The Real Reason: Wheels Fall Off Your Vehicle

Opinion from a transportation professional’s point of view. The main reasons wheels fall off your vehicle can be attributed to several factors: neglect, poor maintenance, and, in extreme cases, ‘metal fatigue.’

***Let me explain: As a tradesperson with many years of experience repairing big and small on- and off-road vehicles, this is my professional opinion and only my view. However, I’ve seen this problem before.

This article was originally posted on Vocal with ZERO loven. And after mentioning this historic statistic, this is not a bit surprising for many reasons. One being, it could be a grim reminder that when a wheel falls off your vehicle (Car, Truck or trailer), there could be tragic consequences and, >>NOWBODY << wants to read that their preventable negligence could have been the culprit for someone getting killed.

Now that statement sounds a little harsh to the skeptic, considering most wheel departures are chalked up as accidents. And funny enough, highway big (semi) trucks are always used as an example, and… in the same sentence. However, the National Statistics on road safety declare: ‘wheels falling off a vehicle is a more common occurrence than you may think,’ and in most cases, are not being reported.

• Now, up to that last sentence, I am disappointed that their report could have been a little misleading because of what they left out. They should have gone one step further and given an example >> like this:

• “Small utility or recreational camper trailers are the ones not being reported to have wheel failure. *** For those of you who have boat trailers and you know they get submerged in water when launching your Chris-Craft runabout, “you are familiar with what I’m talking about.“

*** To be fair with Vocal Media, this story would have stayed shelved from my first writing; however, after recently reading an online article that renewed my interest in this subject, it goes like this.
*** “The photo showed the front of a car with a wheel missing, and the driver laughed and said,” Can’t find the wheel, ha, ha, however, we’re ok. Of course, most concerned readers would comment, hoping the driver and passengers were ok. But I was surprised nobody asked about the vehicle the runaway wheel possibly hit.

>>>> So now I’m pondering whether refreshing this topic from a previous article would make a difference? And then another photo appears online of a light commercial truck showing its back wheels missing.
The owner was clearly concerned and posted this >>>”accident” <<< on Facebook with photos for all the world to see. The driver looks visibly upset and rightfully so; however, advertising this incident with an explicit photo on Facebook is the last place I’d be advertising this dilemma. Someone might conclude, ‘this truck driver was not doing their mandatory circle check, or … they would have noticed a problem.

• If the disconnected wheels caused an accident and hurt someone, well, folks ‘in black and white thinking, the evidence of negligence is clear.
  *** Did you know that on every commercial vehicle, the equipment and wheels must be eye-inspected for safety issues? Depending on the severity of a safety problem, most have to be repaired before entering onto the highway.

Department of Transport (DOT) Inspectors set up inspection sites throughout the year, the purpose is to check bad actors for not maintaining their vehicles.

• It’s also worth noting that at a truck stop or rest area, most diligent high-miler truck drivers will walk around their unit, thump the tires and do a visual inspection before going back on the highway. Reason being, to make sure their load is secured, tires have air, and generally speaking, check anything that is moving that shouldn’t. It takes minutes to do and could save a life. That’s what makes a good conscience truck driver.

However, on the flip side, statistics also show that cars and light-duty pick-up trucks or utility trailers are being overlooked before moving a wheel, and vehicles seldom get checked by their owners. Lights, tire pressures or the general health of the trailer are being ignored.
To prove my point, when a vehicle is travelling towards you, and you see an obvious headlight out, or one headlight up and one down. This is a common occurrence when driving, which I see it many times in my daily routine. But, we all should wonder, did they tighten the winter tires and rims?
>>> I only mentioned that part of the story because this theme is about wheels falling off a moving vehicle.
***** However, as a trained technician in preventive maintenance of highway equipment, I wonder about the condition of the rest of the vehicle, and in most cases, when having the opportunity to check the rest of the vehicle over, ‘my concern was founded.’ *****

• Note: If a simple burnt-out light bulb was overlooked and not replaced, the tires in poor condition: “that would give me grounds for concern. “What is the rest of this vehicle like for roadworthiness?“

• Through all intents, this story should have started between these two online stories. And sorry folks, I’m not laughing at wheels falling off someone’s vehicle. I’ve seen the damage a runaway wheel can do. This is not a funny subject and should be taken quite seriously by all drivers on our highways.
  Just ask anyone who was on the receiving end of a tire, a wheel heading towards their windshield with zero chance of avoiding the accident.
  To prove my point before we get into the nitty-gritty, watch the YouTube video before continuing and then come back to read the rest of my story. This is not a laughing matter.
  
