MG Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" and Costello V8s

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limey222
Michael Cubbon
Portland, OR
(129 posts)

Registered:
08/01/2015 12:55PM

Main British Car:
1969 MGB GM 3.4L V6

Help.. just had wheel fall off as I came to stop sign
Posted by: limey222
Date: January 30, 2016 12:01PM

OK, here's the scenario, a shop that I trust just installed an MGC 3.07 axle in my MGB for me as my back and hip is acting up so I couldn't attempt the job myself. I had two aluminum spacers made in a reputable machine shop, as we were converting from WW wheels to steels wheels, they fitted nicely.

A few nights before I had pressed out the original wheel studs and installed longer M12 x 1.5 studs sourced from Summit Racing into a spare set of MGB drive hubs that were in excellent condition. Pressed them in and also used high strength Loctite just to be sure. Then I gave them to the shop for the install.

When they finished the job they re-installed the Minilite-type wheels (Moss) and torqued up the wheel nuts to the recommended setting. The nut were new from Summit as well. They were closed nuts but we had carefully checked the thread depth and they were long enough to fully seat in the wheel.
The new diff is nice and quiet so that pleased me, they put the car through bit of a road test and reached about 60 mph (city street). They came up to stop sign and as the car came to a stop the wheel apparently just fell off slightly damaging the bodywork.

I'm going over to the shop in the morning to inspect the damage. The shop owner is at a total loss as to what caused th problem. The other wheel on the same axle is fine, they checked the tightness and it was unchanged.

Any carefully considered suggestions?


flyinlow
Kevin .
Elko NV
(84 posts)

Registered:
01/25/2011 04:52PM

Main British Car:
1964 Spitfire Ford 5.0

Re: Help.. just had wheel fall off as I came to stop sign
Posted by: flyinlow
Date: January 30, 2016 12:23PM

most likely the wheel was in a slight bind so once the wheel settled the lugnuts were no longer tight


RMO 699F
Mike Maloney
SW Ohio
(531 posts)

Registered:
12/09/2007 12:28PM

Main British Car:
1974 MGB Sebring GT, 3.9 Rover V8

authors avatar
Re: Help.. just had wheel fall off as I came to stop sign
Posted by: RMO 699F
Date: January 31, 2016 07:03PM

I put spacers on my midget Arkley along with "new" conical lug nuts last year...the left front wheel kept getting loose...the problem was the lug nuts were slightly smaller on the taper and were "eating" into the wheel lug holes. I opted to put snug washers that hugged the lugs...solved the problem.


DiDueColpi
Fred Key
West coast - Canada
(1365 posts)

Registered:
05/14/2010 03:06AM

Main British Car:
I really thought that I'd be an action figure by now!

authors avatar
Re: Help.. just had wheel fall off as I came to stop sign
Posted by: DiDueColpi
Date: February 01, 2016 04:18AM

So, sadly, Michael I think you shot yourself in the foot.
Pressing wheel studs in using locktite doesn't work well and here's why.
You press in your new studs using the red or the green locktite thinking that you have permanently locked them in place.
The problem is that they don't fully seat until they are torqued down.
So now you install your wheels and carefully torque them in place.
It's all good except that the locktite is holding the studs in a less than completely seated position.
After a few miles the Locktite can no longer maintain the bond and it lets go releasing the pressure on the stud and the nut goes loose.
I personally never use locktite on a stud. Really, honestly, where is it going to go?
When you install a press in stud, over torque it by 30 to 50% to seat it properly and it will never give you a problem.
Put your wheels on, torque them by hand. ( not the ridiculous torque sticks that the tire shops use) and redo them in 50 miles.
You can now live happily ever after.

Cheers
Fred


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