Repairing wheel bearings is more extensive than replacing a lug nut, so if you notice one missing, replace the missing lug nut as soon as possible. here