  Now you’ve watched the YouTube video, hopefully it proved my point about how serious the problem on our highways is.

Driveway do-it-yourself mechanics, Here is something else the average do-it-yourselfer should be aware of.

In the spring and fall, many car drivers will change summer tires over to winter tires, and then in the spring, they reverse the procedure. This is a common practice with many DIY mechanics.
However, many don’t tighten the wheels properly, which mechanics call ‘torqueing the wheels.’ That process is to set the wheel stud and nut tightness equally. ‘Hold the wheel securely in place.”
**** Some of the excuses for forgetting to tighten the wheel nuts in your driveway could be easily explained. But by no means an excuse. However, when the wife calls you for supper or the neighbor comes over and says, ‘What are you doing, Bob? Distracting you long enough, ‘you forgot to tighten the wheels.’ “The most important part of the whole process.”
From the ‘first wheels falling article, a reader commented: “WERE NOT ALL MECHANICS YOU KNOW.” Yeah, I should have considered that when I gave my evaluation: “take it to a professional then.”

“Were not all mechanics you know?” This reader’s comment is where the problem lies.

* Did you know that in and around cottage country, it’s not uncommon to see wheels falling off a boat trailer? Why? The trailer axle gets submerged in water when launching your cabin cruiser in Lake Rosseau. Ontario or “Orlando, Florida, would be the worst of the two because of the saltwater.
>>> The water seeps into the mechanical components of the wheel, ‘and we all know, water and wheel bearing grease do not mix.’ This leads to bearing failure, and bearing failure turns into wheels prematurely coming off. Small utility trailers are not exempt from proper maintenance, and most do not get any maintenance.

Question: Would you consider that an accident, bearing failure or neglect? Sorry folks, I’ve already made up my mind.

• Extra Note: When a wheel falls off a vehicle, and a fatality occurs, police reports often cite ‘premature mechanical wear’ as the cause. But in my experience, it’s not mechanical failure per-se’ it’s pure neglect that caused the mechanical failure.
• I will ask this question to you, the reader: When was the last time you serviced your trailer wheels and bearings on your RV camper or Utility trailer? This important part of the wheels-falling-off story is mostly unreported. So statistically, no one knows for sure how much the general public is at fault.
• But you, the reader, you know if it’s happened to you and not been reported. So in the end, we can only make an educated guess about how many wheels have fallen off light-duty trailers, “but there are many.”
  
  Sorry, folks, I have zero tolerance for people getting charged for a wheel falling off their vehicle. It ‘wasn’t an accident,’ “it was not an act of god,” it was you not doing your due diligence in making sure your vehicle is safe for the road.

Where are those missing wheels?

In my professional view, “Poor Maintenance Is the number one cause of wheels falling off on our Highway.”

Comments from YouTube Visitors

• Wheels coming off happened to my grandfather in the 1970s… except, instead of it being from a pickup truck, it was from an 18-wheeler, so definitely a much bigger and heavier tire! 😮 From what both my dad and grandmother told me, the whole top half of his car was flattened, but he somehow managed to drive the rest of the way home, before calling a tow truck! Insane!

• This happens a lot when people don’t tighten lugnuts , and there goes the tire… glad the cops were ok.
  “Beware of flying tires.”
  *Had a tire fly off a car. One of the scariest things to happen to me. Luckily, it didn’t hit anyone, and no one was hurt.
  *The fact it didn’t go through the windshield with THAT amount of force is crazy, technology has gone so far. Still though, I’ve seen a lot of people online get killed by flying tires, it’s a very unfortunate and unexpected death that can and has happened.

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