Keep losing my nuts

[Performance nut]

This is now the second time one of my lug nuts has gone missing from one of my wheels. The first time I spoke with the tire installation company who replaced it. Now, after personally checking all the lug nuts after the last installation, I am missing a lug nut. The chances of them being stolen seem unlikely but not impossible. Are there other possibilities?

The installer torqued them all on but no way to know to what amount or if the torque wrench is accurate. The only torque wrenches I have are probably about 20 years old so I wouldn't trust them to give me an accurate reading to double check current torque. My current thinking is under-torque is the cause of this. But if it was, wouldn't I see more issues? Having 1 out of 20 missing twice now after being torqued to the same amount seems rather coincidental. I figure if it was under-torque, I'd have more than 1.

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[Matti777]

The only time I have ever seen wheel nuts loosen is when the nut was mismatched to the wheel. It was shocking how fast they were spun off.

 

[tom_sprecher]

After checking to make sure the lug seat matches the wheel maybe buy a new torque wrench and check them yourself?

 

[jgilkey]

Is it happening on the same stud every time? Maybe a manufacturing tolerance issue. To mark it, I'm sure a bright colored nail polish on the end of the stud would work.

 

[kz]

Something is wrong with either the nut or the wheel isn't sitting straight on the hub. Are others loose ? Take a wrench (doesn't have to be a torque wrench) and check them.

 

[Performance nut]

I took a chance with one of my older Craftsman torque wrenches. Replaced the missing one and checked the rest. Found 3 others that were slightly looser than torque specified and one that took almost 1/8 turn to click

 

[Dana Pants]

I suspect something wrong with a mating surface. Dirty or dinged wheel or rotor. Possibly between rotor and hub. Or wheel and center bore.

 

[kz]

I took a chance with one of my older Craftsman torque wrenches. Replaced the missing one and checked the rest. Found 3 others that were slightly looser than torque specified and one that took almost 1/8 turn to click

Take the wheel off and inspect hub and wheel bore. I've had this happen when I missed centering ring from aftermarket wheel that got stuck on the hub and put hubcentric OEM wheel back on.

 

[DickR]

What torque did the shop or you use? Remember the factory spec is 150 lb-ft.

 

[NightmareMoon]

I took a chance with one of my older Craftsman torque wrenches. Replaced the missing one and checked the rest. Found 3 others that were slightly looser than torque specified and one that took almost 1/8 turn to click

The innuendo in this thread is less than advertised. I want my money back.

If they're torqued to 150, and they're nothing funny in there to shift around (centering ring, warped wheel, hub or rotor) then it should stick. 1/8 turn isn't too terrible, but its looser than it should be, and driven too long I guess i could come off.

If you lift a car and then lower it onto it's wheels, the way the suspension moves, the bottoms of the tire are contact first and as the suspension swings the tires pull to the inside. If you immediately torque the car to spec in this state, sometimes the results are a bit uneven because of the tire preload pulling hard on the wheels. This is why some people say to retorque after a few miles. In my experience you only need to roll a car a few feet to release the tension from the tires and to a proper torque that sticks.

I'll tighten the lugs to ~100 or whatever my shitty battery powered driver will muster. Drop the car. Roll the car out and back into the garage, and torque to 150 and everything is rock solid from then on.

 

[Matti777]

Stock wheels and nuts or no?

 

[tom_sprecher]

I always tighten with an impact (~75#) while the wheel is in the air then go full torque on the ground.

 

[DickR]

Stock wheels and nuts or no?

If the wheels are "not stock" look for any "sheet metal rotor retainers, AKA "Tinnerman nuts" on the lug studs. Many non-stock wheels do not have recesses in the hub mounting surface to clear those retainers.
Also as others may have said make sure that the wheel is tight against the hub before tightening the lug nuts even if you have to use "hand power" rather than an electric or air impact to "sneak" up on them.

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