Wheels falling off 4x4 (info required)

[L14MNP]

Long story short, my dads 2005 Nissan Terrano II has twice in as many days decided to shed the rear N/S wheel.

Yesterday it was only held on by the weight of the car as even the rear drum had rotated and was half way off. We assumed that last time the nuts may not have been tightened after the wheel was last removed. However, replacement nuts/studs and wheel later it has done exactly the same thing to him!

This time it has came off completely and the car has fallen onto its rear bumper.

Now two of the wheels are scrap as the holes are now far too big to take the wheel nuts.


As it is the same side again in no time at all, could the diff be at fault and causing the nuts to unwind??
Yes they were fully nipped up yesterday when I replaced the studs. Or maybe the hub at fault?


This thing is a liability and clearly has a very serious issue! It is being recovered and taken to his mates garage where I am going to RV with it and tell them the score.

The only sign something may have been wrong was when I had it the other day and you could feel what seemed like the brake pedal pulsing when applied (like premature ABS) but TBH I forgot about it doing this and my parents never felt it at all.

Any ideas lads?

[Welsh Dan]

Is it parked where someone with something against your dad could undo them?

[L14MNP]

What do you mean Dan, where someone could loosen them on purpose?

It is left on the main road outside the house, so in theory they could do that but as it fell off as he was parking today he managed to save a couple of the nuts, one being the locker and it is damage free.

Surely someone would have to smash a socket over it to loosen them as I did yesterday for the spare? As he misplaced the key. Even if they had a duplicate key the car now has two odd lockers as I used some from a spare set so they have another key.

Got to be the diff/half shafts etc at fault?

[mikey14sr]

Wheel bearing?

[mayhem]

after market wheels? could be that the oem wheel bolts are to short.

[shy witness]

after market wheels? could be that the oem wheel bolts are to short.


thats what i was going to suggest.

or possibly the wrong taper on bolts also.

i'v e seen wheels come off because of that aswell.

usually after people fitting aftermarket wheels with the wrong bolts.

[L14MNP]

Standard wheels and nuts/studs lads. The bearing has been suggested too, but for that to be the case surely the wheel would come off with half of the hub attached and the nuts would still be tight?
I'm struggling to see how the nuts can undo themselves on their own in less than 20 miles!

It drives fine and then BANG! off comes the wheel. Also if the bearing was at fault there would be noise/play surely?

There's not as I checked it myself only around a month ago when it went for it's MOT (passed no advisories)

I've rang Nissan customer services who have opened a case for my dad, said that it needs recovering to them. i said fine but don't see why we should pay, the car was mechanically sound before all this carry on.

We shall see :S

[L14MNP]

There's about 800 quids worth of damage just in the bumper and wheel(s). Sh!t car. Would rather have a rusty Frontera lol
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s247/eurojdmp11/Random/SP_A0057.jpg?t=1247658443
http://s154.photobucket.com/albums/s247/eurojdmp11/Random/?action=view&current=SP_A0057.jpg

[burgo]

when you say nipped up do you mean FT??? if so you could be over tighening them.

[L14MNP]

Yo dude. Nah mate, just a touch. They still had a way to go, just tightened as I would on any car (when using a power bar) I'm aware there's a lot of leverage there so I'm always careful.

No MFT torque settings here lol.

If overtightening was to blame wouldn't it strip the studs? I've seen the results when an impact gun has been used and the wheel has came off.

These nuts/studs are fine, except for being bent from the wheel angle/sudden freedom.

Ta mate.

[Dod]

Mate, I'd go with some new nuts/bolts. As the wheel turns with no methos of securing it it can oblong the wheel stud/bolt holes on the wheel and basicially knacker the wheel. Try the spare on its place and see if that makes the difference.

[L14MNP]

This was the spare mate! The original rear wheel got fcuked yesterday when it happened the first time. Needs new ones now.

The studs and nuts that I used were new too! 6 new studs from the dealer and the nuts were already in the car as they were unused from the locking nuts being on, plus I used brand new locking nuts too (Nissan/Mc Guard type) and as said they weren't overtightened.

Cheers Dod.

Been told it could be a badly warped/oavaled brake drum too. Unlikely IMO, no vibrations or noise and it spun freely after I repaired it yesterday. :/

Keep 'em comin'! :thumb:

[Dod]

Time to sell it to someone you dont like mate.

[dannyb]

Do you copper slip the wheel bolts?

[General Baxter]

right, all jap motors have this problem, im only running on 5 studs on mine, due to snapage,

i change mine every 5000miles or every year,

they are a very large weak point on heavy 4x4's lol

there only £1.25 each anyway :)

p.s they only need to be touqued to 30nm lol

[General Baxter]

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a191/baxters83/Image004-2.jpg

[L14MNP]

Nothing snapped lol. Not sure about every Jap motor having this issue, my other Nissan is 100% fine. Had a snapped stud once but was from wheel nuts fusing to stud due to over heating caliper.

£1.25, I'm coming to your dealer. More than that here, plus need 2 new 17's, new rear bumper too now.

Easy to change etc. i don't doubt, ****ing dangerous though!

I see what you mean about they can be a weak point, but that doesn't explain how they can undo themselves. Nothing snapped.

Do you change your studs and nuts every 5K then? That's pretty gay if you have to. lol

[L14MNP]

Just seen pic mate, the ones from the Terrano aren't bent at all or stripped. Can't be 'common' IMO.

Cheers

[General Baxter]

i do but mine does 10ft jumps, well did, now its about to have a **** load of power thru them lol

hold on lol

[L14MNP]

Holding lol

[General Baxter]

well iv just weighed one of my wheels std tyre, no bloody wonder i have trouble putting them back on,

113.5kg EACH,
so i bet the offroad ones are more
thats a lot of weight hanging off them 6 short little stubbie studs

i went to nissan and asked, theres been a problem with the studs since the 90's they know about it, but dont give a ****,

[L14MNP]

lol. Sounds like you went to one of my local dealers that time mate!

Yeah they're heavy like, but like I say the nuts have came loose and the only damage to the studs is from the wheel leaning on them.
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s247/eurojdmp11/Random/SP_A0063.jpg?t=1247675016

[General Baxter]

nar go onto patrol.com, theres atleast 1 thread a week about wheels falling off

[L14MNP]

Ah lol. Never been on mate, will take a look. Bad craic like.

[General Baxter]

jap 4x4 reliable best off road, but put the wheels on with your teeth the bolts will break lol

[L14MNP]

:headbangwallgif

Nothing broke lol

[General Baxter]

well do them up then lol

[L14MNP]

Need new wheels first! Will just happen again though. Got me bamboozled and the car aint safe to use. Good times :/

Just seen a thread about studs shearing on Patrols, different to what happened here though! lol

[Welsh Dan]

Stick some loctite on them?