Went out and checked the torque on the lugs as Jim recommended... DANG! All 20 were down, 'bout half by 1/4 turn, the rest by 1/8 turn. This is a really good idea, folks. Check those lugs!

-tvw


[This message has been edited by tvw (edited 06-07-2000).]

 

I did the same and found mine loose.

I'll mention this again. I called SVT regarding torque.

1999 100 ft. lbs.
2000 150 ft. lbs.

The nut is bigger on the 2000

------------------
Jim

jim@jimshaw.cc

www.cars-n-trucks.com/lightning.htm
Black 00, Superchip, clear corners, super whites
Airaid w/Big Mouth filter, chrome wheels, AIM 2" drop shackles
2000 E320, 1993 Cobra R, 1959 Corvette, 1949 Plymouth Coupe

Looking for a better paying job to support my L

 

I checked mine and they were all tight. Dont have torque wrench, but 240 lbs leaning on the factory wrench the nuts wouldnt move....

Better safe than sorry

Doug

[This message has been edited by Silver_2000_! (edited 06-07-2000).]

 

That is exactly how I felt when I saw a black L with a wheel that did fall off.

------------------
Jim

jim@jimshaw.cc

www.cars-n-trucks.com/lightning.htm
Black 00, Superchip, clear corners, super whites
Airaid w/Big Mouth filter, chrome wheels, AIM 2" drop shackles
2000 E320, 1993 Cobra R, 1959 Corvette, 1949 Plymouth Coupe

Looking for a better paying job to support my L

 

Damn, I only checked mine to 100#'s. Better retorque again.

------------------
Red '00 Lightning,
Adopted 4/19/00,
Power Surge Performance enhanced,
Sound effects provided by Flowmaster,
Track time pending...

 

I've been at the dealer 4 times for oil and some minor repairs and two of those time have seen F150 come in on flat beds with missing wheels. Talk to one owner stated that he was just driving on the freeway and the wheel fell off. How many have to fall off before Ford does a recall and fixes the problem. Or does Ford wait till someone gets killed. Love my Truck but love Life and Wife more.........(well maybe)hehe

------------------
1999 Red SVT Lightning
#3466 of 4000
NLOC #428

 

Guys,
Wheels coming off vehicles because of loss of lug nut clamp load are not new. While growing up, I can remember 2 cases of my parent having near misses with wheels falling off. The first I remember (mid 80's) was an old Caddy (early 70's) boat, this was my mother’s car and she didn't take good care of it. The tires were worn, she never rotated them, so they had allot of miles on them without a retorque. The car started to vibrate and shake and we pulled of the road sure enough, the lug nuts (cone) had backed off. Did my parents blame the Carmaker, no, they considered that my mother having routine maintenance done could have avoided this. I guess this is back in the day when most people considered their car a long-term commitment.
The other was this beater Plymouth wagon (mid 80's), which broke 3 studs, and shook the life out of us . We had just bought it a month ago and hadn't serviced it. Lesson to learn these things need to be checked...

Around 1990, my mother had our 85ish van brake serviced at a K-mart, they do the job right, and about 200 miles do the road, the van shook soooo hard we pulled off the road, could figure it out so drove at 20 mph for about a min, and it got so bad, we pull of the side of the road and stop, when we got a tow truck, it pick up the van and the wheel and rotor fell off.

I have never heard of a car that did not give any warning signs before the wheels came out. Additionally Checking your lug nuts and rotating your tires seem like routine maintenance to me. What ever happened to rotating your tires?

my .02s.