Wheel fell off today...

Since this is an aftermarket wheel, any chance of a hub-centric vs lug-centric issue?

 

Dammit. been there, it sucks, mine was rear, no damage other than lost wheel down the ravine

 

That sucks ,glad your ok .

 

Scary stuff, glad nobody got hurt. Does insurance cover something like this with after market wheels etc? I hope so. I’ve always kept everything stock just in case...

 

Awful. It will get fixed but not fun. Most importantly, try not to let it ruin your vacation. I know easier said then done!

 

My friend and I installed the wheels with an impact and I had checked the torque afterwards. As others have said, they must have started to come loose over time. I'll know for next time inspect them more often.

They are lug centric wheels the a spacing center cap. Also with the ET lug nuts, they should have centered the wheels with enough thread engagement.

I agree, I wish it would have happened in the rear. No weight back there so I'm sure the weight of front end would have kept the truck level.

I'm hoping so. My truck is sitting on stock suspension and components, it only has aftermarket wheels and tires which I don't think it should affect it.

I agree, it definitely sucks since I've been dealing with this for a few days but I'm trying to catch some sun, boating and fishing in between. Thanks!

 

Insurance is asking if I'm able to do a quick fix with a local shop (small town), then drive it home and arrange a body shop for the rest of the damage.

Does anyone think there's anything wrong with that? Or should I be pushing to have my truck towed back to a reputable shop close to home?

Also, if I do have to get a quick fix locally here, my wheel is destroyed and I'd have to drive back home on a SMALLER spare (100km). Is there any issues with that in my front diff?

 

This really, really sucks. I just want to say that I'm glad you and those around you were okay... That could have been nasty if it happened on a highway, etc.

Sending you the best of vibes!

 

I would have it towed on a flatbed. There's no chance I would recommend you driving it after any quick fix. You just don't know what other parts of the braking system or suspension related parts are compromised during this accident.

 

Have it checked out locally, put on a wheel and tire that is the same height as your other wheels and then test drive it. If all seems OK drive it home.

 

Don't listen to your insurance. Their main job is to minimize insurance payouts. I know, I used to work for a large insurance company years ago. Towing that far would be a big bill for them that's why they want you to drive it home.

Also this is the first time ever that I've seen lug nuts work themselves out after being torqued down properly.

 

It’s an accident, your insurance will take care of everything. They should also pay towing for where ever they want it taken for repair. Call your insurance company, get a claim started and find out where they want it taken.Demand that they handle everything. That’s what you pay premiums for.

 

I'm gonna make some pretty harsh statements that most people will disagree with, but it's strictly my $.02 worth. The OP was negligent in his choice of wheels, or lug nuts, or his failure to retorque the lug nuts shortly after installation. The other mistake was thinking, "I'm almost there. I'll check it in the driveway." Regardless, the OPs negligence caused damage to his truck. Everyone says, let the insurance take care of it. The insurance company WILL get their money back. Insurance is for, oops, I fell asleep and rolled my truck 15 times. Oops, I was launching my boat and sunk my truck in the lake. Oops, I was swatting a bee in the cab and ran a red light.

If it were my truck, I would replace the lug studs, file the burs off the rotor, install the steel spare with new tapered seat lug nuts and drive it home. Then start collecting parts and work with a body shop to get them painted. Then chalk it up to an expensive learning experience.

I have the deductibles on my insurance set really high to save money on premiums. I save my insurance for the big problems. To me, $2K is not enough of a claim to justify having a claim on my insurance.

 

Glad no one was hurt.
Same has happened to my bro.

 

Still an accident with damage regardless of the negligent party. There's no way I'll pay out of pocket much less do my own repairs if the truck's fully insured. Heck, people claim hail damage and I consider this much more costly.

 

Agreed, i just have no idea what all was damaged. The quick fix would also be someone local who doesn't seem to be running a shop anymore from what I've heard. This could void any recovery costs on my end if the mechanic is no longer operating a business.

Agreed as well. Both my parents work in insurance and have expressed the same views as you. End of the day, saving costs is only beneficial to them.

I was also under the impression that they would coordinate the shop/towing and repairs. I'm playing phone tag and seems like they want me to find someone up here in the country because they don't have any of their vendors in this area, which I don't think is the best option.

I'm not going to disagree with you and I reached out for advice, well for advice. Whether good or bad I wanted people's opinions. I too didn't want to go through insurance the fact of the matter is, I'm far from home $1000+ flatbed tow, have a fender, flare, hood, door and suspension components that are damaged which will easily run into the 5k+ range after parts, labor and paint.

I told myself if I was closer to home and didn't have as much body damage that I would just suck it up and source the parts myself but this isn't the case.

I've been driving for 15yrs and have never made a claim or even had a ticket therefore I consider myself a good client (if that's a thing). I would have preferred my first insurance claim to be something bigger but either way I look at it it's still a lesson learned. I pay a deductible, and my premiums will go up plain and simple.

And to speak to the wheels/lugs, they are meant to fit my setup along with ET lugs. I did what I could to ensure they fit properly and the rest is what it is. Not looking for sympathy but advice for a mistake.

I hope your bro wasn't hurt either, this type of situation can go very wrong, very quick!

I agree, like most I've been paying full coverage for 15yrs without ever making a claim nor getting a ticket. I would have liked to never ever have to make a claim but the fact is, even a small thing like this will end up being very expensive!

 

Just a scare. He is good thx
And yes can go bad real quick

 

I've heard of it happening before on a friend's truck but it was because the lug nuts didn't engage enough thread on the stud, which is what I'm inclined to think happened here but he said he got the longer lugs...I wonder if they still weren't long enough?

OP do you remember how many threads they engaged before being properly torqued?

I bought some .25" spacers last year to try and help with the frame rub I was getting from my tire at full lock, but when I installed them and put the wheel back on I was only engaging about 4 threads with my lug nuts. Ended up putting the spacers back on the shelf, happy I did.

Glad you guys are ok

 

My bros nugs nuts where to tight and they cracked the lug and a couple ended up shearing off. You can see it in the pic.

 

Ouch, yeah that's why I never advocate using an impact wrench on lug nuts (not saying your buddy did..but that can happen if they get overtightened).

I don't know about 2nd gens but on 1st gens, the torque spec for lug nuts is 'only' 83 ft/lbs, some full size trucks have their's at well over 100. An impact wrench can shoot over that in a second if you aren't careful, even if you check them with a click type torque wrench after that it might say it's torqued to spec but in reality it's wayyy over-torqued.

Might be another possible explanation for the OPs situation