Disaster on way to Portugal!!

[Carpmart]

Finely from me. I don’t think the OP or for that matter any of us will ever get to know what actually caused this near catastrophe, but by sharing his experience on here there will no doubt be hundreds of us checking our wheel nuts/bolts in the next few weeks, and it that saves just one person/family from near disaster it’ll be thanks to the OP for sharing

I’m beg to differ… it’s cut and dried fitter error….

Wheel bolts when correctly torqued don’t suddenly come undone, so no need to check unless you’ve had the wheels off!

 

[March Hare]

Can I ask how replacing rear tyres causes problems with the near side front?
Incidentally, I have been impressed by Mercedes Roadside Assistance, though not regarding a Motorhome

Thanks B+W vanman ! You spotted my error - it was the front tyres that had been replaced.

We had excellent service - funnily enough that was via Green Flag, but they arranged for us to go to the Mercedes garage, hence they used their own recovery truck.

 

[martin2603]

On a side re torque

i’ve a Rapido tag on an Alko heavy chassis with 16” Fiat alloys, does anyone have a torque setting please as i’ve recently had all 6 wheels removed and refitted

180 nm for 16 inch wheels
160nm for 15 inch wheels

 

[bladerunner]

Slightly off topic, but just to cheer you all up:

A few years ago I was in an old land cruiser safari bus in a South African game park.
The friendly Zulu driver saw we had a puncture driving up to the hill top lunch stop, and didn't want to stop amongst the beasties, so he continues until inside the electric fence.

Over a pleasant BBQ with wine, the wheel was changed by a local.
Returning down the hill, it was St Davids day, so we are all singing "delila".
At which point the wheel fell off and we clattered to a halt.

The wheel bounced off into the bush, and, slightly bruised, me and a Canadian prof jumped off to get it.
Mr Zulu nervously followed with a gun, pointing out we were in a Safari park.

Having retrieved the wheel from 50m away, we were 4 bolts down, but being an educated chap, I removed one from the other 3 wheels and we replaced the wheel. (Not easy when 3 overweight Dutch ladies refused to get out the truck).

On we drove, but it soon became clear the wheel would wobble off again, so we stopped.

Around the corner a shiny new LC came with a white driver

'hey guys, did you see that lovely leopard just back there?"



"No, but maybe she saw us".


Always check your nuts!

 

[gus-lopez]

Oh s**t, doesn’t even look like a decent tyre fitter’s van as it looks empty.

It is a "mobile workshop" it says it on the side.

where the manufacturer really should be speccing a wider axle.

This^^^^^^^^^^

The op stopped because a Spanish car flagged him down. How many of us would have been concerned re a Spanish car waiving you down. Ie do you stop or not?

Yes that was my first thought.

Surely you can't do this as every time you take it off you are starting the procedure all over again.

No you aren't -You replace the inside one & torque it up then replace the outside one & torque it up.after 30miles you remove the outside wheel only & check that the inside wheel is correctly torqued.You then replace the outside wheel & torque up. after another 30 miles you then just check the torque of the outre wheel. Never touching the inside one as that has already been done.

That's a very old Transit (plate number from 1992) to turn up with as a starter

True but as they are a "Taller movil",& therefore every last item inside has to be homologated to the vehicle they tend to keep them for years. Also when they come to sell the the prices are astronomical.

I hope our twin rear wheel March 2005 Iveco has not got this set up.

I'd have thought you would have had a look?

My flat nuts with attached flat rotating washers are torqued to 200Nm. I can remove & retighten them to approximately that figure using the extendible ,to 24", cranked wheel bar I carry. I also carry a 1/2"torque wrench that is 4' long ,as the 2' torque wrench will not go to 200Nm.

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[Bailey58]

I hope you liked it there

Hope he kept his room booked.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Just north of Teruel on the A23 is a big Morello broken down . The police wete with them and all warning signs out. No breakdown truck as yet.. we couldnt stop as it was too busy and the police had the Van cordoned off. The number plate was something like MOR E110 .I have seen the plate before but can't recall if it's a funster or not.?
Not a good advert for Morello vans.

