Just because it is done by a paid professional doesn’t mean it is done right.

[kyle4501]

I'm beginning to wonder why there aren't more incidences of wheels falling off.

In the past 2 months, 3 friends have had tires replaced on their coaches.  All 3 had multiple studs wrung off on the driver's side. Even after they reminded shop the driver's side were Left Hand.

My (new to me) coach had been serviced by paid professionals prior to our purchasing it, so I didn't think there was any reason to check my lug nuts. 
Today, as I'm preparing to remove some nuts to install some bling bling (new axle covers), I noticed the inner nut thread exposure was uneven. After checking all of the inner nuts,  I was surprised to find that only 3 of the inner nuts were as tight as they needed to be. Most took over 1/2 a turn to reach full torque, several were plain loose. After re-torquing all the inners & outer nuts, all the inner nut thread exposure is even.


Sometimes vanity is a good thing.

Moral of the story -
Don't trust anyone else with them - Check your own nuts !   

[eagle19952]

Maybe they weren't re-torqued... 

[gus]

I always watch when my wheels are attached.

I also ask them to use my small air wrench which has a max of 600 lb-ft.

I learned this after having to replace stripped studs on my 4104 rears - never again!

These tire jockeys are not the brightest guys in the shop. I can only guess how much training they get, it is awful work for probably not so great pay. Professionals - no!

[HB of CJ]

We might be amazed how little training such paid professionals actually receive.  Sometimes none.  Might happen more times than we understand.

The key to it all is not to anger the guys by asking politely if we can watch over their shoulders.  Seems the less competent they are, the more they resist.

It cuts both ways.  Also the experience has been that the older guys doing the work like us watching and asking questions.  They do not mind passing it forward.

Finally, do most LH wheel drum studs come marked with a big "L" on the end of the stud?  If memory serves some older Jeeps had such.  Do not know about Bus Studs.

[luvrbus]

That is why the hub pilot with 1 nut is so much better than the out of date stud pilot wheels using a inner and outer nut.
I never had any problems with stud pilot wheels but I am a never seize type guy torqued to 400 lbs but the hub pilot is so much a better system it's so much easier on the wheels,studs and the owner   IMO 

[Jon]

And that is why I would rather eat bees than let someone touch my coach.

[kyle4501]

I always use a torque wrench, always clean the mounting faces, wire brush the studs & etc. I don't remember ever having a loose nut when I recheck them after driving 50 to 500 miles. (either I'm lucky, or my memory is shot  )

Hub pilot seems better if only from 10 less nuts to deal with on each dual wheel. The fact that they are all RH threads is sure to make the tire changing process easier for the simple minded . . . .

[luvrbus]

Hub pilot studs and nuts have more holding surface than a tapered nut on wheels,less chance of cracking a wheel and centers braking out so the Accuride people tell me. 

Accuride has stop making stud pilot wheels in aluminum now, I don't know if Alcoa still make one or not, seems like stud pilot wheels are going to be a thing of the past like the Dayton wheels

[ol713]

    HI all;
               I too like removing and replacing my own wheels.  I trust my torque
               and I get to look at what's happening behind the wheels.  It gives me
               a comfortable feeling to do this.    I also know if I install the wheels,
               then I I know can get them off.   (have always used never seize)
                                                     Merle     

[HB of CJ]

Can the older pilot type wheels and associated stuff be easily and cheaply updated to the more modern hub type system?  What all would be involved and how much would it cost?  I for one have no idea.  HB

[kyle4501]

Can the older pilot type wheels and associated stuff be easily and cheaply updated to the more modern hub type system?  What all would be involved and how much would it cost?  I for one have no idea.  HB

New hubs that fit your axle tubes/ spindles and new wheels.

Seems to me that if you aren't having problems and they are properly installed, the stud piloted will continue to perform well. Hub piloted won't perform better enough to justify the cost of changing.

If you need to replace your hubs due to some other reason, then changing to hub piloted may be more cost effective. . . .

[Tom Y]

HB, Yes. At least on my 80 5C the hubs are built to take either wheel. So I removed all the studs and changed. Studs are not cheap I think about 2-3 bucks each. I put longer on for aluminum wheels, and I run steel on the inter rear. The hubs on the rear did not have a deep enough support surface to run 2 aluminum  wheels IMO. Tom   

[bevans6]

What is the hub measurement to see if you can use hub centric wheels?  I have stud centered wheels on my 1980 5C, but this has me very interested...  I've tried to order new wheels twice, from two different guys, both said they couldn't get them from their normal wholesalers so I didn't take it further.

Brian

[luvrbus]

You could get hub pilot or stud pilot wheels on MCI since the late 70's fwiw

[bevans6]

Something about the title of this thread was bugging me, and I just figured out what.  Nowadays, a "professional" seems to be someone who gets paid to do work of any sort as a career.   You have professional truck drivers, that's a common term, professional McDonald's employees, professional garbage collectors.  But the term "Professional" used to mean something completely different.  It used to mean a practitioner of a "Profession", a regulated, skill and ethics tested, highly educated career that included Doctor of Medicine, Dentist, Engineer (there is still title of P-Eng in Canada), professions where a practitioner holds a license to practice and is held to high standards by a regulating body.  That is what I think of when I use the term "Professional".  I also use it when referring to certain people who have demonstrated high skill and ethics in their work, even if not part of "The Professions" (IE, "He's a real Pro").  But a random guy who bolts wheels on a truck for a living mostly is not going to qualify as a "professional" in my book, regardless of how they make their living.  The chief qualification for a wheel hanger is being smart enough to count to ten, and dumb enough to not be the guy who tells the wheel hanger which truck or bus to do next.  

Never forget that the other meaning of the term "Pro" is short for prostitute...

Brian