4x4 wheels falling off (help/info required)

[OapEM]

Long story short, my dads 2005 Nissan Terrano II has twice in as many days decided to shed the rear N/S wheel.

Yesterday it was only held on by the weight of the car as even the rear drum had rotated and was half way off. We assumed that last time the nuts may not have been tightened after the wheel was last removed. However, replacement nuts/studs and wheel later it has done exactly the same thing to him!

This time it has came off completely and the car has fallen onto its rear bumper.

Now two of the wheels are scrap as the holes are now far too big to take the wheel nuts.


As it is the same side again in no time at all, could the diff be at fault and causing the nuts to unwind??
Yes they were fully nipped up yesterday when I replaced the studs. Or maybe the hub at fault?


This thing is a liability and clearly has a very serious issue! It is being recovered and taken to his mates garage where I am going to RV with it and tell them the score.

The only sign something may have been wrong was when I had it the other day and you could feel what seemed like the brake pedal pulsing when applied (like premature ABS) but TBH I forgot about it doing this and my parents never felt it at all.

Any ideas lads?

[volvosneverdie]

Jesus man. Sounds serious.
I am of no practical help though.

[OapEM]

Aye Ben. It's lethal mate! Luckily yesterday it never fully came off and he was only on a 30 road. This time, he was doing maybe 20 mph max. 2 minutes earlier and that would have been 70.

The recovery are collecting it as I type and I after I meet it at the garage I am going to Nissan to speak to someone. This is a serious safety issue no question, a car that is only 4 years old with 60K miles shouldn't be endangering lives like this!

If anything I would expect my 25 year old 360 to be doing this type of thing, seeing as I am the one with the locked diff!

Can't get my head around this. Feel bad for the rents, they don't care about their cars, just want them for A-B and don't need the hassle and expense of fixing this thing of which the value is dropping like a stone anyway!

Cheers dude.

[volvosneverdie]

Get on Watchdog if you have no joy from them man.
Either that, or kick the next known Nissan employee you happen to meet, squarely in the pods. Hard.

[pyro]

The only sign something may have been wrong was when I had it the other day and you could feel what seemed like the brake pedal pulsing when applied (like premature ABS) but TBH I forgot about it doing this and my parents never felt it at all.

Any ideas lads?

heyhey
the pulsing on the pedal could be an oval or seriously warped brake drum, if it has them at a back, on the landy i nearly lost a rear wheel and the pedal pulsed as the drum was skewed on the hub. only experience ive had with abs (only used it once!) it felt like the pedal was 'crumbling' maybe with the excesive vibrations caused by the drum its shakin the nuts off? all i can come up with atm! ill have a think tho!

Ben

[OapEM]

Cheers Ben. Interesting mate, sounds like you had a lucky escape!

I'm 99% sure the drums are OK, if it wasn't fully seated yesterday when it initially happened, it was when I finished with it. Spun freely etc.

Cheers mate. About to phone customer services now.

Other Ben, the next NMUK employee I see will more than likely be FJ

[volvosneverdie]

Other Ben, the next NMUK employee I see will more than likely be FJ

Perhaps not such a good idea then.
I hear that brother know kung fu.

[kaos]

Diff wind up, could be at play, but i dont think it would as that seems way to extreme and a diff only unwinds when you reverse or jack it up to let it spin off. so i think the fault lies with in the hub area on the back. does the drum bolt to anything it's self or sit over the studs like a volvo rear drum?

[pyro]

there is normally a locating screw holding the drum to the hub. i dont think diff wind up is the cause as for it to happen the center diff would have to be locked. and even then its the propshaft and or half shaft that would give in first. (or thats how it is on a landy anyway!)

Ben

[OapEM]

I agree that the half shaft would go before diff wind up, been doing a little reading up.

The drum just slides on mate, same as a Volvo yeah, no securing bolts or anything. I made sure it was on square too.
What a P.O.S this car has turned out to be!

Thanks again folks
Liam.