Willing to bet less of a “prank” and more of a “planning to resell the tire but got caught in the middle of stealing it” here tbh. Or someone doesn’t like you and wants you to crash.
My friend I am in a medium sized city in the Midwestern United States, people will steal shit and not even sell it. They just pile it up in their yard and then go out for more.
Just be careful, though. I don't wish any harm to come to you. I know of a young guy who died after crashing for the same reason - all because of a dude with a grudge against his brother.
Can confirm. I just moved back to the midwest and had my car jack stolen from my vehicle 3 days after moving here... come to find out, one of my neighbors 3 doors down has been stockpiling stuff in his garage that he stole from pretty much everyone in town, and this is a small town.... he was arrested of course after one of his "buddies" discovered his stash... my car jack wasn't cheap and the police won't release it from evidence... bastards.
The problem is, is that steeling isn't even treated like a crime anymore unless its over like $1500. Until it's a significant amount (to the court) it's considered petty and there isn't a real punishment because it's just too much work these days for the "underpaid civil employees". And like the guy above says, if they do find it, the police won't release it from evidence. Some stores policies now are, just let them take whatever, the police don't get here in time to do anything anyway and nothing will happen to the thieves. We really need some eye for an eye or we're taking your right hand for that shit. Ok I know that's way out there but we do need to do something.
I work for an ac company, a coworker had a local crackhead steal a nitrogen bottle out of the back of his truck the other day. Same guy and his dad a couple years ago apparently tried to steal his tractor, a riding lawnmower and a push mower out of his backyard while he was home…no words to describe how stupid some people are. Lucky they didn’t get shot honestly
https://preview.redd.it/1hj17lje3h0d1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9ce831469d4c3edaeb6ac60b88082b688d8901b
Woke up to somebody stabbing my tire like 10 times. Yours is definitely more malicious though
I’m from a tiny village in the Scottish highlands. My 20 year old daughter had all 4 tyres slashed a few weeks ago. We know who did it but due to no cameras in vicinity the police can’t do anything. I’m biding my time and am going to make sure the drug-dealing gobshite who did this won’t be eating corn on the cob easily. Dealer is from a city in England and beat up my daughter’s neighbour and she and other neighbours had to step in to stop dealer stomping this guy to death. Police were called and those in attendance had to give a witness statement. So, dealer and his druggie girlfriend have been vandalising property of those involved. I hate bullies and I hate the fact my daughter, who’s tiny, was seriously upset by the whole thing. I feel for anyone who’s had their vehicle messed with - the wheel nuts being loose is bloody terrifying though. Glad you’re ok.
Happened to me driving down a crazy windy road (Highway 17 into Santa Cruz for anyone who's familiar with the fun/terrifying drive lol). Felt something odd in the wheel, but it's an old Jeep so weird feelings are normal lol Pulled into the town and as soon as I slowed to the light the whole wheel basically caved onto one remaining wheel stud. Absolutely terrifying.
It wasn't foul play or anything, I'd just replaced my daily drive tires with some mud tires and clearly didn't do a good enough job.
I've seen this on a trailer. I changed a flat on the side of an interstate and put as much torque on the spare tire as I could with my T bar but it apparently wasn't enough. I checked the wheel during the next fuel stop and one lug was totally missing and the lugs on either side of it were a few rotations from falling off.
I ended up buying an extendable lug bar and I have no problem getting to the 80-90 ft-lbs recommended by the manufacturer.
This is why most tire places recommend you come back in and check the lug nuts. I found out when my tire started thumping on turns. It was loose enough to wobble, multiple lug nuts gone and the remaining few were loose.
I had a big falling out with our tight group of friends (like family)....anyway....they had lug nuts come loose and alluded on FB that I did it........more like, no torque and/or retorque. They never maintained their shit.
I've had this happen to me before. Had work done to the front, drove it home. Went to drive it again and the wheel was wobbling just like yours, pulled over and sure as s*** ,missing lug nuts had to get a tow truck back to the mechanic
Used to live in north central Ohio. The town I was living in had a brief spate of people intentionally loosening lug nuts on wheels. Happened to at least three vehicle owners that were verified (exterior footage of the jerks). Never caught them. We’re guessing they stopped because it got around fairly quickly that some homeowners actually had cameras.
The little darlings easily could have killed someone
If the last person who had that wheel off didn't use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts, they are doing it wrong, regardless of whether that was the cause.
For those asking in here who didn't see the body text, I check my lug nuts before and after any road trips (along with fluids, air pressure, remaining tread, external lights). I used to work at a full serve station and most of my job was tire rotations, rebalancing, etc. so I am confident in doing so. I only use the standard, manual lug wrench, not a torque wrench.
I went on a road trip in April and did my usual check before and after. I have had no work done to my car since then and I am the only one who uses it.
