Ralph Whitaker Posted January 25, 2021 Report Share Posted January 25, 2021 (edited) While I have been posting photos of my car, my youngest daughter has been moving from Durham down to Kent, her first trip today was in her 20 year old Transit horsebox with the horse on one side and her stable equipment on the other. As she got near her destination, which was the new stables for her horse, she became aware of a vibration from the back of the truck and drove the last couple of miles very slowly managing to get to the layby directly opposite the farm entrance for the stable. When she got out and had a look the nearside rear wheels (twin wheeler) had lost 5 of the 6 studs and nuts and the last one was hanging on by a thread. We only bought the truck about 3 months ago with a new MOT. I drove it 160 miles back home that day and never noticed anything, since when she had only done about 100 miles in it. Ironically she was worried about it making the trip so last week she gave it an oil and filter change and fitted a new auxilliary belt. (She is very hands on, don`t know where she gets it from!}, and checked all the tyre pressures before setting off. Non of the wheels had been off in our ownership and she never thought to check them, but because the studs have come out with the nuts, and its on the side where they are left hand threads, I think someone in the past must have been trying to get the nuts off in the wrong direction and have tightened them to the point where they had started to pull through the drive flange. She has been down the A1, A14, M11 and M25 today and she must have had someone looking over her shoulder, I am going to have nightmares about what could have happened. She can`t move the truck now and is going to have to get breakdown out to it tomorrow, but it is amazing it held together right to her destination. Ralph Edited January 25, 2021 by Ralph Whitaker Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big Alex B TR3a Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 As you say Ralph, Sounds like a lucky escape. Someone must have been looking down on her. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 She is one lucky girl. A couple of years back on a TRR Welsh week-end the Saturday morning convoy came to a halt on a big but sharpish bend. Not a good place to stop I couldn't see what was happening in front of me and was keeping an eye on the road behind me. After about 20-30 seconds a TR came round the bend at a good speed. I was about to shoot off sideways, a screech of tyres on the road and the TR stopped a few inches behind me, as did other TR's behind him (hello Keith) A few minutes later a policewoman walked up to us to explain the hold up. A land rover was towing a horsebox. The floor in the box collapsed and the horses legs fell through. This is very serious for the horse. Apparently it is not a rare event. The floors become weak due to the horse peeing all too often. Don;t know the fate of the horse. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 Ralph, Your daughter can move the van - take one wheel bolt fron each of the others, Secure the loose wheel and drive it slowly, no doubt checking frequently, to where she wants to go. John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 24 minutes ago, john.r.davies said: Ralph, Your daughter can move the van - take one wheel bolt fron each of the others, Secure the loose wheel and drive it slowly, no doubt checking frequently, to where she wants to go. John It lost the studs and the nuts, they are screw in studs like girling axles and separate nuts not like moderns Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 Oh, shucks! That's like TR2/3 wheels studs? I had to look it up. Seems extraordinary that the nuts AND studs would be lost at the same time. What mechanism could do that? Once the wheel is loose, will its rotation uncrew the studs? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 Just now, john.r.davies said: Oh, shucks! That's like TR2/3 wheels studs? I had to look it up. Seems extraordinary that the nuts AND studs would be lost at the same time. What mechanism could do that? Once the wheel is loose, will its rotation uncrew the studs? That side has left hand thread nuts but I think the studs screw into the hub with right hand thread so an ignorant tyre fitter who isnt familiar by trying to undo the nuts right hand is tightening the nuts but loosening the studs, seen it before in the 70`s with the original big transits with twin rears. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ralph Whitaker Posted January 26, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 2 hours ago, stuart said: That side has left hand thread nuts but I think the studs screw into the hub with right hand thread so an ignorant tyre fitter who isnt familiar by trying to undo the nuts right hand is tightening the nuts but loosening the studs, seen it before in the 70`s with the original big transits with twin rears. Stuart. That`s what I think has happened in the past. Cannot say I am fond of the idea of the studs screwed in, much prefer them fitted from the back with mushroom heads then they can`t come out, or as is more normal now use bolts instead. As I type this she is waiting for recovery. Ralph Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ralph Whitaker Posted January 26, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 As an aside to this, I am right in thinking that the spinners for wire wheels are labelled left and right as it would be sitting in the drivers seat. I only ask because a friend queried this the other day and wondered why the commercials have the left hand threads on the nearside (left) while my TR had the left hand threads on the offside (right). I didn`t know the answer. Ralph. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 Hi Ralph, all the TR spinners have RH thread on left side (Near side UK) and the LH threads on the right side (Off side UK) (from the drivers sitting position) All the studs on the TR are RH threads Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ntc Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 This was a common issue with Transits the studs and nuts will be shot so don’t drive it timely reminder check your nuts Quote Link to post Share on other sites
barkerwilliams Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 Ralph, Such a fortunate escape, and a message about driving on after warning signs from the mechanicals. Alan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 As Paul Hogan can tell you, should you fit the wire wheel adaptors to the incorrect side of the car, the spinners/nuts will loosen as you drive. There was quite a lot of discussion about this on the Forum about two years ago. Simple check: if you fit a spinner loosely, grip it in your hand and push the car forwards, it should tighten onto the thread. Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NCS_TR3A Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 Ralph, Main thing is she's OK. Everything else is something you learn. Had a similar experiences (1) with my sons first car (but not as bad). It lost 2 nuts (or bolts as they were on that car) and two remained on, one loose. The car was new to us and whilst I'd serviced it we hadn't had the wheels off. (2) on the TR3 itself. My farther used to drive it. I think we've had it 27 years now. I got a call to say the front wheel had come off in the early days of ownership. Everyone was OK and actually I was surprised the car was in reasonable condition (disk had a flat spot from hitting ground and stopping but wing OK ect) the four nuts that hold the spline hib on had come off. We had no. Idea at the time that the splines were bolted to standard studs. (3) A friend at college once lost a wheel on his mini. He had just got out the car park so low speed. It's had wide wheels on. When he went back to the parking spot there were three wheel nuts on the floor. It looks like someone had removed them on purpose. Possibly to have the wheels for themselves or possibly because someone didn't like him. I doubt the latter as he was/ is such a nice guy. But you never know. So clearly I haven't lived and learnt now I read the above, but main thing is everyone is safe and well. Neil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
little jim Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 I had the interesting experience of being overtaken by my right hand rear wheel spinner on a local drive. Luckily the wheel stayed on while I pulled over to the side of the road, in order to go and get it. Previous owner had put them on the wrong sides. Dunno how I survived the 500 mile trip from Melbourne to Canberra with no problems, but was pretty happy that I did. Bought the copper headed hammer soon after that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
R.M. Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 all i can say as a former lorry driver is that it was a good job VOSA did not stop you and find that out, they will take no excuses or reasons. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 Just now, R.M. said: all i can say as a former lorry driver is that it was a good job VOSA did not stop you and find that out, they will take no excuses or reasons. Ah the "Wheel tappers!" yep instant GV9. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DavidBee Posted August 14, 2021 Report Share Posted August 14, 2021 On 1/26/2021 at 12:36 PM, Ralph Whitaker said: That`s what I think has happened in the past. Cannot say I am fond of the idea of the studs screwed in, much prefer them fitted from the back with mushroom heads then they can`t come out, or as is more normal now use bolts instead. As I type this she is waiting for recovery. Ralph I agree with you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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