Track Tac

Wheel came off...

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trigun7469

Member
Does anybody torque their wheel nuts? after completing the first heat in the rain, the first turn in the feature my wheel came off. I am not exactly sure what happened from the looks of it a lugnut must have come loose. Perhaps it slipped off because of the lack of traction in the rain, moving forward I will now check my lugnuts before each session.
 
We battery impact our wheels off and on.
When wheels go on, they get double-tapped.
We lightly impact them initially, then lightly impact them again to be sure.
Sometimes it pays to be OCD.
 
Bumpy said:
We battery impact our wheels off and on.
When wheels go on, they get double-tapped.
We lightly impact them initially, then lightly impact them again to be sure.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I do. You don't have to go crazy on tightening, but double-checking is always good.

Also, the studs (on the front hubs especially in my experience) will back out from the hub when you try to tighten the wheel if there is a burr on the stud or the lugnut's threads are chewed up a bit. It will look like the nut is tightening, but it's actually loosening the stud on the other side. Make sure your studs are tight before you load up for the day. Hope this helps!

-Andy
 
Bumpy said:
We battery impact our wheels off and on.
When wheels go on, they get double-tapped.
We lightly impact them initially, then lightly impact them again to be sure.
Sometimes it pays to be OCD.
Click to expand...

Ditto that! I'd also rather break a stud than have a wheel come off.....
 
I run 5/16 lugs with lock washers. I haven't had a wheel come off yet. But I have had hub wheel combo come off both sides at once. You kinda look like shiners kart, now hubs a pined to axel.
 
as with anything, you can't tell when or how a lug is going to fail. i do the same as bumpy....hit them at the shop and then hit them again at the track...specially before the feature. OCD? maybe, but it beats having your own tire/wheel beat you across the finish line!!
 
I hit them before the kart hits the track every time. I do a routine to help remember. I check air pressure and lugs at the same time. Lug size is just pref, I run the smaller with no issues. You do need to keep an eye on the studs backing out as stated above. Dont over torque the front hubs if they are screw in or pressed it.
 
Also, what type of nut do you use? Just a (1) regular nut, (2) lock nut, or a (3) serrated flange nut (which I use)? If for any reason I do not have (2) or (3) available and am forced to use just a regular nut, I ALWAYS use a serrated lock washer under the nut. Those washers seem to hold the best of all readily available lock washers. JMHO -Alan-
 
There was a thread I believe by James@PRC about many people Over torquing studs on karts actually making them break/stretch allowing the nuts to back off. So being extra sure could cost you just as much as not checking at all. If you use a cordless impact don't let it hit more than 1-2 times. Run it up and as soon as it clicks twice, quit.

In his article he explained how even the lowest volt cordless impact was capable of extremely over tightening nuts on a 1/4 stud. Some people love to over tighten things. Often doing more harm than good, I've had nuts on my kart my impact wouldn't take back off after someone else put my wheel on for me .
 
Over tightening is the worse thing to do as said above. I use 1/4" studs on my laydown enduro and run over 100 mph with no failures. I made a T-handle wrench to tighten lugs with....I don't use lock nuts or serrated nuts or nylocs. I use the smooth flange nuts that most come with.

I had a friend who used to help me on my sprint car. His way of thinking was to tighten everything until it squeaks, then give it another half a turn. Over tightening is as bad as not enough.
 
Just because you've "had no failures" doesn't mean you're running the safest set up. I've gone to 5/16th on everything with a nyloc flange nut and I use a torque wrench. Why not have a bigger margin of safety?
 
We use an SAE flatwasher under smooth flanged nuts on the Right side because we change right sides more often.
The Left side gets a washer and serrated nut.
Studs are lightly lubricated.
And as ABR#69 says we lightly hit ours ~3 times.
Don't just impact the fool out of it.
We change wheel studs every season.
 
Ive had nuts fall off, then also have had all 3 studs snap on me at the same time. i follow the prc tech article now
 
sundog said:
Just because you've "had no failures" doesn't mean you're running the safest set up. I've gone to 5/16th on everything with a nyloc flange nut and I use a torque wrench. Why not have a bigger margin of safety?
Click to expand...

Well, since I've been doing it for 30+ years with no failures, I would consider it safe and I've been in a few heavy crashes and never broke a 1/4" stud. If you feel safe with what you're doing, OK...I feel safe with what I'm doing.
 
I agree with the 5/16 stud idea.
On my 80 shifter, the RR wheel hub actually slid in on the axle @.25" due to the force put on it. I thought I had them sufficiently torqued, I guess not. (I was kinda showing off a little though; smoky circle burnouts are stupid fun)

Also, it slightly enlarged the mounting holes on my rear rims, so switching my hub studs out to 5/16 is pretty much mandatory now.

I feel like a larger diameter stud provides better support; but that's just me
 
Hey Trigun, I just realized you're the guy I bought the bodywork for my kart from.
Thanks again, it fits great and really completed the kart!
 
Bumpy said:
We use an SAE flatwasher under smooth flanged nuts on the Right side because we change right sides more often.
The Left side gets a washer and serrated nut.
Studs are lightly lubricated.
And as ABR#69 says we lightly hit ours ~3 times.
Don't just impact the fool out of it.
We change wheel studs every season.
Click to expand...

Please don't take this as a critical statement, but why would you use serrated nuts WITH a flat washer ? You just added another smooth surface that you tried to remove with the serrated nut ! My mind always tells me to use a washer but have had machinists tell me why create another surface to increase chance of failure.
 
trigun7469 said:
Does anybody torque their wheel nuts? after completing the first heat in the rain, the first turn in the feature my wheel came off. I am not exactly sure what happened from the looks of it a lugnut must have come loose. Perhaps it slipped off because of the lack of traction in the rain, moving forward I will now check my lugnuts before each session.
Click to expand...
Occasionally the wheel will bind on the hub there by tightening up but comes loose once corner forces cause it to self center freeing the wheel nuts to come off.
Or you may have missed it in hurrying to get ready or were distracted .
 
OpenRacer4 "but why would you use serrated nuts WITH a flat washer ? "

It keeps the serrated nut from eating up the aluminum wheel.
 
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