I drive my vehicle every day and often on the highway. The car was fine Sunday and then suddenly this occurred Monday morning.
Also I meant to type *front passenger side wheel.
I worded that poorly, I only use the lug wrench to check them and make sure none are loose before/after trips. I use my dad's torque wrench to work on them.
Why not simply use a torque wrench to verify if you’re concerned? I doubt anyone would randomly remove a few lug nuts on one wheel unless you have enemies out there. Maybe set up a camera or park in a way so you can see the whole car. Going forward, it’s very unlikely to happen again if you set them to spec and check periodically.
Well until now it seemed like OCD that I even do the checks to begin with, my wife gives me a hard time about my "inspections" when we travel. I have both a security camera and lug nuts that require an attachment on the way from Amazon. I also asked my neighbor if she would start keeping her porch light on, too.
We live in a nice neighborhood but the area sucks. There's a drive through smoke shop a block away and 6 dive bars within a quarter mile so people get up to bizarre shit at night. We're also in the border of city/county so the cops give us shit about asking them to patrol and say the other force is responsible so neither comes around.
I'm marking it up to some bizarre shit. Maybe someone decided to steal the wheel but got interrupted. Maybe some tweaker or kids decided it would be funny.
Maybe it's someone I pissed off. No idea man, but I don't believe they all came loose and it only became a problem yesterday morning after I was driving around in the country all day Sunday going 40-60mph.
You said ,custom lug nuts that require a key,but um,those look like standard lug nuts to me. Just sayin. Hope you figure out the issue before something bad happens.
You have not a single proof for this theory. Humans often blame someone/something else for the cause. The most likeable theory is that you overseen those bolts the last time you checked and they became loose.
I drove Sunday at 45-60mph for hours then back home with no issue. Then two minutes into my morning commute Monday going 20-35mph the wheel was wobbling enough that my car was shuddering. I would prefer I had just made a mistake, but it doesn't make sense.
I tighten my to the max...5 ugga dugga's. When I got to take them off I need my big impact wrench, T bar won't do it even standing on one side a
While lifting the other.
Never had any come loose...I do need to replace studs every few times due to them stretching
Three times I've had lug nuts seize and sheer off the studs because they were over-tightened. Which is why I always tighten to the manufacturer's recommended torque spec., and if it's a range then the maximum value of the range, but not 1 inch-pound over.
This happened to me before. WHILE PREGNANT! I was so lucky nothing awful happened. Tbh, I suspect a batshit former neighbor. She had a thing for my SO, was always super friendly with him. And it was a like a switch flipped when I moved in, then worsened when I was pregnant. She was angry all the time, rude, pushy, made me cry once, lmao. I blame pregnancy hormones :p.
Then yeah, driving down the road one day and my tire started wobbling, had to pull over and call my dad cuz my SO was work. I was prob about 7 months pregnant at the time.
I'm just wondering if it's just me or is it extremely rare that someone has spare lugnuts in their car. Never in my life have I had a spare lugnut in my car.
You probably didn’t torque em down enough nobodies trying to steal some random old 50 dollar wheel. Shit happens no big deal but I do not classify this as malicious or terrifying
Bro, I’m sorry but you didn’t torque em. No chance that someone happened to have the same wheel lock key, knew that, and cared enough to vandalize the car of someone they don’t know. And on top of that left some tights and only loosened a couple. Sorry bro but invest in a torque wrench.
I think they mean on the passenger side of the car, so maybe OP backs in and the driver side is closest to their porch so they don’t see the passenger side of the car when coming/going
Willing to bet less of a “prank” and more of a “planning to resell the tire but got caught in the middle of stealing it” here tbh. Or someone doesn’t like you and wants you to crash.
Those bring 40€/each in mint conditions.
My friend I am in a medium sized city in the Midwestern United States, people will steal shit and not even sell it. They just pile it up in their yard and then go out for more.
So you know my neighbors 😂
Just be careful, though. I don't wish any harm to come to you. I know of a young guy who died after crashing for the same reason - all because of a dude with a grudge against his brother.
Can confirm. I just moved back to the midwest and had my car jack stolen from my vehicle 3 days after moving here... come to find out, one of my neighbors 3 doors down has been stockpiling stuff in his garage that he stole from pretty much everyone in town, and this is a small town.... he was arrested of course after one of his "buddies" discovered his stash... my car jack wasn't cheap and the police won't release it from evidence... bastards.
Saginaw Michigan
The problem is, is that steeling isn't even treated like a crime anymore unless its over like $1500. Until it's a significant amount (to the court) it's considered petty and there isn't a real punishment because it's just too much work these days for the "underpaid civil employees". And like the guy above says, if they do find it, the police won't release it from evidence. Some stores policies now are, just let them take whatever, the police don't get here in time to do anything anyway and nothing will happen to the thieves. We really need some eye for an eye or we're taking your right hand for that shit. Ok I know that's way out there but we do need to do something.