 

[DerryW]

180 nm for 16 inch wheels
160nm for 15 inch wheels

Is that the same settings for 16” alloy wheels on the Fiat lightweight chassis. Thanks

 

[CazPaul]

Just north of Teruel on the A23 is a big Morello broken down . The police wete with them and all warning signs out. No breakdown truck as yet.. we couldnt stop as it was too busy and the police had the Van cordoned off. The number plate was something like MOR E110 .I have seen the plate before but can't recall if it's a funster or not.?
Not a good advert for Morello vans.

There’s many many thousands out there though especially German registered ones.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

There’s many many thousands out there though especially German registered ones.

Thought it was a brit with that sort of reg no..? Is it anyone on fun?

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[carolyn]

What a terrifying experience. I’m really glad you’re OK and hope you can soon get on with enjoying your trip.

I’m afraid I had no idea that you were supposed to check after “X” many miles . I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it says to do it on the bill from the local tyre fitter. I never check. I just hand over my card. In future I’ll pop back in and get one of them to do it. Lesson learned.

 

[funflair]

It is to enable you to get the wheel off at the side of the road, you would still use a torque wrench for final tightening.
If the OP had had one he wouldn't have called the breakdown and wouldn't had the problem.

I am not convinced that would work on the spacers with deep holes though

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

It is a "mobile workshop" it says it on the side.

The photo of the inside says no it isn’t

 

[Jon Stewart]

Wanted large torque wrench upto 350 nm
We had a rear puncture last year in Spain and the guy who came out never had a torque wrench he said not needed but I kept checking the nuts on my way home,
I do carry a 250nm for the fronts but need to sorce a 350nm for the rear that will do both jobs.

Just bought this one (delivered).

Won't be using it until the weekend, but seems solid and well made (probably in the same factory as much more expensive one!).

Amazon Basics 1/2 Inch Drive Click Heavy-Duty Torque Wrench, 25-250 ft.-lb, 33.9-338.9 Nm https://amzn.eu/d/0LC9lcF

Hope this helps.

 

[Al n Val]

180 nm for 16 inch wheels
160nm for 15 inch wheels

Brr!!!

It’s freezing outside but I’ve just had to go out and try the wheel nuts, all were torqued to 180Nm so I’m happy as Larry

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[Steve and Denise]

Brr!!!

It’s freezing outside but I’ve just had to go out and try the wheel nuts, all were torqued to 180Nm so I’m happy as Larry

Iveco 300-350nm

 

[Emmit]

It was actually a Portuguese car as we had just crossed the border and when I pulled onto the N road and stopped in the middle of the road a 2nd Portuguese car stopped and asked if we were ok as he owns a motorhome so was concerned, very nice of them

Typical of the Portugese. A lovely country filled with lovely people.

 

[Mleabon]

I don’t torque up, back off and re torque car wheels etc.

But I always torque wheels up off the floor.
No lateral forces acting on the wheels then.

How do you torque them up off the floor? Don't they turn? I lower the jack a bit to get the wheels on the ground (Not full weight) to stop them turning when I torque them to 180NM .

 

[eurajohn]

Just a little pedantic but not only do you need a torque wrench, it is also necessary to know how to use it correctly.
On a couple of occasions at tyre shops I've experienced the fitter actually use a torque wrench till it clicked then continue to tighten, just to be sure (his words not mine) the second time was just recently a different business tried to explain to me that the pneumatic impact gun was set to correct setting, when asked to prove it much shrugging and poofing (I am in France) eventually the torque wrench proved the "fitter" wrong.
It does pay to challenge.

 

[Al n Val]

Iveco 300-350nm

Fiat 180Nm Steve

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[DandG5515]

Wanted large torque wrench upto 350 nm
We had a rear puncture last year in Spain and the guy who came out never had a torque wrench he said not needed but I kept checking the nuts on my way home,
I do carry a 250nm for the fronts but need to sorce a 350nm for the rear that will do both jobs.

