SkyJawa

So a few months back I had my alloys refurbed. Dropped the car off and collected later the same day.

My S is a second car so only done a few hundred miles since but today went out and noticed I have a sticking caliper on the front right side discovered as you could feel it when driving and hot wheel, its done it once before but on that and this occasion it freed itself.

I was coming home and on a slight right turn at 10-15 mph just before my house I heard a knocking from the same area, front right.

Thought I'd jack the car up and check out the knocking and caliper at the same time.

Jacked up the car, got my torque wrench to remove the wheel to check it out and to my horror every single wheel nut unscrewed by hand and was loose

So todays lesson is never trust anyone (even if they seem to know what they are doing) who takes your wheels off that they haven't forgotten to tighten one of them when they put them back on

I'm just pleased the caliper stuck (weird to be glad of that!! ) so I found this out before it caused a serious accident (especially given I had my pregnant wife in the car).

Now off to source some calipers!

And if you are still reading this I was thinking of doing both front ones and fitting new pads at the same time - sound sensible? (disks and pads were done 15k miles ago so the disks are fine but pads down to about 5-7mm material)

Cheers
Neil

Dembo

This happens with refurbed alloys. You'll want to keep checking them; because the surface is a bit soft you can't get them properly tight to start with.

So it's not their fault for not tightening them, though perhaps it is their fault for not making it clear.

surfer_crx

I guess you have never been on a trackday then. You said the brakes were sticking and the wheel got hot, I bet you it got very hot and that is what caused the nuts to come loose, it is a common thing and more than likely not the fault of the person who refitted your wheels.

So todays lesson should actually be don't jump to conclusions and if your brakes stick, or you get them hot after a spirited drive check your wheel nuts are still tight.

bgh187

As said above, freshly powder coated wheels are well known to have the nuts come loose after they have been through a heat cycle.
Put it on your monthly check list to check the nuts

SkyJawa

All the others every nut is tight since they were done. Maybe it was the heat, but if this is well known then the people doing the refurb should be showing due diligence and telling you to check them, its news to me and never had a problem with any alloy I've had done before.


The wheel did not get very hot, when I checked immediately after stopping it was hotter then the others but not hot to the point you could not touch it, and the brake doesn't stick constantly to make it get so. And yes thanks, I have been on a track day (not with the S), and never had that issue.

surfer_crx

It's actually a pet peeve of mine that most wheel refurb places are too lazy to tape off the wheel nut recess, especially when they have steel seats like the standard Honda ones do.

Richie2garage

I was told the other day that my neighbours S when he had his wheels refurbed ,they put the back wheels on the front and the front on the back!!

Toms1989

How did they manage that? for the hub sizes are different, one would fit and be lose as hell, the other wouldn't get over the hub.

mikefifth

More importantly don't use a torque wrench to loosen bolts!

noodels

Always re-check mine 2X after 50-60 miles when they have been off and always 1 or 2 have tightened up a little

will do again tomorrow