Hi all, I have read with interest and concern posts on wheels coming off caravans, and the need to check the nuts are at the correct torque. My question is, on checking how many of you have found the nuts are slack, if so were they on steel or alloy wheels.
Thanks in advance.
All the best,
Andy
------------- no day you learn something,is wasted
They're not nuts actually Andy they are bolts. If they were nuts the wheel would locate on protruding studs from the hub which in my view would actually be better under the circumstances.
Always check mine before every journey and they have always been fine
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
Hi tango55, thank you for the correction, & your information To add to my original post, if any of you have found slack bolts how long was it since they were last checked ?
All the best,
Andy
------------- no day you learn something,is wasted
Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 09/9/2011
They're not nuts actually Andy they are bolts. If they were nuts the wheel would locate on protruding studs from the hub which in my view would actually be better under the circumstances.
earlier caravans had nuts fitted,think our 92 bailey had anyway when we had it. wheel balance is most important on a caravan.after working in a garage as a motor engineer a long time back i have seen first hand what a badly balanced wheel can do on the machine.imho this can loosen the bolts/nuts.i have never had loose bolts/nuts.
Post last edited on 09/09/2011 11:41:00
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
I think you are looking at this the wrong way. Provided caravan wheels are fitted in the way described on the other thread & checked after being run for 30miles, there will be no problems. But checking then before a long trip is always a good idea.
Imho, unless you are prepared to invest in a good quality torque wrench & understand the principles involved you may as well just check they are tight with a wheelbrace.
It is very rare for caravan to lose a wheel & when an incident is described on here the full facts are unknown. It is quite possible, surfaces wern't cleaned, torque wrench was faulty, fitter forgot to tighten nuts, aftermarket wheels could have been fitted, wheels from a scrapyard or whatever &/or the wrong bolts used.
Caravan wheels should be balanced & valves replaced with new tyre, same as car tyres. Its possible that some trailer/caravan workshops don't do this so I would always get new tyres fitted at a tyre depot or by a mobile fitter rather than have tyres replaced as part of a caravan service.
I think you may be right michael. I think that all the earlier caravans did have studs instead of bolts fitted, in fact I think most cars did as well. I think the reason why they changed was because if the threads got stripped you had to replace the complete hub with the studs welded on at the rear. If you strip the thread nowadays you just have to replace the bolt which is easier and cheaper.
I think you may be right michael. I think that all the earlier caravans did have studs instead of bolts fitted, in fact I think most cars did as well. I think the reason why they changed was because if the threads got stripped you had to replace the complete hub with the studs welded on at the rear. If you strip the thread nowadays you just have to replace the bolt which is easier and cheaper.
thanks.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
The wheels on our van are not balanced they were like that when new there seems to be alot of emphasis put on wheel balance does that mean that all unbalanced wheels will come off. The rear wheels on my van also are not balanced they have done 20000 miles so far with no problems infact one front wheel wasn't balanced either but it didn't affect the steering at any speed up to 80 mph. I have just changed the front tyres on my van they are both balanced now talking to the fitter he said that he wouldn't have alloy wheels on a car or caravan steel are far better
<FONT color=#0000ff>I think you may be right michael. I think that all the earlier caravans did have studs instead of bolts fitted, in fact I think most cars did as well. I think the reason why they changed was because if the threads got stripped you had to replace the complete hub with the studs welded on at the rear. If you strip the thread nowadays you just have to replace the bolt which is easier and cheaper.
Think on this...
Studs were just that: pushed in from the rear of the hub and held in place by a shoulder and a knurl (raised pattern on the diameter), the brake drum then fitted on these studs followed by the wheel and then tightened up by the nuts, both the studs and the nuts were of the same tensile strength, each of these studs can be changed individually or in sets without having to change the hub.
Current practice on caravans is to use the brake drum as the hub drill and tap holes into it and then bolt the wheels to it the bolts are high tensile steel, the drum cast iron, this means that the thread in the cast iron will strip long before the thread on the bolt will, there is also the possibility that removal and replacing the bolt will wear the thread in the cast iron, especially if the bolt has become rusty. Over torquing the bolts can cause the thread in the cast iron to crack away. Using this method means you have to change the whole drum and brakes should the thread strip or become worn.
------------- Caravanning is a way of getting a cheap holiday out of an expensive hobby
Quote: Originally posted by phil76 on 09/9/2011
The wheels on our van are not balanced they were like that when new there seems to be alot of emphasis put on wheel balance does that mean that all unbalanced wheels will come off. The rear wheels on my van also are not balanced they have done 20000 miles so far with no problems infact one front wheel wasn't balanced either but it didn't affect the steering at any speed up to 80 mph. I have just changed the front tyres on my van they are both balanced now talking to the fitter he said that he wouldn't have alloy wheels on a car or caravan steel are far better
Non balanced wheels that are out of balance will cause more stress to wheel bearings & will wear the tyre out of round. I wouldn't say they are more likely to come off provided wheel is fitted properly.
Obviously the wheel might well be in balance, or almost in balance, so will be ok without balancing, but balancing & valve replacement should be done when fitting a new tyre as matter of course. I would agree it seems pretty pointless putting alloy wheels on caravans.
I'll get them balanced next spring when I renew them only 1 more trip away this year. If it's rme near side wheels that are prone to coming undone why not use left handed threads
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Topic: Slack Nuts ???
