Loose Wheel Nuts

[guest1844]

A few weeks ago I got a clicking from the front wheel, esp when turning right. Like a stone in the tyre. Ahh I thought, the CV joint's on the way out. That weekend I had the wheel off to see if anything was to be seen, check the wheel bearing etc. Nothing so wheel back on but the noise, which was intermittent, was no more.
Four weeks later, after no noise, coming home really loud clicking (per wheel rotation). No click on acceleration, I thought the CV under torque which silences it, rattles on coasting. I ordered a CV joint, tonight went to check the size of the driveshaft nut to see if I need to buy a socket, and hey that first wheel nut's not tight, 2nd was loose, third loose, fourth tight! Tightened them all up, no clicking.
Well, you're thinking, you didn't tighten them properly last time. A reasonable suggestion, but I always double check the nuts when the car's back on the ground, and I have used the torque wrench once to make sure I was getting it right. I use a telescopic handle to do them up. Plus that was four weeks ago. Four weeks to work loose? I don't remember the nuts loose the first time I heard the clicking either. Strange...
Maybe someone's out to get me!  I'll be checking my brake pipes next!

[caseyjones]

That's certainly a bit spooky. I've never ever known wheel nuts to come loose on their own. Possible guesses.....

1) You've seriously pissed off one of your neighbours.
2) No disrespect, but they're not being tightened correctly. Personally I always use a torque wrench.
3) The studs and nuts are very dry and/or corroded, such that the nuts are tight on the threads. Hence, they're getting tight before they're tight, if you see what I mean. I always make sure the threads are clean, and put a tiny bit of grease on the threads and on the bevelled face where the nut contacts the wheel.
4) Mud, rust or similar is getting trapped between wheel and hub when you tighten the nuts. This is then gradually getting powdered and working its way out in use, leaving a little play.
5) Do you have alloy wheels with chrome dome nuts? If so, it's possible for stuff to get trapped down the end of the nuts, preventing them from tightening fully.

I realise that some of these are a bit far-fetched. I'm just clutching at straws trying to think of a possible explanation for the mystery....

[culzean]

I use a telescopic handle to do them up.

The idea of a telescopic handle is to use the short handle to tighten and the long handle is there to slacken the nuts off. You can easily over-torque the nuts if you use the long handle to tighten them, this can stretch the stud and / or deform the wheel - either of which can cause the nuts to slacken.  Most threads on a car are UNF or metric fine, this has 2 effects, it makes the thread less likely to unscrew under vibration or load, but it also means (because of the shallower angle of the thread) that the clamping force is increased for any given tightening torque. Also almost universally, the tightening torque specified is for a dry thread, if you use copper grease or similar on the thread the torque will be less than stated.

[guest1844]

Yes I do use the handle short for tightening. Maybe I'm not tightening enough (though I did do it with a torque wrench once to make sure).
When I took the winter tyres/wheels off in March, I loosened all the locking nuts first, and when I got to the last one (a rear one) the locking nut and tool shattered. This was the wheel that the garage had taken off to change a brake pipe for the MOT. The other nuts on that wheel were done up very tight - definitely needed the telescopic handle for that. Fortunately the steel wheels gave good access to the broken nut so I could get an angle grinder on it to make some flats. I've since replaced the locking nuts with normal ones, as broken locking nuts can be a big problem to remove, and no one's going to nick those alloys.
I've never greased the nuts as I would have thought wouldn't help them stay tight.
I'll have a good look at the threads for damage next time the wheel is off.

[guest2878]

Strange as it may seem my front nearside locking nut dissapeared I had only owned the car from new for 6 months, the dealer replaced all four no charge, now that was good service, thanks Lincoln Honda