Loose wheel with tight lug nuts.

Jacksonlll

Jacksonlll

Well-known member
One of our members developed a loud noise on his left rear. He thought it was a bearing. We did not drive his car so we could not hear it. We were on a long tour. Toward the end of the tour, we got next to him and heard it. Sounded like a broken wheel. Click-click.
Turns out, it fooled us all. His stud holes were wallowed out so big that the lug nuts could not put any clamp force on wheel. They were tight, but against the studs, not the wheel. We will know next time.
 
Thanks for posting "locating" the problem -- and thanks for posting same with a "Title" related to this problem ...... could be very helpful for a Model A owner in the future under "Search".

This type of title makes it easy to find Model A problem solution under the above "Search" rather than having a title like:

"Wow, gee whiz, OMG, Click-Click"
 
"Wow, gee whiz, OMG, Click-Click"

So he "thought it was the bearing" and keeps driving it. Wow, Gee Whiz. That could have been dangerous not to mention destroying a hub and axle housing.
 
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Re: "Wow, gee whiz, OMG, Click-Click"

Y-Blockhead said:
So he "thought it was the bearing" and keeps driving it. Wow, Gee Whiz. That could have been dangerous not to mention destroying a hub and axle housing.
Click to expand...

Pretty weird isn't it.. Why not ask someone with knowledge to drive it for a block..
 
Hi Jackson,

One (1) additional moral of this story appears to hint on a subject of "Mechanical Knowledge vs. Hearing."

E.g., if ever on a Model A tour ........ and looking for the audible source of a Model A "click-click" ................... Model A "Senior" drivers are not always the best people to consult as to "where" the "click-click" is coming from.
 
H. L. Chauvin said:
Hi Jackson,

One (1) additional moral of this story appears to hint on a subject of "Mechanical Knowledge vs. Hearing."

E.g., if ever on a Model A tour ........ and looking for the audible source of a Model A "click-click" ................... Model A "Senior" drivers are not always the best people to consult as to "where" the "click-click" is coming from.
Click to expand...

We have these chassis ears in the shop... Maybe some should keep them under the back seat or trunk of their A:D
 

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Hi Mitch,

Or ....... a suspended stretcher securely attached under the chassis ..... where one could place one's ear closer to the audible source may work ........ that is ....... until one encounters a raised bump in the paved highway.
 
Before spending a lot on painting and repairing wheels you should fit a lug nut to each hole and make sure that the end is not all the way through. If so find a different wheel.
 
I would try some one inch lug nuts before I completely scrapped the wheel. We used to have problems with the stock wheels on dirt stock race cars and this would help. I have seen the wheel come off and all the lugs nuts still be in place, the hole just beat out so big they came over the stock lugs. Good Luck.
 
It registers by LED lights ..each zone has its own set.. The noisy corner will transmit a stronger signal to the control panel
 
Jacksonlll said:
One of our members developed a loud noise on his left rear. He thought it was a bearing. We did not drive his car so we could not hear it. We were on a long tour. Toward the end of the tour, we got next to him and heard it. Sounded like a broken wheel. Click-click.
Turns out, it fooled us all. His stud holes were wallowed out so big that the lug nuts could not put any clamp force on wheel. They were tight, but against the studs, not the wheel. We will know next time.
Click to expand...
I assume your diagnosis is correct but another thing to watch for is that if the studs are too long and you are using lug nuts with a covered end the nuts can bottom on the stud before they seat on the wheel.

Charlie Stephens
 
A wallowed out wheel is unsafe with or without washers under the lug nuts. I know of two instances where wallowed out wheels had washers under the lug nuts and a wheel still came off. One instance was at low speed in downtown Falmouth MA and the Model A owner collided with the car owned and driven by the JUDGE of the local District Court. Fortunately the Model A driver was not cited for the low speed collision but it could have been a higher speed collision were he not in a downtown business district.
 
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