The case of the missing lug nuts.

[tnt1971]

I am about 200 miles away from home, and at a light the driver next to me tells me I am missing lug nuts. I pulled into a parking lot and he is right. 2 out of five were missing on the passenger front. I went to two tire shops, and neither would touch the car because they could not get Tesla parts. They suggested I call roadside assistance, which I did. It was a terrible experience, I was told it was not covered and all he could do was tow me. When I asked if he could overnight two lug nuts, he said he is only roadside and has no access to parts.

After a bad night of wondering if I would be stuck here, over a holiday weekend, not wanting to risk driving the car, I went to an Auto Zone and found lug nuts that worked. I also bought a tire iron and I checked all the wheels. Every lug nut on both my front wheels was loose. The backs were tight. I had the tires changed back in October, and the car was in for the 50k service, to Tesla in Syosset, in December. Does anyone know if they take the wheels off for that? I know they did not rotate the tires because I told them I only had about 2k on them at that point.

I am dying to know who did not tighten the lug nuts on my front wheels. There is the possibility someone stole them, but why would they loosen 8 others and not take them?

This week I was rear ended, and now this. It has been a bad car week.

 

[David.85D]

Sounds like a terrible experience. Glad you didn’t loose a wheel.

Possibilities:

3) have any enemies? Ex? New life insurance?

2) Someone started to steal a wheel and got interrupted, but that wouldn’t explain both sides being loose.

1) sloppy mechanic. Probably snugged them up and forget to torque them. I’d guess they take the wheels off on each service visit to visually inspect the brakes.

They should have found a way to overnight some lugnuts!

Glad you figured out they are a standard size that is commercially available. There are threads here on that. Next day from Amazon would have been another choice.

Those two tire shops need a talking to. Lug nuts and tires and tires aren’t “Tesla parts”. Just plain old parts.

After reading this, think I will throw a couple of spare lugnuts into my emergency kit!

 

[aroundlsu]

Same thing happened to me after I picked up my CPO from Fremont. Customer support advised I just show up at the nearest service center which happened to be a Tesla approved body shop and not a real service center. I showed up and in a few minutes they replaced the lug nuts and torqued the remaining ones which were very loose. Everyone at the shop was as perplexed as I was.

 

[mrElbe]

Instead of a tire iron you should have bought a torque wrench with appropriate socket and then torque all wheel nuts to the specified torque.

 

[Oldschool496]

After reading this, think I will throw a couple of spare lugnuts into my emergency kit!

I was thinking the same thing, my emergency kit though is getting quite heavy and the amount of energy to lug it around is exceeding the human usage.

All kidding aside. No matter where I get my tires rotated, replaced or new Arachnid rims or other, I always check the torque and re-torque weeks later. I realize not all persons do this or won't, but in the age of cell phone complacency, even driving with distractions all around has become hazardous. It appears people are forgetting lots of things these days even the mechanics. Dare I say could a call have come through before he had a chance to tighten the lug nuts properly?

 

[tnt1971]

I went back to Tesla in Syosset and, although they did not admit any fault, they were very conciliatory and said "don't worry, we will take care of you". Apparently the lug nuts I had they did not make anymore, so they replaced all of them with ones with chrome covers. Looks nice, but I still can't believe I was driving around for two months like that. They also confirmed they do take the wheels off at the 50k service.

I did not know they make a hand torque wrench for cars. I have one for my bicycle. I thought you need one of those air wrenches to torque down a car wheel. Learned something new.

 

[aerodyne]

It has gotten to the point I don't trust anyone to work on my car....esp wheels.

Lexus overtorqued my wheel nuts. I checked a few days later, nearly double the spec. Lexus claimed it was normal, later brake rotors warped, said nuts we're too tight, denied they did it.

Toyota dealer put grease copper anti- sieze on the threads, said it was standard practice. I pointed to the chapter and verse in the OM that said never use lubricant on the wheel studs, they said it was no problem because they always did it that way.

Acura dealer rotated tires with out permission. Checked torque and one nut was way high on each wheel, others were spot on. Asked why and they said they used impact wrench on one nut to pull wheel on, but it was ok because they checked torque after. SERIOUSLY.

Tesla ranger came out for warranty work. Left Frunk tub loose, side panel clips missing, and forgot to reconnect tail light!

BTW, torque stick is not the same as a wrench, and can be inaccurate. Also, don't need a torque wrench if you have a breaker bar, a scale, weigh more than 80 lbs, and can do simple math..

You cannot torque conical nuts as found on the Model S accurately with the wheel on the ground, but many will insist otherwise.

 

[aerodyne]

Old school +1. Seems many mechanics these days...are not!

 

[Oldschool496]

BTW, torque stick is not the same as a wrench, and can be inaccurate. Also, don't need a torque wrench if you have a breaker bar, a scale, weigh more than 80 lbs, and can do simple math..

never knew that, till I just looked on the internet and .....

I have seen various examples of this and each is slightly different. I have, carry and use a torque wrench. I am interest of how this other process works though for at least trivia.

Please explain.
I weigh 229 so the math may be simple.
I have a scale
I have a breaker bar

 

[aerodyne]

Sum the moments about a point. For a system in equalibrium, that equals zero.

CCW is negative, so we have:

0= -Mn + Mw

Where Moment on Nut is the desired nut torque, Moment on Wrench is applied torque.

Per the MM, lug nut should be torqued to 129 Ft-lbs (1548 in-lbs) on clean and dry threads.

Assuming Hazard Frought Tools breaker bar, comfortable place to apply said torque is 17 inches. 1548/17=91lbs.

Apply pressure on the bar at said distance while kneeling on the scale, until it reads 138 lbs.

A little long, but a complete answer I hope.

 

[Oldschool496]

Sum the moments about a point. For a system in equalibrium, that equals zero.


I hope.

Nice, I like it and I will be experimenting for the hell of it. Not any different then the formulas I found on the internet, but explained clearer for sure.

If the car is in the air, same result should be had to stand on the scale once you find the right point to lever perhaps. Not to labor the issue, the handle of the bar, does your measurement(of the bar) end where your hand starts or ends on the bar. Looks like 4-5 inches there.

I assume its at the start of the handle where you grip.

getting ready for this big announce in a few mins. What could it be???

 

[aerodyne]

It could be anywhere you can place a concentrated load with your hand. In this case I used the end of the bar. You would need to measure and mark with tape.

This method should be accurate +/- 10% for roadside. For permanent inst like wheel rotations get a quality torque wrench like CDI (snap on commercial grade)

If you do you own rotations not only will you get a good look see in the suspension, wheels/tires, and brakes, but also you will save maybe 1k over the next 4 years.

Announcement today... Something to do with elephants? Who knows, but I am hoping for something serious.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Cheap torque wrenches at Harbor Freight good enough to torque wheels.

Some advocate retorquing a week or so after a wheel is put back on. (Maybe old school)

A bush fix, when several nuts are missing, is to take one of the nuts off another wheel as necessary to run with only one nut missing on each wheel. Enough to get you to a service station.