I think I need to carry more gear, when we left sherringham the brake pad warning light came on. I remembered your trick of a sledge hammer sliding on wood to remove the inner wheels. It still took 15 minutes a side to get them off. (Bear in mind they've only been off twice in 15 years). So I now need to add torque wrench, sledgehammer and wood to payload. Happy days.

 

[dpsuk999]

How do you torque them up off the floor? Don't they turn? I lower the jack a bit to get the wheels on the ground (Not full weight) to stop them turning when I torque them to 180NM .

Mine is rear wheel drive so if I’m gear or handbrake on then all is good

 

[Steve and Denise]

I gave that 14lb one away David it’s to heavy for me these days you could of had it

 

[M50]

All this thread there’s been no mention of the correct sequence of tightening maybe this was also a factor of the fitters mistake

I carry a very long breaker bar and torque wrench for replacing but I found with the extension on the clear both the outer rim and the bodywork of the motor home I couldn’t achieve the 350Nm that was required
So I now also carry a small 2T hydrologic jack and a block of wood to support the end of the torque wrench while I can then torque correctly
Something like my bad drawing below

 

[Minxy]

I’m happy as Larry

Ah but do you truly know just how happy Larry is?

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[jongood]

All this thread there’s been no mention of the correct sequence of tightening maybe this was also a factor of the fitters mistake

I carry a very long breaker bar and torque wrench for replacing but I found with the extension on the clear both the outer rim and the bodywork of the motor home I couldn’t achieve the 350Nm that was required
So I now also carry a small 2T hydrologic jack and a block of wood to support the end of the torque wrench while I can then torque correctly
Something like my bad drawing below



View attachment 997599

Loving the hydrologic jack wondering where to get one? Im guessing Autocorrect land

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

I think I need to carry more gear, when we left sherringham the brake pad warning light came on. I remembered your trick of a sledge hammer sliding on wood to remove the inner wheels. It still took 15 minutes a side to get them off. (Bear in mind they've only been off twice in 15 years). So I now need to add torque wrench, sledgehammer and wood to payload. Happy days.

I realise this might seem a tad insensitive, but if you are having issues removing a wheel because it is stuck on the hub spigot, an old trick is to refit the wheel nuts, but don’t tighten them, then drop the jack suddenly to shock the wheel to move. If that doesn’t work, slowly drive along, ideally whilst steering side to side to load the wheel/hub interface and release the wheel. TBH this is probably much safer than going under a vehicle supported only on a jack, and wielding a big hammer to attempt to knock the wheel off. We used to have horrendous problems getting alloy wheels off spigot mounts.

 

[pelican]

Just a little pedantic but not only do you need a torque wrench, it is also necessary to know how to use it correctly.
On a couple of occasions at tyre shops I've experienced the fitter actually use a torque wrench till it clicked then continue to tighten, just to be sure (his words not mine) the second time was just recently a different business tried to explain to me that the pneumatic impact gun was set to correct setting, when asked to prove it much shrugging and poofing (I am in France) eventually the torque wrench proved the "fitter" wrong.
It does pay to challenge.

Yes I have heard that old bolloxs in UK several times

 

[DandG5515]

I realise this might seem a tad insensitive, but if you are having issues removing a wheel because it is stuck on the hub spigot, an old trick is to refit the wheel nuts, but don’t tighten them, then drop the jack suddenly to shock the wheel to move. If that doesn’t work, slowly drive along, ideally whilst steering side to side to load the wheel/hub interface and release the wheel. TBH this is probably much safer than going under a vehicle supported only on a jack, and wielding a big hammer to attempt to knock the wheel off. We used to have horrendous problems getting alloy wheels off spigot mounts.

No problem, I had one jack on axel, 2nd on chassis. Wheel nuts half on. Then slide the hammer along wood pulling the handle from outside the vehicle so I was not under the van. Happy days

 

[Fdhadi]

I keep getting a picture in my head of vehicles stopped to tighten wheel nuts on a smart motorway because they’ve been told to check after a certain mileage.

Heavy bit of kit these torque wrenches, might need to uprate again. I’m going with FT.

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