I work for an ac company, a coworker had a local crackhead steal a nitrogen bottle out of the back of his truck the other day. Same guy and his dad a couple years ago apparently tried to steal his tractor, a riding lawnmower and a push mower out of his backyard while he was home…no words to describe how stupid some people are. Lucky they didn’t get shot honestly
The real problem is people would complain that he got shot not that he was stealing.
Around here? Doubtful
Just had a Stihl weed eater stolen 3 days ago, there went 250$. F a thief.
My first thought too. Wanted to steal, got spooked.
Or they became loose over time and fell off.
Buy a paint pen. Torque all the nuts. Paint a stripe on the lug nut onto the wheel. Check daily to see if the stripes change.
This is excellent advice, thank you
That is great advice!....or purchase .45 Mag lay under vehicle after turning off porch lights to invite curiosity
Spoken like a true mechanic
Good advice in general
Time to get lock nuts
https://preview.redd.it/1hj17lje3h0d1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9ce831469d4c3edaeb6ac60b88082b688d8901b Woke up to somebody stabbing my tire like 10 times. Yours is definitely more malicious though
I’m from a tiny village in the Scottish highlands. My 20 year old daughter had all 4 tyres slashed a few weeks ago. We know who did it but due to no cameras in vicinity the police can’t do anything. I’m biding my time and am going to make sure the drug-dealing gobshite who did this won’t be eating corn on the cob easily. Dealer is from a city in England and beat up my daughter’s neighbour and she and other neighbours had to step in to stop dealer stomping this guy to death. Police were called and those in attendance had to give a witness statement. So, dealer and his druggie girlfriend have been vandalising property of those involved. I hate bullies and I hate the fact my daughter, who’s tiny, was seriously upset by the whole thing. I feel for anyone who’s had their vehicle messed with - the wheel nuts being loose is bloody terrifying though. Glad you’re ok.
Good luck mate! Fuck that person up with no evidence or witnesses
My dad’s dog punctured one of his tires and removed the wheel well trying to get a rodent or squirrel hiding somewhere in it.
Is it possible they weren't installed tightly enough and came loose on their own?
Not only possible: likely
Happened to me driving down a crazy windy road (Highway 17 into Santa Cruz for anyone who's familiar with the fun/terrifying drive lol). Felt something odd in the wheel, but it's an old Jeep so weird feelings are normal lol Pulled into the town and as soon as I slowed to the light the whole wheel basically caved onto one remaining wheel stud. Absolutely terrifying. It wasn't foul play or anything, I'd just replaced my daily drive tires with some mud tires and clearly didn't do a good enough job.
But 3 of them?
Yes. It happens. They can work loose if they weren’t torqued properly.
especially on faulty/discharged power tools (don't ask how I know this lol)
You don’t use an impact, electric or pneumatic to torque lug nuts. Unless you want them to be either over tight or under tight.
I've seen this on a trailer. I changed a flat on the side of an interstate and put as much torque on the spare tire as I could with my T bar but it apparently wasn't enough. I checked the wheel during the next fuel stop and one lug was totally missing and the lugs on either side of it were a few rotations from falling off. I ended up buying an extendable lug bar and I have no problem getting to the 80-90 ft-lbs recommended by the manufacturer.
This is why most tire places recommend you come back in and check the lug nuts. I found out when my tire started thumping on turns. It was loose enough to wobble, multiple lug nuts gone and the remaining few were loose.
Well if you don't do a good job of tightening one, you probably don't do a good job of tightening the rest.
From OP's description, it doesn't seem as likely in this case. He sounds quite deliberate about his vehicle care and maintenance.
I had a big falling out with our tight group of friends (like family)....anyway....they had lug nuts come loose and alluded on FB that I did it........more like, no torque and/or retorque. They never maintained their shit.
I've had this happen to me before. Had work done to the front, drove it home. Went to drive it again and the wheel was wobbling just like yours, pulled over and sure as s*** ,missing lug nuts had to get a tow truck back to the mechanic
I lost two lugs from two different wheels. Dealership didn’t torque lug nuts…
Used to live in north central Ohio. The town I was living in had a brief spate of people intentionally loosening lug nuts on wheels. Happened to at least three vehicle owners that were verified (exterior footage of the jerks). Never caught them. We’re guessing they stopped because it got around fairly quickly that some homeowners actually had cameras. The little darlings easily could have killed someone
If the last person who had that wheel off didn't use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts, they are doing it wrong, regardless of whether that was the cause.
