Vehicle manufacturers always specify the correct tightening torque of  ;nuts and bolts on. Failure to follow these recommendations is very dangerous: improper fastenings can lead to a serious car accident. In this article we present the most common mistakes that occur when installing pre-fasteners, how to prevent them and what to do if a poorly fastened wheel comes loose.
Contents
Why improperly tightening fasteners is dangerous
An under-tightened fastener exposed to vibration while riding tends to loosen quickly. This means that over time it will twist out completely. If there are several such incorrectly tightened fasteners, it can also happen that a wheel comes off completely in the middle of the ride.
Overtightening the fastener is also dangerous, as it can deform the rim or alter the hole profile, making it difficult to fix the wheel. The rim itself is likely to crack near the bracket area, while the screw or pin may break. In addition, if you overtighten the screw, there is a risk that the thread will be damaged or the screw head will become rounded. All of this makes wheel removal difficult and sometimes impossible.
5 Wheel-bolt installation mistakes
- Tighten by hand: Install the wheel bolts with a torque wrench to check the tightening torque. However, it is advisable to perform hand tightening to avoid fastener misalignment and seat damage.
- Using an impulse wrench: In most cases, using this tool puts you at risk of over-tightening the fastener. The only exception are the professional and high-quality tools that can precisely adjust the tightening torque.
- Installing unsuitable fasteners: Wrong selection of components can cause various problems, such as:
- Bolts that are too long can interfere with other parts, which in turn could lock the wheels.
- Bolts that are too short cannot ensure reliable attachment of the rim. Using these increases the risk of damaging the threaded part of the element or its mounting hole.
- The use of tapered fasteners in wheels with spherical shells and vice versa causes misalignment of the wheel with respect to its axis of rotation. The threaded connection also becomes loose as a natural consequence.
- Use of worn or broken fasteners: Lug nuts and bolts are designed to be assembled/disassembled approximately 35-40 times. We then recommend replacing them. It is also forbidden to attach the elements with damaged threads or heads.
- Tighten the screws in a random order: In order to position the wheels correctly, the fasteners must follow a precise pattern be attracted. The most common are here:
- with four-point attachment: 1-3-4-2
- with five points: 1-4-2-5-3
- with six dots: 1-4-5-2-3-6
If the wheel is detached: extreme driving class
In many cases, signs of the fasteners coming loose on their own are specific clicking or knocking noises while driving, a wobbling steering wheel, uneven tire wear, and a few other symptoms. However, if these are not noticed in time and the wheel detaches while driving, you should do the following:
- Hold the steering wheel. Generally, the wheel will begin to vibrate before it comes loose. As soon as you notice this, keep both hands on the steering wheel at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions.
- Drive the car carefully to the curb. When performing these maneuvers, act on the steering wheel with as few movements as possible and maximum attention.
- At the same time, you should release the accelerator pedal to reduce speed.
- Then slow down.
- Step on the brake pedal slowly.
Avoid abrupt movements as this will lead to a complete loss of control.
Conclusion
The safety of all road users depends on how reliably the wheel bolts are attached. Unfortunately, there are many motorists who do not pay enough attention to the wheel bolts, which causes many road accidents and can lead to death. To avoid this, it is recommended to check the threaded connections at least once a month and, if necessary, tighten them to the values indicated in the technical documents. Also, only buy high-quality parts that meet your vehicle's specifications. If the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations are followed during installation, the vehicle's wheels will always stay in their intended position.
