Okay, here goes...

I ordered new tires for my car (Yokohama S.Drives) in standard sizes for my stock AP1 wheels (2003 Berlina). The tech who mounted the wheels put the left rear rim on the front of the car and the left front rim on the back of the car. The tires were mounted 'correctly' though (wider in the back, narrower in the front). I know, shame on me for not checking and assuming it was done correctly. I DO feel like an idiot.

After a few thousand miles I pulled into a parking spot and felt a loud pop. The left front wheel come off taking three lug nuts with it. The lugs had sheared right off taking the studs with as I saw the rim didn't even fit on the hub it was just forced on with an impact hammer.

I took the car to a Honda dealer and they pressed new studs in the hub assembly and switched out the rims to the correct placement. The tech at Honda said everything else looked fine. I had all the tires taken off at this point and re balanced as well.

Although the car is setup correctly now, it handles very sloppily and it feels like its 'floating' on the suspension, especially the left side of the car. Could the tires have been permanently screwed up due being mounted on the wrong rim for so long? Sorry such a long post but I wanted to give you all as much background as possible.

 

Tire pressure?

Alignment?

I'd probably at least have the wheels/tires looked at and rebalanced.

 

Already had all four tires mounted an rebalanced

 

Whoops missed that last sentence on that section!

When did you last have it aligned? My S2k was a little off (and kinda still is) when the alignment is outta wack.

 

get a aggressive alignment and you should be good. but your tires wont last as long

 

Why wouldn't the stock rear ap1 wheel not fit on the front hub?? It's the same bolt pattern just wider wheel..

 

Different hub size...

 

You will certainly need an alignment. Also if the wheel came OFF and the car landed on the knuckle, it could be bent. They bend very easily in these cars.

 

I'm sure your alignment got knocked off. Make sure the tire shop pays for one.

If alignment goes out just by driving around, then it sure as heck would go out if you're driving around with the wheels on wrong and then one falls off!

 

UPDATE: So my alignment was off, especially the front left wheel. Everything is now within spec and the car feels 'planted' again but I'm still getting this 'side to side' effect when driving. It's most pronounced just driving around town between 25-50 mph. It feels as if the car is wobbling back and forth constantly. Tire pressure is 32 all around, the shop where I had the alignment done said everything else checked out.

Could this be due to the fact one of the tires was mis-mounted on the wrong wheel for a few thousand miles and now they've worn in a strange manner? Thanks again for all the help everyone.