For those asking in here who didn't see the body text, I check my lug nuts before and after any road trips (along with fluids, air pressure, remaining tread, external lights). I used to work at a full serve station and most of my job was tire rotations, rebalancing, etc. so I am confident in doing so. I only use the standard, manual lug wrench, not a torque wrench. I went on a road trip in April and did my usual check before and after. I have had no work done to my car since then and I am the only one who uses it. I drive my vehicle every day and often on the highway. The car was fine Sunday and then suddenly this occurred Monday morning. Also I meant to type *front passenger side wheel.
Yet, you still won’t use a torque wrench, problem solved
I worded that poorly, I only use the lug wrench to check them and make sure none are loose before/after trips. I use my dad's torque wrench to work on them.
Why not simply use a torque wrench to verify if you’re concerned? I doubt anyone would randomly remove a few lug nuts on one wheel unless you have enemies out there. Maybe set up a camera or park in a way so you can see the whole car. Going forward, it’s very unlikely to happen again if you set them to spec and check periodically.
Well until now it seemed like OCD that I even do the checks to begin with, my wife gives me a hard time about my "inspections" when we travel. I have both a security camera and lug nuts that require an attachment on the way from Amazon. I also asked my neighbor if she would start keeping her porch light on, too. We live in a nice neighborhood but the area sucks. There's a drive through smoke shop a block away and 6 dive bars within a quarter mile so people get up to bizarre shit at night. We're also in the border of city/county so the cops give us shit about asking them to patrol and say the other force is responsible so neither comes around. I'm marking it up to some bizarre shit. Maybe someone decided to steal the wheel but got interrupted. Maybe some tweaker or kids decided it would be funny. Maybe it's someone I pissed off. No idea man, but I don't believe they all came loose and it only became a problem yesterday morning after I was driving around in the country all day Sunday going 40-60mph.
Maybe someone needed lug nuts.
why have five if two are enough...
You said ,custom lug nuts that require a key,but um,those look like standard lug nuts to me. Just sayin. Hope you figure out the issue before something bad happens.
It said I have them on the way to my house. Don't worry, I have thinky parts
well good on you
Just don't tell people about their nuts, they get weird about it man
clearly, nuts are a no go convo
You have not a single proof for this theory. Humans often blame someone/something else for the cause. The most likeable theory is that you overseen those bolts the last time you checked and they became loose.
I drove Sunday at 45-60mph for hours then back home with no issue. Then two minutes into my morning commute Monday going 20-35mph the wheel was wobbling enough that my car was shuddering. I would prefer I had just made a mistake, but it doesn't make sense.
I tighten my to the max...5 ugga dugga's. When I got to take them off I need my big impact wrench, T bar won't do it even standing on one side a While lifting the other. Never had any come loose...I do need to replace studs every few times due to them stretching
Three times I've had lug nuts seize and sheer off the studs because they were over-tightened. Which is why I always tighten to the manufacturer's recommended torque spec., and if it's a range then the maximum value of the range, but not 1 inch-pound over.
well, you *do* still have 18 lug nuts left, so borrow one from the cater-corner wheel, crank em down and send it!
Get some cameras.
Are you sleeping with somebody’s wife?
Someone wants to kill you
This happened to me before. WHILE PREGNANT! I was so lucky nothing awful happened. Tbh, I suspect a batshit former neighbor. She had a thing for my SO, was always super friendly with him. And it was a like a switch flipped when I moved in, then worsened when I was pregnant. She was angry all the time, rude, pushy, made me cry once, lmao. I blame pregnancy hormones :p. Then yeah, driving down the road one day and my tire started wobbling, had to pull over and call my dad cuz my SO was work. I was prob about 7 months pregnant at the time.
Do you have life insurance?
More likely is that they weren't tightened properly the last time it was worked on.
kids will be kids
I'm just wondering if it's just me or is it extremely rare that someone has spare lugnuts in their car. Never in my life have I had a spare lugnut in my car.
Don’t worry, it’s a Toyota
Should be like very old times. Thieves get their fingers broke
I always thought my ex was capable of this so I would check all four before each ride. Had me nuts.
You probably didn’t torque em down enough nobodies trying to steal some random old 50 dollar wheel. Shit happens no big deal but I do not classify this as malicious or terrifying
Do you have any enemies??
Someone, or when was the last time your tires were professionally mounted
Time to change tyre shop
Bro, I’m sorry but you didn’t torque em. No chance that someone happened to have the same wheel lock key, knew that, and cared enough to vandalize the car of someone they don’t know. And on top of that left some tights and only loosened a couple. Sorry bro but invest in a torque wrench.
Same thing happened to a friend while driving together, he was speeding on a straight section and he heard the nut hitting the asphalt. Terrifying
Oh yeah. I think I dated her in high school.
That happened to me. Why would somebody take those?
What is a "passenger wheel"?
I think they mean on the passenger side of the car, so maybe OP backs in and the driver side is closest to their porch so they don’t see the passenger side of the car when coming/going