Don't forget to torque those wheels!

[prosperity]

Don\'t forget to torque those wheels!

We recently got a new backhoe at work (JCB). As most of us here realize how important it is to re-torque the wheels on a new tractor a couple times.....I guess some things fall through the cracks at our workplace. Expensive lesson!

 

[cowboydoc]

Re: Don\'t forget to torque those wheels!

Boy you sure are right prosperity. I lost a wheel the same way.

 

[Junkman]

Re: Don\'t forget to torque those wheels!

only lost one wheel in all my years of driving and that was over 45 years ago.... the tire shop forgot to tighten the lug nuts and I heard a rumbling, but before I could stop to see what was wrong, it passed me and the car was riding on the brake drum. When I picked up my tractor, they were just re torquing the wheels as I arrived... Guess that makes my dealer a great dealer!!!!

 

[BillyP]

Re: Don\'t forget to torque those wheels!

Once the wheels have been torqued, at the factory or the dealership, that should be it. But it's not. There's something wrong with this whole deal about loose wheel bolts. It just shouldn't happen.

 

[markct]

Re: Don\'t forget to torque those wheels!

i dissagree billy, paint needs to be worn off the surfaces, machining inacuracys need to work themselves in, stresses in the wheel from stamping etc, thats why they tell ya to check them and retouqe after so many hours. if people did that they would have no problems.

 

[LAGEORGE]

Re: Don\'t forget to torque those wheels!

If that was true New Holland would not be racing around fixing front wheel problems all over the country. There really is something very wrong.

George

 

[BillyP]

Re: Don\'t forget to torque those wheels!

Then tell me why people have to keep retorquing them, time after time?

Do you retorque the engine, wheels or anything else on your vehicle?

 

[Slamfire]

Re: Don\'t forget to torque those wheels!

If you have a master mechanic at work, the boss oughta fire him. If you don't the boss oughta hire one.

 

[Old_Hickory]

Re: Don\'t forget to torque those wheels!

There is a problem on a certain brand of tractor.

 

[cowboydoc]

Re: Don\'t forget to torque those wheels!

There isn't a problem. If there was you wouldn't see it on twenty different brands of equipment. Every wheeled vehicle is subject to loose lug nuts. It's been happening since lug nuts were first put on vehicles. I can't remember the exact physics behind it. There is a very real explanation for why lug nuts come loose though and it has nothing to do with a poor design. It has to do with the wheel traveling a different direction than the torque, brakes being applied, etc. I don't remember the exact physics of it.

It's not just wheel bolts either. Every year we go through our equipment and re-tighten numerous nuts and bolts and replace ones that have been lost. It's just a fact of operating equipment.