Wheels falling off RX-7 redux

Here's a video:

http://www.teamjamoto.com/dixeregionpage.htm

Lanny Chambers wrote:
> Here's a video:
>
> http://www.teamjamoto.com/dixeregionpage.htm


Cool!

The handling seems to have been affected in a negative way, but what a
fast stop that was!

Pat

On Wed, 13 Jun 2007 04:05:07 GMT, Lanny Chambers > wrote:

>Here's a video:
>
>http://www.teamjamoto.com/dixeregionpage.htm

Just out of curiosity, do Dixie Region's tech inspections include a check of lug
nut torque?

-- Larry

pltrgyst wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Jun 2007 04:05:07 GMT, Lanny Chambers > wrote:
>
>
>>Here's a video:
>>
>>http://www.teamjamoto.com/dixeregionpage.htm
>
>
> Just out of curiosity, do Dixie Region's tech inspections include a check of lug
> nut torque?
>
> -- Larry


I think that Leon probably had it right on his original post:

"Presumably nut lugs that seemed to screw on OK, but that I think did
not quite have the right thread. I am guessing they rested on just the
edges of the thread, and when torqued down, were ready to pop off at the
smallest provocation."


Those lugs nuts did seem to pop off all at once, and almost immediately
once stress was placed on them.

If they were loose enough to come flying off from lack of tightening
alone, the driver should have noticed the extremely sloppy steering just
driving up to the start.

Still, a MAJOR screw-up, anyway you look at it.

Pat

On 2007-06-13, pws > wrote:

> I think that Leon probably had it right on his original post:
>
> "Presumably nut lugs that seemed to screw on OK, but that I think did
> not quite have the right thread. I am guessing they rested on just the
> edges of the thread, and when torqued down, were ready to pop off at the
> smallest provocation."
>
>
> Those lugs nuts did seem to pop off all at once, and almost immediately
> once stress was placed on them.
>
> If they were loose enough to come flying off from lack of tightening
> alone, the driver should have noticed the extremely sloppy steering just
> driving up to the start.

How did the guy even make it to the track (presuming the car
wasn't trailered) with those lug nuts? Do people have a second
set of lug nuts to go with their racing wheels?

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! So this is what it
at feels like to be potato
visi.com salad

In article >,
Grant Edwards > wrote:

> How did the guy even make it to the track (presuming the car
> wasn't trailered) with those lug nuts? Do people have a second
> set of lug nuts to go with their racing wheels?

Some of you are making large assumptions about lugnuts, when in reality
we don't have any facts about why the wheels came off. If you're
curious, email someone at the club and ask. Speculation, while assuredly
the lifeblood of Usenet, isn't all that productive when the facts should
be easy to find.

Lanny Chambers wrote:

> Some of you are making large assumptions about lugnuts, when in reality
> we don't have any facts about why the wheels came off. If you're
> curious, email someone at the club and ask. Speculation, while assuredly
> the lifeblood of Usenet, isn't all that productive when the facts should
> be easy to find.

Well, I see four rather intact looking wheels, and people immediately
collecting lug nuts off of the track. Looks like they popped off to me,
the only question is why.

Either the lugs were faulty, the lug nuts were faulty, he started the
race with them finger-tightened on the car, or they were the wrong size.
The latter seems like the most likely cause to me.

You found the video, so you clearly have some interest. Why don't you
ask and let us know?
I am willing to bet at least 10 to 1 that it was not caused by lug nuts
being placed on the car without torquing them down.

Pat

Grant Edwards wrote:

> How did the guy even make it to the track (presuming the car
> wasn't trailered) with those lug nuts? Do people have a second
> set of lug nuts to go with their racing wheels?

Possibly trailered, and a lot of people swap wheels/tires after they get
to the autocross track.

My SSR Comps have a non-OEM set of lug nets, but I am not sure if they
are interchangeable with OEM ones or not.
I keep a set of open-end lug nuts with the spare when I carry it on
trips, also handy for brake work.

I have seen aftermarket wheels on other cars that would not take the
stock lug nuts.

Whatever the cause, this fits in with my theory that anything that can
be screwed up, will be screwed up, by somebody, given time.

If it was an unlikely case of 20 defective lugs or lug nuts, then I wish
the RX-7 owner the best in his upcoming lawsuit. :-)

Pat

pws > wrote:

>Grant Edwards wrote:
>
>> How did the guy even make it to the track (presuming the car
>> wasn't trailered) with those lug nuts? Do people have a second
>> set of lug nuts to go with their racing wheels?
>
>Possibly trailered, and a lot of people swap wheels/tires after they get
>to the autocross track.
>
>My SSR Comps have a non-OEM set of lug nets, but I am not sure if they
>are interchangeable with OEM ones or not.
>I keep a set of open-end lug nuts with the spare when I carry it on
>trips, also handy for brake work.
>
>I have seen aftermarket wheels on other cars that would not take the
>stock lug nuts.
>
>Whatever the cause, this fits in with my theory that anything that can
>be screwed up, will be screwed up, by somebody, given time.
>
>If it was an unlikely case of 20 defective lugs or lug nuts, then I wish
>the RX-7 owner the best in his upcoming lawsuit. :-)

As far as I am concerned, you are right on.

As far as I know, the driver drove in on OEM wheels with OEM lug nuts,
and swapped wheels with nonOEM lug nuts. Probably what he could find
at Pep Boys, from the look of them. (They look familiar).

Suggestions that the problem was that the lug nuts were not torqued
down do not require any comment for any thinking person. Even if
they were not even finger tight, they could not all vibrate off at the
exact same time.

Dixie does not check lug nut torque. They also do not check for
possible material defects, nor whether the driver is an alien. At
least, I never had any problem.

The lug threads had damage, indicating to me that the lug nuts had been
stripped off, but by and large not enough damage that they could not
hold a full amount of torque with the OEM nuts put back on. This
suggests to me that the other lug nuts did not fit that well.

After downloading 5 Mb of video over my phone line, Flash Player was not
kind enough to show me the results. Probably deletes it as soon as it
gets it to protect copyright.

Leon
--
Leon van Dommelen Bess, the Miata Bozo, the Miata
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
The only thing better than a white Miata is two white Miatas

In article >,
pws > wrote:

> You found the video, so you clearly have some interest. Why don't you
> ask and let us know?

What, and spoil your fun? Heaven forfend, Pat. I'm too nice a guy to
play such a dirty trick on my Usenet buddies.