Was this bad to drive under 1 mile

Posted by dan102195@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 16 comments

Sorry for the shitty photo. I drive a garbage truck for context. So I noticed a thumping noise towards the end of my day and saw in my side mirror that my tire looked like it was a little wobbly so I pulled over and checked my wheels and noticed the shiny rings around the bolts. I could literally loosen and tighten 4 nuts by hand so I reported it to my boss who told me to head back to the shop which was maybe a mile from where I was. I'm curious how bad this could've been if I ignored the issue. (been driving for 2 months)

Reply to Post

16 Comments

[-]

vtddy@reddit

It would have ruined the hub which it might have anyway. Wheels are ruined, studs are ruined. The wheel would eventually crack and break all the way around in between the studs.

[-]

dan102195@reddit (OP)

My first thought was im gonna lose this wheel if I try to continue. I'm just glad I caught it before it ended up becoming a serious issue

[-]

vtddy@reddit

Yup. Gotta check those everyday

[-]

dan102195@reddit (OP)

The weird this is it passed the pre check this morning then all of a sudden started acting up. I'll blame myself and say I more than likely didn't check hard enough before starting my route

[-]

vtddy@reddit

Those vertical rust marks coming outward from the stud is a sure sign they are loose if it hasn't been apart recently

[-]

dan102195@reddit (OP)

I did have new tires put on about 2 weeks ago

[-]

vtddy@reddit

Needed to be retorqued after a couple of days

[-]

dan102195@reddit (OP)

I didnt know that. Took this as a learning experience and to start doing better on my pre trips

[-]

vtddy@reddit

That's good.

[-]

ChaseJulien@reddit

During your pretrip, tap the exposed ends of the studs lightly with a hammer, this will not damage them. They should give off a nice ping sound, anything else and you probably have a problem. Next time you’re getting wheel work done ask the mechanic to leave one lug nut snug but untorqued, then see if you can find it and you’ll hear how it’s different. Also, please use a hammer to test your tires. Kicking a tire with your boot is useless.

[-]

Driveaway1969@reddit

Who needs wheels anyway?

[-]

Ich_mag_Kartoffeln@reddit

Make sure they remove and inspect the inside rim thoroughly before sending the truck out again. Just because the outside one looks OK (though it may be damaged) doesn't mean the inside one is.

[-]

dan102195@reddit (OP)

I'll add that to my list of questions for the mechanic tomorrow. I feel the the inside rim is definitely no good

[-]

Ich_mag_Kartoffeln@reddit

The inner rim could even have been the cause of the problem. Heard of that before.

[-]

Hemlock9988@reddit

I would have driven it back if I was less than a mile from my yard. At relatively low speeds anyway. Not really going to do any more damage, the studs and rims are likely toast already. Had you ignored it it would have been much worse. The lug nuts would have all eventually worked their way of the studs or worn their way through the rim. Or maybe the studs themselves would have failed. Either way this ends with both of rims and tires falling off.

[-]

dan102195@reddit (OP)

I ended up driving back at about 15mph. I made it but I was nervous the entire ride