Freightliner Broke my Wheel Stud

jhufford · February 18, 2018, 02:25:52 PM

Gary, does your Eagle have a Steel inner wheel or Aluminum? The reason I ask is it appears the inner stud is too short. Makes me think of a Jeff Jefferson bus story...Clifford will know that story for sure. LOL I have a funny story to tell that happened to me, I installed Alcoa's on my Eagle, looked at the new nuts I already had and said "do not need new lug nuts for this". Wrong!! Had trouble with the chrome caps falling off on trips. Anyway, read a post from Clifford Allen about the difference in lug nuts for aluminum vs steel wheels....could he be right on this? You bet, he was! Ordered the correct part number and what do you know...no problems. BTW, Clifford thank you for your wisdom.

Jim H.

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · February 18, 2018, 02:28:37 PM

Quote from: jhufford on February 18, 2018, 02:25:52 PM
Gary, does your Eagle have a Steel inner wheel or Aluminum?

Jim H.

I believe it is aluminum, but I haven't really noticed. The studs were long enuf for the past 20 years so I think we are okay there. But I will definitely check. Thanks.

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · February 19, 2018, 03:44:02 PM

An update. Freightliner in El Paso said I can take my bus to any Freightliner company and have my wheels pulled and the stud replaced and also replace the wheel. He did not authorize any work to ensure everything was done correctly by their rookie mechanic. So I called 3 dealers in my area and not one of them will work on a bus over 20 years old. This makes no sense to me.

So perhaps it is not a good idea to take your bus to a Freightliner shop to have an work done as I may have to go back to the original shop to have this problem fixed, if the wheel does not fall off in the meantime. I asked them if I can take it to the local MCI or ABC Bus who works on these old buses all of the time and they said no. So I called the bigger dog at their company and he is supposed to get back to me tomorrow. Stay tuned.

PP · February 19, 2018, 03:47:23 PM

I'm rooting for you!
Will

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · March 21, 2018, 01:09:52 PM

I finally got my bus into the shop to have my wheel repaired. They took the wheel off and discovered that the guy that installed the nuts on backwards augered a counter bore hole the size of a nut into the aluminum with his impact wrench. This is what the holes look like now. The repair bill is about $1500 to replace the wheel, stud, and do the work. This is how all of the holes look. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

eagle19952 · March 21, 2018, 01:33:21 PM

Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on March 21, 2018, 01:09:52 PM
They took the wheel off and discovered that the guy that installed the nuts on backwards augered a counter bore hole the size of a nut into the aluminum with his impact wrench.

needs to be chastised with a torque wrench...

jhufford · March 21, 2018, 04:30:21 PM

Beautiful

Jim Eh. · March 21, 2018, 09:07:52 PM

And they walk among us ...

Oonrahnjay · March 22, 2018, 06:07:41 AM

Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on March 21, 2018, 01:09:52 PMI finally got my bus into the shop to have my wheel repaired. They took the wheel off and discovered that the guy that installed the nuts on backwards augered a counter bore hole the size of a nut into the aluminum with his impact wrench. This is what the holes look like now. The repair bill is about $1500 to replace the wheel, stud, and do the work. This is how all of the holes look. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

Just one wheel, Gary? (That is one nasty mess - I'm thinking rookie mechanic needs to be sent back to basic mechanics' school -- or, certainly, out of the shop.)

Iceni John · March 22, 2018, 07:38:05 AM

At the very least, if/when this whole mess is resolved, a letter should be sent to the various executives at Freightliner responsible for "customer service" (or their concept of it) telling them to read this exact thread. They have to understand that their hiring and training practices are grossly deficient, and that the next time something like this happens it could easily end up with their sorry asses in a court explaining to an unsympathetic judge and jury why they see fit to employ ignorant unskilled idiots.

Uneffingbelievable.

John

Oonrahnjay · March 22, 2018, 08:46:36 AM

Quote from: Iceni John on March 22, 2018, 07:38:05 AMAt the very least, if/when this whole mess is resolved, a letter should be sent to the various executives at Freightliner responsible for "customer service" (or their concept of it) telling them to read this exact thread. They have to understand that their hiring and training practices are grossly deficient, and that the next time something like this happens it could easily end up with their sorry asses in a court explaining to an unsympathetic judge and jury why they see fit to employ ignorant unskilled idiots.

Uneffingbelievable.

John

OK, that brings up a point. Did "Freightliner" (the company) do the awful work on this bus? If it was a locally-owned dealer, Freightliner has little say in the operations of the local company. Vehicle dealers have been very strong for a long time in cajoling State Legislatures to write laws making their companies 100% independent from the manufacturers. Most dealers could hire Rin-tin-tin, Lassie, and GrumpyCat as "service techs" and the factory can't do anything about it (other than offering Milk-bones and catnip during the break at service school). If this was not a wholly-owned subsidiary company of Freightliner, it wasn't "Freightliner" that did the work and "Freightliner" has no say in how the dealer/service shop is run.

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · March 22, 2018, 05:37:54 PM

Quote from: Oonrahnjay on March 22, 2018, 06:07:41 AM
Just one wheel, Gary? (That is one nasty mess - I'm thinking rookie mechanic needs to be sent back to basic mechanics' school -- or, certainly, out of the shop.)

Yes fortunately only one wheel. I had a seal leaking in only one wheel but I bought seals and bearings for both sides and was going to have them do the other side too but it was 5:30 when he finished so it was too late. THANKFULLY!

Oonrahnjay · March 22, 2018, 05:42:56 PM

Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on March 22, 2018, 05:37:54 PMYes fortunately only one wheel. I had a seal leaking in only one wheel but I bought seals and bearings for both sides and was going to have them do the other side too but it was 5:30 when he finished so it was too late. THANKFULLY!

Yep, you got lucky.

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · March 22, 2018, 05:44:17 PM

Quote from: Iceni John on March 22, 2018, 07:38:05 AM
At the very least, if/when this whole mess is resolved, a letter should be sent to the various executives at Freightliner responsible for "customer service" (or their concept of it) telling them to read this exact thread. They have to understand that their hiring and training practices are grossly deficient, and that the next time something like this happens it could easily end up with their sorry asses in a court explaining to an unsympathetic judge and jury why they see fit to employ ignorant unskilled idiots.

Uneffingbelievable.

John

It has been a real hassle on my part with all of the extra work involved in calling two local Freightliner dealers in the area that turned me down because my bus is over 20 years old. Then packing everything up and moving my bus to a yard to have the wheel pulled and photos sent in for proof. I guess they could not believe their mechanics are so stupid. And now I have lived two nights so far in the shops parking lot next to the train tracks and listening to their horn as they go thru town. But as long as they reimbursed me for the work after I pay for it, I guess I will leave it at that as I don't want to be blackballed at all Freightliner shops as I may need more work done in the future when traveling and hopefully most of them have better trained mechanics.

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · March 22, 2018, 05:47:05 PM

It could have been really bad if my wheel came off on the interstate at 70 MPH and because it was on the drivers side my bus could have careened out of control off the road over the comedian strip and hit an oncoming school bus full of kids. Then they would have had a big lawsuit.