front wheel came off

[GaryS]

is the part that stripped in the hub? or did the bolt threads deform?

I got real lucky. The bolts failed completely and the hub was mostly ok. The threads on two holes were messed up but I bought a tap today and they tapped out cleanly. I wonder if this is by design - have the bolts be weaker so they fail instead of an expensive hub. I replaced all the bolts with bolts and put nuts on thew other side. I'm back in business.

thanks to all.

 

[GaryS]

oh, and I forgot to mention this. At the hardware store I told the guy I wanted 7 or better bolts. Then I noticed they all had an 8 on them and said that I was OK. He said "8 means SAE 5.5". So I need to get better bolts. Anyplace anyone can recommend that sells metric bolts & nuts?

 

[Soundguy]

Nuttin wrong with gr5 hardware for general purpose tractorin stuff.

Gr5 went out on old fords.. made near a million of them.. and a good % are still kicking.

I'd be wary of tapped out threads on the hub.. I'd deffinately nut the ones that had -any- thread damage.

soundguy

 

[banjodunn]

G'day if you have got metric bolts then go for 10.9 or better they are the equiv of a grade 8


Jon

 

[Diamondpilot]

I WOULD NOT put a heavier grade bolt in it. I would much rather have $10 worth of bolts fail that I could change in the field than a $900 hub assembly that requires full tear down of the axle to get at.

Think of the bolts that failed as a shear pin. Just like the one in a Bush Hog, Tiller, or Post Hole Digger. They are designed to fail instead of something expensive breaking.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

It honestly sounds like he's already got hub damage. IMHO.. I'd not trust a bolt / lug stud, whatever that I had to chase out after a bolt pulled out of it... IE.. the long bolts and the nuts... IMHO.. his hub is already a gonner.. only thing that I might trust is tapping larger size threads in the hub.. etc..

soundguy

 

[Just Bill]

Hello
I don't think that lug bolts should be considered as shear pins.
They are to hold the wheel on and not fail, that is probably why there is more than 1.
Especially on any alloy wheel it is recommended that after replacement the lugs are to be retorqued after a few miles.
Its not a bad idea on any wheel.

 

[Wayne_H]

put helicoils in where the threads are damaged, put the right OEM bolts in, torque it to spec and it will be good for life. Tire bolts don't just fall off when they get bored or tired.... my guess is they were not torqued right at some point in their lives.

wayne

 

[EE_Bota]

I agree with many of the others, but with minor differences:

If the bolts you show in the picture are representative, they did not fail, they came loose. This has nothing to do with grade.

I would not go up on grade unless it is convenient, and it sounds like it is not.


The threads look like they are not torn nor broken, rather, they looked hammered down by the rim hitting them from the side.

If not for the racket of your engine, etc, you might have heard the wheel making noise each rotation.

I think it is likely that your hub is fine, but I do like the idea of the nuts on the other side of any hole that the tap would not start and run in by hand during the tapping. I would be watchful to make sure the nuts will clear everything in all cases.

The foam in the tire did not cause the problem. I agree with Dave that the lower traction is likely due to lack of conformance of the contact patch.

I would insist on new lock washers now, and each time those bolts are removed in the future.

 

[NH-Rob]

I have nevered tried it but wonder if the hub holes are junk if the hole could be drilled out and a stud pulled into the the blank hole and then a nut be used on the rim.
Rob