Darn it! I should have scraped the paint off the wheel-nut seating

[Tony Griffiths]

[John Mason]

It happened to but the rear near side. My own fault as I didn’t tighten it fully because I was working on the car and I thought I would have to take it off again. A week later and my work finished on the car without having to take the wheel off again I completely forgot that the wheel had not been fully tightened.
I did remember some 25 miles later whist on a run when it came off. The amazing thing was that it caused no damage to the car other than the wheel studs required replacing.

John Mason.

[Terry McGrath]

I have a front brake lever with half the ball ground off. I lost a front n/s wheel last year accelerating from lights in the middle of Brum.
Embarrassing, but no other damage. A passing spotty youth helped me retrieve the wheel and lift the front to insert the jack. I was on my way within 15 mins.

[Roland Alcock]

Here is my rear wheel fleeing into the distance. 
Note that I did not let this stop my journey into the pub car park!

https://youtu.be/_tKF7gG1pzM

Roly

[Bob Culver]

Presumably the driver had never experienced a broken steering arm... or he would not appear so alarmed.

When I was young many older persons recounted tales of lost wheels from a variety of vehicles Wheels were removed far more often and not tightend to the incredibel tensions tyre firms apply today.
The wheel seems commonly to overtake. We explored theories once before.
 My father used to tell of travelling on a truck tray in the manner of the time. On a very slight downgrade someone chance to look over the side and one wheel had fed  a foot outside the axle tube!

[Dave Wortley]

Tony,
I seem to remember you turning up at our house many years ago without the full complement of wheel studs on your chummy ie just the one!
Cheers,
Dave.

---

That was only on the one wheel of course. The other wheels had the full complement.

[Tony Griffiths]

Tony,
I seem to remember you turning up at our house many years ago without the full complement of wheel studs on your chummy ie just the one!
Cheers,
Dave.

---

That was only on the one wheel of course. The other wheels had the full complement.

I do vaguely remember that - must have been the day after a VSCC driving test or trial - or perhaps I've just been rather neglectful. Were you with us on that drive through Ripley, I think it was when Mike Hobday lost a wheel - and the first I knew about it was when it overtook me and bounced off a factory wall?
I do recall an occasion, when a student, travelling as a passenger in a £10 Austin from the 1950s. We were following an articulated lorry when its rear offside pair of wheels came off, rolled alongside the truck for a few moments and then ran dead straight down the offside of the road. Approaching at speed in the opposite direction was a Mini and it looked as though it was going to be flattened. However, at the last moment, the wheels swerved right and smashed though a thick hawthorn hedge and came to rest in a field. Presumably, the mini driver stopped to change his underpants, but the lorry carried on, oblivious to what had happened - though we did eventually manage to scrape by and flag him down.

[Dave Wortley]

I met Mick later and looked at his flattened brake drum.
Cheers,
Dave.

[Alan]

The science of why wheel nuts come loose kept me busy for 3 whole years once. It’s not as simple as under-tightening. But, the really interesting thing is when the wheel comes off, it accelerates.

[Steve Jones]

So, if it accelerates, could it be arranged for it to detach at exactly the right time so as to break a finish line timing beam before you and the rest of the car get there?

Steve