Different Experience Today. My Wheels Fell Off.

Sometimes it can't really be caught. Although a few other things to look for are if you have hub oil caps that allows you to check the oil you should check them also when glancing under the trailer if you see any brake shoes sticking outside the drum you have an issue. Not saying yours could have been caught just some things I found to look for.

450-500 ft lbs of torque go on these lugs. Not something I'm going to be putting on by hand with a TQ wrench. A 3/4-1" impact gun, maybe. What you're looking for is "obviously loose" lug nuts - and a simple breaker bar and socket will get you the idea whether or not you need to roll by a truckstop and get them torqued down with a gun. If they're loose enough to move by hand - then they have no torque on them at all, and are about to fall off.

The way the studs sheared off on the trailer in question here - is indicative of a larger problem, more than one loose lug for sure - perhaps a tire was replaced and all the lugs weren't tightened down to spec.

Rick

Actually, by hand is the most common, and best, way to torque truck wheel nuts.

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450-500 ft lbs of torque go on these lugs. Not something I'm going to be putting on by hand

I've seen quite a few shops with 5 to 6 foot long torque wrenches for that. One guy places the socket on the nut, the other guy pulls down on the bar, rinse and repeat. I can't imagine what a torque wrench that size must cost.

Do you want to know? Depending on brand, full tq range, etc... you are looking at paying between $500 and $1,500 for one. The cheapest TQ wrenches 0-30 in lbs dial indicating and 40-200 in lbs TQ wrenches run you $100 to $300 . You can sometimes find the on sale for around $50 to $75.

450-500 ft lbs of torque go on these lugs. Not something I'm going to be putting on by hand

I've seen quite a few shops with 5 to 6 foot long torque wrenches for that. One guy places the socket on the nut, the other guy pulls down on the bar, rinse and repeat. I can't imagine what a torque wrench that size must cost.

I've heard the ones loves uses are about $500. I want one, and may get it as long as it doesn't cost a lot to have it calibrated every 6 months. If the shop can do it, then that would be even better.

My opinion would be, the object of the pre-trip, is not to re-torque wheel nuts, but to inspect for loose ones.

If I can move one with short breaker bar, when they are supposed to be at 500 foot pounds, then its loose and it needs to go into a shop to be inspected and retorqued.

I just don't see the need, to spend $500 on the torque wrench to carry on the truck.

I've got that much invested in torque wrench is, in 1/4, 3/8 & 1/2 for working on my motorcycle and car.

Rick

I may have a one sided opinion since I.use these on a daily basis but I wouldn't buy one unless I owned a truck the shops are supposed to.use them as it is and the cheaper the are the harder they are to use and lug around. And 500 ft lbs for 100 lug nuts adds up to alot of time and being worn out and sore afterwards

I've heard the ones loves uses are about $500. I want one, and may get it as long as it doesn't cost a lot to have it calibrated every 6 months. If the shop can do it, then that would be even better.

I may have a one sided opinion since I.use these on a daily basis but I wouldn't buy one unless I owned a truck the shops are supposed to.use them as it is and the cheaper the are the harder they are to use and lug around. And 500 ft lbs for 100 lug nuts adds up to alot of time and being worn out and sore afterwards

I've heard the ones loves uses are about $500. I want one, and may get it as long as it doesn't cost a lot to have it calibrated every 6 months. If the shop can do it, then that would be even better.

What we are talking about here Matt - is how far the drivers are expected to go in a pre-trip - how much they are expected to invest in tools and equipment in order to DRIVE.

I twist wrenches on everything I own. Were I to OWN a truck - I suspect I would have to "tool up" for specialty tools specific to what I would need to maintain that truck (same as all the other tools I own, just TWICE as big - and I'd probably need to upgrade my 150PSI compressor to something bigger). I have $1,000's in my double high box, for the car & motorcycle (and every Harley V-Rod-Specific tool). Another few thou in gunsmithing tools to do my (semi-pro) gunsmithing work ($1,400 in tools specific to M-14's alone, not to mention tools I had to MAKE to perform specific operations on that platform and others).

Most drivers are NOT MECHANICS - and are lucky they can learn enough about the mechanical systems of their rig to pass a PTI Exam for their skills tests. Nor do I believe he "average driver" is expected to know this stuff, beyond the basic inspection to determine if their truck needs to be serviced or not. And certainly aren't expected to repair anything more than basic stuff - bulbs, mud flaps, gladhand seals, etc.

"Gearheads" like us - take it for granted that not everyone "gets it" like we do.

When we were doing our pre-trip in school, they put 11 people under the drive tandems of a truck, to ask them what the difference was in the brakes between the two axles. NOT ONE OF THEM could come up with it. I was last to go - "Hey Rick, get under there and look". "Don't need to - one of the axles has a dual diaphragm brake chamber, for the spring brake. It's twice as big as the other, and has TWO AIR LINES RUNNING INTO IT. Come on people, you ALL passed an AIR BRAKE ENDORSEMENT." I was the only guy that ever worked as a mechanic, and worked on all his own stuff.

Rick

I agree I wouldn't think the average driver regardless of mechanical aptitude would need a torque wrench to torque their own wheels that is the garage personnel responsibility. I believe the drivers responsibility could be covered by having the lug nut tags or marks on the lugnuts. I could be wrong but I think that would cover their side so to speak.

I may have a one sided opinion since I.use these on a daily basis but I wouldn't buy one unless I owned a truck the shops are supposed to.use them as it is and the cheaper the are the harder they are to use and lug around. And 500 ft lbs for 100 lug nuts adds up to alot of time and being worn out and sore afterwards

I've heard the ones loves uses are about $500. I want one, and may get it as long as it doesn't cost a lot to have it calibrated every 6 months. If the shop can do it, then that would be even better.

What we are talking about here Matt - is how far the drivers are expected to go in a pre-trip - how much they are expected to invest in tools and equipment in order to DRIVE.

I twist wrenches on everything I own. Were I to OWN a truck - I suspect I would have to "tool up" for specialty tools specific to what I would need to maintain that truck (same as all the other tools I own, just TWICE as big - and I'd probably need to upgrade my 150PSI compressor to something bigger). I have $1,000's in my double high box, for the car & motorcycle (and every Harley V-Rod-Specific tool). Another few thou in gunsmithing tools to do my (semi-pro) gunsmithing work ($1,400 in tools specific to M-14's alone, not to mention tools I had to MAKE to perform specific operations on that platform and others).

Most drivers are NOT MECHANICS - and are lucky they can learn enough about the mechanical systems of their rig to pass a PTI Exam for their skills tests. Nor do I believe he "average driver" is expected to know this stuff, beyond the basic inspection to determine if their truck needs to be serviced or not. And certainly aren't expected to repair anything more than basic stuff - bulbs, mud flaps, gladhand seals, etc.

"Gearheads" like us - take it for granted that not everyone "gets it" like we do.

When we were doing our pre-trip in school, they put 11 people under the drive tandems of a truck, to ask them what the difference was in the brakes between the two axles. NOT ONE OF THEM could come up with it. I was last to go - "Hey Rick, get under there and look". "Don't need to - one of the axles has a dual diaphragm brake chamber, for the spring brake. It's twice as big as the other, and has TWO AIR LINES RUNNING INTO IT. Come on people, you ALL passed an AIR BRAKE ENDORSEMENT." I was the only guy that ever worked as a mechanic, and worked on all his own stuff.

Rick