Yeah, another 3 wheel drive GU

Submitted: Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 12:53
ThreadID: 38394 Views:3321 Replies:7 FollowUps:8
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Ya feel like a bit of a dill, after using a rattle gun then a bar to do up the wheel nuts on the GU last friday I lost a wheel on the way to Melbourne this morning near Colac.
I know, I should have maybe used a torque wrench on it (I bought one now, $50), I have read the posts, I was warned. Now I suppose 5th gear will let go!!!

Purpose of the post????
It does happen, do up ya nuts properly.
also, JohnR & moses would have done it if I didn't..........

NickR
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Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 13:02

Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 13:02
John would NEVER have done it.

Getttin rid of my rims now.. decision has been made for me by u!
AnswerID: 198541

Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses - Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 13:22

Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 13:22
hhahaha, I actually lost a wheel nut off Moses the other day becaue it hadn't been done up properly, think it was a rattle gun one. He has a torque wrench now, I have had one in my kit for some time
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 15:44

Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 15:44
well thanks for backing me up dad.... :'(
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 18:23

Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 18:23
whatre u on about? I have never had a wheel loosen?
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Reply By: Exploder - Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 18:47

Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 18:47
Easy to blame the rattle gun, I would blame the Nissan rims/ stud design, Have never in my life used a toque wrench to do up wheel nut’s and have had wheel nut’s tightened with rattle guns more times than I can remember on steel and alloy rims and have never had a loose one yet.

The same goes for 90% of the other car’s on the road, have spent a fair bit of time around workshops and tyre stores and have never once seen a toque wrench used, even spent 3 months working at a decent sized automotive workshop, out of the 11 mechanics there, never sore any of them use a toque wrench to do up wheel nuts.

Cheers.
AnswerID: 198610

Follow Up By: Nick R - Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 20:10

Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 20:10
I wasn't relying on the rattle gun as I nipped them up with a bar afterwards.

The guy from RACV said they (in their workshop) always use a torque wrench these days, never used to but they do now.
He also relayed a funny story, the last car they had lose a wheel was a ford festiva, the wheel went a very long way and they were quite surprised when they found it floating in a dam.
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses - Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 20:12

Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 20:12
So Exploder, I wonder what those rattle guns were set to? Pretty slap dash if you don't know, but then thats the case in a many workshops. A lot of people actually find their wheels hard to get off because of too high a setting, and other have lost wheels, nuts or studs. Not just Nissan.

I know a few people now carrying torque wrenches as they have better leverage aside from the knowledge of how tight their wheel studs are.

Pretty easy to diagnose it isn't the rattle gun when you don't know it. It's just a small one years old, not a larger commercial size I have seen in tyre shops.
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Follow Up By: Exploder - Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 21:31

Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 at 21:31
Probably something around 100 Ft-Lb,

The workshop’s would generally use Rattle guns as to go around a toque up 20 odd lug nuts takes I wile apposed to 2 minutes with a rattle gun.

I am not saying the rattle gun is the correct way of doing it!!!!, just IMO I doubt it is the sole cause of the wheel parting ways if it was a good quality one. I normally use a ½” drive breaker bar when doing up my lug nut’s and that sure gets em tighter than 100ft-Lb.

For the Lug nut to come loose it would need to be under tightened or so tight that it had squashed the alloy rim enough to allow it to vibrate the nuts loose, don’t know what the Nissan lug nuts look like but the chamfer on them might be too small allowing the rim to be damaged when the nut is over tightened.

To be honest I wouldn’t go trusting a toque wrench that has been sitting in the back of the 4By’s tool kit over god know how many corrugations.
I own 2 types of toque wrenches the micrometer spring-loaded type and the deflecting beam type and they are stored in protective cases.

There have been a few reports of Nissan with alloy wheels loosing them lately surly a rattle gun has not caused all of these considering how many lug nut’s are done up every day using rattle guns on other car’s and 4WD that don’t seem to have such a widely occurring problem.

Cheers

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Follow Up By: Muzzgit [WA] - Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 at 00:25

Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 at 00:25
Ardross Tyres in WA always use a torque wrench after using the rattle gun on low setting.
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Reply By: Old Johno [NSW] - Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 at 17:20

Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 at 17:20
Nick R,
What year was the GU. I have a 2004 & lost all the nuts off an alloy wheel in the Simpson last year, it was the front Left and according to the boys at Mt Dare & Birdsville this is a common occurrence on this model especially on corrugated roads. You need to keep an eye on them.
I was lucky as the wheel stayed on the hub. Now have a set of ROC steel rims for 4WD trips
AnswerID: 198761

Follow Up By: Nick R - Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 at 22:22

Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 at 22:22
I can't remember if it is an 02 or 03, 02 I think. I lost the back left, funny thing was I took steels off to put the alloys back on. 1 stud was broken so I'd say it was tight enough, maybe too tight, 2 were a bit damaged and 3 looked ok. If I keep in the good books with JohnR I might be able to borrow his spare steel ones again some time.
I now also have a spare brake rotor, fine if you don't mind a nasty flat spot on one side. onlt took 150 m to pull up carefully............
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Reply By: Willem - Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 at 17:59

Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 at 17:59
Hey Nick...you in the wars agin...lol

Rattle Gun? Torque wrench?.....Geeeeez what are you blokes up to?

Get yoursdelf an old style 4 four poster wheel brace and don't overtighten the wheel nuts.

Maybe it is a GU thing. Think I will stay with the ever reliable GQ
AnswerID: 198770

Reply By: Member - Andrew W (SA) - Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 at 18:30

Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 at 18:30
Yep. I'm a four poster guy too.

Came across a Pajero with a wheel hanging on by it's pinkie's nail - one stud remaining and wheel at an angle, coming into Quilpie last week. (how do you say lucky?)

Watch those tyre monkeys too - they often don't give a damn - or simply know no better.

Cheers
Andrew.
AnswerID: 198779

Reply By: Peter McG (Member, Melbourne) - Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 at 07:30

Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 at 07:30
Nick

Sorry to hear about yet another wheel loss.

I guess you have seen my posts on this now well documented Nissan GU fault.

My advice (for what it's worth) is use a torque wrench set to about 98ftlb and preferably change to steel rims.

Steel nuts and alloy wheels of the GU design should not be mixed - my considered view from looking at the evidence collected earlier in the year after my incident.

I suggest you also document your case to the federal dept of transport - you can do this online.

I understand that Nissan Australia know of the problem, have told dealers to use torque wrenches but have NOT reminded owners. It is in the handbook but it is clearly absolutely critical for these alloys.

I actually think Nissan should change the wheel design and predict the new model will be different.

I still ask the question though - how long before someone is injured as a result of a wheel coming adrift.

Peter
AnswerID: 198835

Reply By: Peter McG (Member, Melbourne) - Saturday, Oct 14, 2006 at 17:11

Saturday, Oct 14, 2006 at 17:11
NIck,

I was on route to the UK when I saw your post the other day. My last post summarising what intelligence I had gathered on the issue was Post 35665. Please send your cae in to DOTAR.

Cheers

Peter
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