Tighten lugnuts before each trip

[rbq]

Just saw this on the local news. Be sure & check lugnuts before each trip.
Windshield smashed when wheel came loose, 5 injured | ksl.com

[Ford Idaho]

Bought a new torque wrench just for the trailer, got it set to 105 foot pounds.

[simplyrwc]

Thank you for this.....I will have to show the DW. She is always giving be a bad time about my check list and double checking everything......

[Iwannacamp]

Word to the wise... Do not leave a "click type" torque wrench set at a high setting. It will mess up the calibration. Always back off the tension when finished. 25 years selling tools.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Iwannacamp

Word to the wise... Do not leave a "click type" torque wrench set at a high setting. It will mess up the calibration. Always back off the tension when finished. 25 years selling tools.

Ditto, but without the gobs of experience. The instruction booklet that came with mine said to set it at it's lowest setting when you store it.

[thebrakeman]

You guys beat me to it, about backing off the torque wrench (if it's that type).
PS - That state trooper doens't know what he's talking about. That couple was right to be devestated, because it was their fault. They had new tires, which points to the need to get back onto a strict torque-check schedule, at least daily (I forget the recommendation). What was the basis for the trooper saying "it wasn't their fault"? Who's fault was it? Likely all the other nuts were loose, too. Hopefully someone checked the rest, and told them to continue checking at least daily for the next 1000 miles or so.

[rbq]

Here is a follow up story about this with pics of the van.

http:// http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=27160660&nid=148&title=family-tells-of-minivan-being-crushed-by-loose-tire&fm=home_page&s_cid=queue-1

[simplyrwc]

Man that's crazy,

[Pooneil]

Originally Posted by rbq

Here is a follow up story about this with pics of the van.

http:// http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=27160660&nid=148&title=family-tells-of-minivan-being-crushed-by-loose-tire&fm=home_page&s_cid=queue-1

Once I caught a car tire in the exact same place. In my case the car was traveling in the same direction as I was. It came off the car and I started braking as it rolled into my lane. Then it started tumbling and I locked my brakes. The tire hit my car on the up portion of a bounce, so the impact was not very hard and left only a skid mark. After hitting me the tire flew over the barrier into oncoming traffic and I don't know what happened after that.

[Pooneil]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

What was the basis for the trooper saying "it wasn't their fault"? Who's fault was it.

He was likely speaking of criminal liability. Making a case for criminal negligence is probably out of his purview. The civil liability is squarely on the RV owner with potential fallback on the last tire service provider or even back to the axle manufacturer. I hope they have plenty of coverage, the family driving the van will need the money.

[avolnek]

There is a video of the "news" that shows the wheel and tire that hit the window. I noticed the lug holes have been stretched pretty wide. This is caused by the lug nuts being loose for a fair amount of time. The only way this happens is with loose lug nuts, and it didn't happen all at once...

I would agree with Brakeman saying the officer is wrong say the driver of the 5er wasn't at fault! He was completely at fault! I hate to say it, but I hate seeing stories like this because it makes all of pulling trailers look bad! Makes us look like we have no real idea of what we are doing! How in the holy heck did he continue driving without a front left tire? How did he not see it come off... People that are oblivious to such disastrous events happening to their rig shouldn't be driving such rigs...

It's an awful story and I hate hearing it! Thank God everyone turned out OK as this could have been MUCH worse!

This could have and should have been prevented!

Thanks for sharing this story! Just reiterates to all of us to check and re check things!

[thebrakeman]

Everyone being "OK" only means nobody died. But 1 had had neck surgury, and 2 other may need neck surgury. For sure at least 3 will have neck problems the rest of their lives.

The good officer would have been best to not comment on fault at all.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by avolnek

There is a video of the "news" that shows the wheel and tire that hit the window. I noticed the lug holes have been stretched pretty wide. This is caused by the lug nuts being loose for a fair amount of time. The only way this happens is with loose lug nuts, and it didn't happen all at once...

I would agree with Brakeman saying the officer is wrong say the driver of the 5er wasn't at fault! He was completely at fault! I hate to say it, but I hate seeing stories like this because it makes all of pulling trailers look bad! Makes us look like we have no real idea of what we are doing! How in the holy heck did he continue driving without a front left tire? How did he not see it come off... People that are oblivious to such disastrous events happening to their rig shouldn't be driving such rigs...

It's an awful story and I hate hearing it! Thank God everyone turned out OK as this could have been MUCH worse!

This could have and should have been prevented!

Thanks for sharing this story! Just reiterates to all of us to check and re check things!

The owner was definitely negligent for not watching the tire tech tighten and torque the lug nuts and also negligent for not re-torqueing them after 50 miles as the warning stickers state. Any time the lugs are removed, I re-torque them every 50-75 miles until they no longer move and then check the torque every 400-500 miles there after and at the start of every trip. TOWTA thinks I'm anal about it, but I'd rather know that the lugs are tight.

[rattleNsmoke]

WOW. 1 foot either way and passengers would have been killed.

[campnqueen]

all I can say is WOW! Make ya think.

[rawlus]

Following proper procedures should be enough, I'm not going to be checking my lug nuts before every trip... It seems a bit excessive/paranoid. And no, I'm not wishing death to others on the roadway or anything like that, I just don't subscribe to these types of "preventative" obsessions...

[DDC]

If they just picked up the trailer from the tire place and only drove say thirty miles who's fault is it then?

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by DDC

If they just picked up the trailer from the tire place and only drove say thirty miles who's fault is it then?

Still theirs because they failed to watch and verify the lug nuts were torqued. IMO, that's just common sense to verify or ask to watch them torque the lugs. Checking torque before every trip IMO is no different than checking that the hitch is secured, etc. An extra 5 minutes is cheap insurance. Nobody should be in that much of a hurry.

[Tiggerdad]

If you get new lug nuts make certain they have the correct taper and that the recess on the tire rim is larger than the hex of the nut.

[Pooneil]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Still theirs because they failed to watch and verify the lug nuts were torqued.

Civil liability certainly starts with the owners but could also go back to a recent service provider. Criminal liability is probably mitigated if they relied on a competent professional service provider, depending on the laws in the state. I just hope the owner has a good insurance policy, it is much easier to get money from the insurance company than from the owner, who may choose to fight the case further.