Had 3 teens beat another with a tire iron on my Explorer

[SarahLizzie]

Last night, in the parking lot of my apartment complex. Sounds like I live in a sketchy area, I know, but I live in a residential area, we don't even lock our doors at night! So strange. Anyway, they got the kid up against the passenger side of my car and hit him with a tire iron, resulting in many dents (blood. everywhere.) and a broken sideview mirror (actual glass is fine but the arm itself is disconnected at the joint). I pushed the arm back on, but the auto mirror function no longer works. Any repair advice and/or prices on repair from experience? Also, having an issues with my front end. Due to faulty repair during getting brakes done, our lug nuts weren't put back on tightly and during a trip to VA on 95, all the studs broke off and wheel disconnected. It stayed on, thank god, rolling on the axle or rotor for a hundred or so feet as I pulled over. Now, about a month or 2 later, we still have the spare on the car (with new studs on the pass front side), and now, when I am at a "highway speed", I am hearing/feeling a thump thump thump thump similar to having a flat tire, any time I allow the car to naturally decellerate (as opposed to braking). Help! Is this the cv, bearings etc??? (New sway bar linkage last fall). Looking for any info on time i hve before it truly breaks and i die in the car, pricing, etc. Had new ball joints about 4-5 years ago. 2003 4wd explorer. Thanks!

 

[inubara]

Always retorque wheels!

Your insurance should cover damage no problem or go to junk yard and get new mirror assy around 50$ dealer replacement will be around 200$ +
As for your wheel issue, Did you have your wheels retorqued after 100 miles? ALWAYS check your wheels 100 miles after removing them. It should say that on your repair invoice or they verbally told you that. Most places require you to intial that you have been warned. Did you check the other wheels yet? That could be part of what your describing.

A wheel falling off and driving even a few feet on a rotor will destroy it. You may have also damaged other lower suspension parts. The continued driving on a damaged rotor can cause wheel bearing, caliper, abs and axel damage. I suggest that you get those parts inspected asap.

 

[R1dd1cK]

As for your wheel issue, Did you have your wheels retorqued after 100 miles? ALWAYS check your wheels 100 miles after removing them. It should say that on your repair invoice or they verbally told you that. Most places require you to intial that you have been warned.

That is interesting. Where do or have you worked that says you have to re torque after 100 miles. I have worked at NTB and Tires Plus and never heard that. The only time you need to do a re torque is on brand new rims.

 

[Exproblems]

That is interesting. Where do or have you worked that says you have to re torque after 100 miles. I have worked at NTB and Tires Plus and never heard that. The only time you need to do a re torque is on brand new rims.

I've seen the "100 mile lug nut re-torque" check mentioned on many auto repair shop receipts over the years, including tire store receipts. It's mainly for people with "alloy" (aluminum) rims on their vehicles and lug nuts that are made of steel. The two metals expand and contract differently from each other and the lug nuts can loosen because of that and need to be re-checked after a wheel has been removed from the vehicle after a repair has been done or new tires installed on the alloy rims. Most people probably ignore the 100 mile safety warning and don't check the torque of their lug nuts. Steel wheels and lug nuts generally keep their set torque.

Edit: Just to add to what I said above about seeing the lug nut warning on auto repair receipts, I just went and looked through my repair receipts for my current Explorer. The following is from a "Cole Muffler and Brake Shop" receipt for a wheel alignment I had done there in 4/2011. In big red letters at the bottom of the receipt is says the following: 'Warning: Lug nuts/bolts must be rechecked and re-torqued immediately after the first 25 miles of use. Please return to Cole immediately after 25 miles of your service so we can check and retorque your lug nuts/bolts".

Also on a "Sears Auto Center" receipt from 1/2011 it says the following under the 'comments section": "All lug nuts on custom or alloy wheels must be re-torqued after 25 miles and checked periodically". These 2 shops want the lug nut torque checked after 25 miles of use and some places say 100 miles.

 

[BigRondo]

From my shop manuals:

WARNING: When a wheel is installed, always remove any corrosion, dirt or foreign material present on the mounting surfaces of the wheel or the surface of the wheel hub, brake drum or brake disc that contacts the wheel. Installing wheels without correct metal-to-metal contact at the wheel mounting surfaces can cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel to come off while the vehicle is in motion, causing loss of control.

WARNING: Retighten at 800 km (500 miles) after any wheel change or any time the wheel nuts are loosened.

WARNING: Failure to retighten wheel nuts at the mileage specified could allow wheels to come off while the vehicle is in motion, possibly causing loss of vehicle control and collision.

Clean the wheel hub mounting surface and wheel pilot.
Install the tire and wheel assembly.
Position the tire and wheel assembly.
Install the wheel nuts hand-tight, then lower the vehicle.

CAUTION: Failure to tighten the wheel nuts in a star pattern can result in high brake disc runout, which will speed up the development of brake roughness, shudder and vibration.

 

[inubara]

That is interesting. Where do or have you worked that says you have to re torque after 100 miles. I have worked at NTB and Tires Plus and never heard that. The only time you need to do a re torque is on brand new rims.

I called tires plus and they said they tell all customers to come back for retorque after 25 miles. So anyway getting back to the post, you should check all wheels and I would get the drivers side rotor replaced and inspected for further damage. That's not safe