Losing Lug Bolts! Falling out during driving!

[driftedtofu]

So about a couple months ago I was driving around normally and when I got outta my car i noticed one of my lug bolts was missing from the rear drivers side..didnt think anything of it.

Today I was driving on 236 near Big Basin, very spiritedly, and hit the usual line of slower cars when I noticed a kind of thumping sound, and I thought something was caught in my wheel well. So I pulled over and got out of the car and saw that my rear drivers side tire was rubbing against the fender. Upon further inspection I saw that I was missing 2 lug bolts and the rest were all EXTREMELY loose. As in one was on the verge of falling out and the other 2 were well on their way. So I swapped one from the rear passenger side tightened everything back up and was on my way.

I tighten all my bolts to 95 lbf with a tq wrench when I do anything to the wheels.

Anyone with any insight on what had caused this??!

NOTE: I am running 8mm spacers with 36mm extended bolts all around. I was thinking this may have something to do with it.

[6banger17]

Idk y this came to my head but maby the spacers are on backwards so the thread is reversed? Idk a thought :dunno:

[driftedtofu]

The bolts dont screw into the spacers, they go through them into the hub. Im perplexed as how they could come out. Nothing is stripped either.

[Joylove]

I assume you bought longer bolts, are they slightly more narrow than the BMW ones?

[6banger17]

Oh yea i just looked at my ecs spacer i have in the box and they dnt have thread lol my bad

[driftedtofu]

I assume you bought longer bolts, are they slightly more narrow than the BMW ones?

The thread size is the same. Is anyone else running 8mm spacers? Im thinking it could be that the wheel is being supported by the bolts only and not the lip on the stock hub creating more stress on the bolts than intended.

Possible?

[JDStrickland]

The thread size is the same. Is anyone else running 8mm spacers? Im thinking it could be that the wheel is being supported by the bolts only and not the lip on the stock hub creating more stress on the bolts than intended.

Possible?
I think your spacers are the problem. I have no idea what problem they can be causing, but if the center hole is larger than the hole on the rims, and there is a lip around it, then the rims are being tightened against the lip and this can set up a condition where the wheels are not being held well. This results in the wheels wobbling on the hub/spacer, and the result is that the lug bolts are backing out.

Clearly you have a potentially very serious problem going on.

[scooper]

you need longer bolts for spacers. btw, the torque spec is not 95. It's 81ft/lbs. You may have over torqued all your lug nuts! You should probably buy another set just to be safe.

[SethuM]

pics of spacers

[jmo69]

If the spacers are hubcentric and the bolts are long enough they should still hold. You could get some medium strength Loc-Tite, I lost a wheel one time with spacers because the lugnuts holding the spacer in place weren't Loc-tited but the nuts stayed on the studs holding the wheel on.

[Darioush]

maybe it is time to upgrade to lugs and nuts?

[driftedtofu]

If the spacers are hubcentric and the bolts are long enough they should still hold. You could get some medium strength Loc-Tite, I lost a wheel one time with spacers because the lugnuts holding the spacer in place weren't Loc-tited but the nuts stayed on the studs holding the wheel on.

I think thats my problem is the spacers arnt hubcentric while my bolts are the correct length.

I was thinking of upgrading to 10mm hubcentrics all around and being done with it.