Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

I have a 4 bolt pattern on my 92 Integra GSR. The previous owner did not take good care of the lug nuts and mixed/matched a few (most are still stock acorn lug nuts for Honda) The problem is that one is missing, one has cracked threads on the nut, and some are not tightened well.. To make matters even worse, I tried to change them myself, but my jack broke in the process - unfourtenetaly I did not have time to retighten the lugs on the rear, left wheel because the jack broke and car lowered down, so I had no choice but to tighten them on the ground.... :thud: just my luck.... In addition, lately I have been hearing a lot of cracking/popping sounds in the wheels when I am driving...

I am just wondering, I am very, very, very busy with a lot of other things right now, and would it be safe if I drove around like this for a bit (at least drive to the junk yard to find another jack?) Or is this not a good idea.

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

not only is this un-safe but you're hurting your car. you're putting a lot of stress on your wheel bearings, and what ever you have left to call wheel studs.

always remember to put on lug nuts on and off in a cross pattern. puts less stress on your wheel bearing.

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

yes i know.. lol, but i have no choice to drive it to the junk yard today cuz i need to buy a used jack (hopefully they have the one i need otherwise the trip would be all for nothing).. but before I drove it yesterday, I put the wrench on the lugs and applied my full body weight to tighten them. they seem to be sitting alright, but im not completely confident...

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

Don't you have friends/family? The obvious answer is no, lol. Figure it out.

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

Find a neighbor or someone on your block with a jack or even the shitty jack used to change a flat tire on the side of the road. Someone has to have one & its def worth asking before u take a right turn and your wheel goes left.

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

Listen to what others are telling you. DON'T DRIVE ON YOUR CAR until you get the proper lug nuts and re-tighten the lug nuts with the car off the ground. Don't do something stupid and then feel sorry about it later. Borrow a jack if you need to, and get someone to give you a ride to bring the jack to your car if you need to.

If you don't already have one, you should also buy a torque wrench (and a 19 mm socket) so you don't over- or under-tighten your lug nuts. You can get decent ones for under $30. This one for $12.99 is just fine.

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

^x2

i've seen bad things come from having loose lugs

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

yeah this happened on my front driver side tire i heards a loud ass clicking noise and couldnt figure out it was cause i have day old axles and everything. i saw i only had one lug nut on my wheel :crook:

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

Yea yea, I think I know what your talking about. (I also hear noises, but there coming from all corners when I turn, but there not clicking noises, there more like popping/thumping noises when I am making a turn... Still not sure what that is..) But yea, I changed the lugs finally, with my tire iron. I put them on pretty tight, but not over tight. I will eventually get a torque wrench, but until then I am just going to keep an eye on my lug nuts. for example, everytime before I drive, I will check/tighten each lug nut just a bit to ensure that they are still sitting nicely.. You think I'll be okay for a month or so until I get a torque wrench??

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

Umm...don't drive your car please...not only for your safety but for the safety of others on the road. Get to a Jiffy Lube, Walmart, Tires Plus, Midas, Meincke, Firestone, Honda dealership, etc and have them fix things the right way before you do a LOT of damage to your car, yourself or others. Not to lecture you, but this is one of the biggest "WTF?!?" moments i've had in a while. Get it fixed sooner than ASAP.

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

sorry, do you mean the lug nuts?? I already changed them, and I'm gonna get a torque wrench very soon, but sometime this week I am gonna drive out to a shop and just get them to air gun my lugs jsut to be sure.

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

At this point, getting your lugnuts to proper torque spec is the least of your concerns. Take the tire iron out of the trunk (or a 1/2" drive ratchet with proper socket) and crank them tight. After driving a little bit, repeat the process. That should be sufficient. Then you can torque to spec at your liesure

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

Ok, Ill redo the lug nuts today again. I did a full replacement yesterday (brand new ones) are there on nice and tight. Sorry, I dont fully understand though, are you saying I should raise the car again - take the lugs completely off - and then put them back on?? Or just tighten them when the car is raised. By the way, thanks for the help..

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

No, just tighten them on the ground. After driving around for like 10 minutes, re-tighten them on the ground. The driving should have jostled the wheel around enough to show any potential gap between the rim and lugs. One more thing, when you tighten them, start on any one you like, then go diagonal across to the next lug. After that one, go to the one next to it. And a final diagonal to the remaining lug...i'll try show you what i mean below


1 4
3 2

Go from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4. That way you're tightening them down evenly

Re: Loose lug nuts: weird sounds... safe to drive??
 

yup I know what you mean, I know that pattern and stuff.. The only mistake that I made was just after I came off the highway, I tried to check them to see if any are loose, but I forgot that they heat up man... I'm thinking I might just change those cuz u never know.. I ended up "re-shaping" the lug design because the steel was warm and I applied force. Other then that I think its all okay for a while.