Car in front's wheel came off (yikes!)
Discussion
Well that wasn't something you see everyday. Driving home last night and a new E-Class Estate (sorry, Wagen) was in front of me. He blasted it up a couple of link roads, then we started driving through towns. Sat at some lights, him 1st me 2nd, he pulled away and as he did so his front left wheel looked VERY wrong.
Initially I thought the tyre had blown and the tyre was flapping about but very quickly after the entire wheel came off.
The car was doing perhaps 10-15mph as he'd obviously felt something very weird and so slowed right up, but even so it dropped so hard onto the disc and totally ruined the bumper and side skirts. Was surprised just how much damage there was actually!
The wheel, even though he was going very slow, still continued for quite a way, and it was a big bugger too, but fortunately stopped without hitting anyone or anything.
First time I've seen such a thing - wondered if it was a common occurence? Thank god it didn't happen at 60/70mph up the link roads
Well there we go - that was my story from the drive home last night
Initially I thought the tyre had blown and the tyre was flapping about but very quickly after the entire wheel came off.
The car was doing perhaps 10-15mph as he'd obviously felt something very weird and so slowed right up, but even so it dropped so hard onto the disc and totally ruined the bumper and side skirts. Was surprised just how much damage there was actually!
The wheel, even though he was going very slow, still continued for quite a way, and it was a big bugger too, but fortunately stopped without hitting anyone or anything.
First time I've seen such a thing - wondered if it was a common occurence? Thank god it didn't happen at 60/70mph up the link roads
Well there we go - that was my story from the drive home last night
Never seen it happen on the road. When one of my lodgers was running a Midget in the MGOC racing series I'd been up half the night before a race doing something or other to the car but had managed to get everything done... except tightening the wheel nuts. His front wheels fell off during qualifying. 
TonyHetherington said:
Mazdarese said:
Wowzers. I imagine he'd probably just had new tyre(s) fitted and someone is going to get very shouted at.
Of course - for some reason I was thinking dealer for a service but tyre change is much more obvious/likely! 
Superhoop said:
TonyHetherington said:
Mazdarese said:
Wowzers. I imagine he'd probably just had new tyre(s) fitted and someone is going to get very shouted at.
Of course - for some reason I was thinking dealer for a service but tyre change is much more obvious/likely! 
This sounds like a good excuse to post links to comedy "wheels falls off" moments ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy7hFXTfjiU
(the ultimate lift off oversteer!!)
and an even better way to impress your onlookers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyMDNzhfwn0&fea...
remember, check your nuts everybody.........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy7hFXTfjiU
(the ultimate lift off oversteer!!)
and an even better way to impress your onlookers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyMDNzhfwn0&fea...
remember, check your nuts everybody.........Max_Torque said:
Weird it happens to all 3. I guess the forces acting in the wrong direction do that!Superhoop said:
It can't have been Kwik Fit though - If they'd done it, the wheel nuts would be so tight, it's unlikely that it'll be possible to ever remove them again
My mother-in-law's rear wheel+hub came off after KF did some work on the brakes many years ago. I think it was due to over-tightening something.Policeman suggested they change the wheel!
_rubinho_ said:
Mercedes engined car... front left wheel fell off... It wasn't Jenson Button driving by any chance was it? 
EDIT: Except it was front right wasn't it? He said front-left over the voice radio though.
Hehe, I also think of it in words as "front left" but visualise it correctly as "front right" because of that! While we're on it, top marks for him being so incredibly calm about delivering that crushing news..EDIT: Except it was front right wasn't it? He said front-left over the voice radio though.
But yes, it's quite amazing how much damage this does, the brake discs are really a lot higher up than the bottom of the tyre! The Audi nearly dropped onto a brake disc once and I was very conscious that it would have nearly written the car off..
Happened to me once on the M27 in my Mk4 Escort, nearside front wheel and car part company at 70mph with no previous warning.
Despite s
tting my pants, I get it over to the hard shoulder with nothing more than a hexagonal shaped brake disc. Stuck on the spare using one wheelnut from each of the remaining wheels and went on my way. No idea why the wheel came off ( or what happened to it after it left the car) and cost nothing more than a £12 brake disc
Not an experience I wish to repeat though
Despite s
tting my pants, I get it over to the hard shoulder with nothing more than a hexagonal shaped brake disc. Stuck on the spare using one wheelnut from each of the remaining wheels and went on my way. No idea why the wheel came off ( or what happened to it after it left the car) and cost nothing more than a £12 brake discNot an experience I wish to repeat though
littlebasher said:
Happened to me once on the M27 in my Mk4 Escort, nearside front wheel and car part company at 70mph with no previous warning.
Despite stting my pants, I get it over to the hard shoulder with nothing more than a hexagonal shaped brake disc. Stuck on the spare using one wheelnut from each of the remaining wheels and went on my way. No idea why the wheel came off ( or what happened to it after it left the car) and cost nothing more than a £12 brake disc
Not an experience I wish to repeat though
Jesus I would be sDespite s
tting my pants, I get it over to the hard shoulder with nothing more than a hexagonal shaped brake disc. Stuck on the spare using one wheelnut from each of the remaining wheels and went on my way. No idea why the wheel came off ( or what happened to it after it left the car) and cost nothing more than a £12 brake discNot an experience I wish to repeat though
tting my pants if that happened to me!Jw Vw said:
Jesus I would be stting my pants if that happened to me!
Luckily was driving in the inside lane, after it happened was more worried that the wheel had run into someone else's car. Couldnt find it though, assume it ran off onto the verge somewhere.tting my pants if that happened to me!Getting a jack under a car sat on it's disc isn't easy either!
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