Almost lost a new custom wheel on the interstate

[HangmanNY]

Fellas,

I replaced the entire front end and part of the rear suspension recently. Posted those pictures before.

I had purchased everything from Derrick at Custom Offsets. The wheels were nice and the Nitto Terra Grappler G3 tires were nice.

20x10 Black Milled
Wheel Xtreme Force
XF8 5x5.5 - 19

Right from the start I did NOT like the spline nut set that Derrick sent me! I could not get them hand started with the tool. There was “crud” inside the threads. I first blew them out with an air compressor. Then brake cleaner. Eventually, I got them all hand threaded on. Then torqued to 130 ft/lbs. these are the ones he sent me.

$54.99 - (1) 14x1.5 Bulge Acorn Spline Lug Nuts 1.38" 5 Lug Install Kit Black (SD-09)

I brought the truck to a Firestone dealer for an alignment. Since the truck was 2 1/2 inches higher in the front and 1 inch higher in the rear the mechanic came out and said they normally don’t work on lifted trucks. So we had to use a laser system to align it. My question is do they normally have to remove any of the lug nuts to attached this Laser Equipment??? if anyone knows the details please comment. Because I suspect they removed some of the lug nuts and never torqued them down again!!! I need to know if anyone knows what the process is when they do the laser alignment on these pickup trucks?

I had to pull off on the interstate because I heard a rattling noise. I had one wheel hanging on by one lug nut!!! I have lost four of them on the driver side front wheel. Luckily I packed a lot of tools, including a small Aluminum hydraulic jack. I did not bring a torque wrench, but I did have a breaker bar.

I removed one lug nut off the other three wheels. With the flying tool and a 19 mm socket. so that I could get four lug nuts on the wheel that nearly came off. And I went around with the tool, breaker bar on the lug nuts, and cranked everything down with the breaker bar.

I’m currently in New York State.

I contacted Derrick at Custom Offsets via the website and text. I told him that I mentioned that the outset I did not like these lug nuts!! he never replied back then to my concerns.
he has not gotten back to me yet. And I suspect that he has zero intention of contacting me.

When I pulled off on the interstate, there were metal shavings everywhere on the bottom of the wheel. So I suspect the wheel may have been partially deformed where the lug nuts attach.

Now it’s either that these lug nuts are crap or possibly that the people at the Firestone alignment shop never tightened the lug nuts on that one wheel. That’s of course, assuming that they may have removed the lug nuts to attach this Laser tool?


After doing a lot of research, I ordered a set of 20 McGard American made solid steel M14x1.5 black spline lug nuts. From American Truck website. Spoke with a guy there. After doind research he said these were the best. @ $190 for 20 black spline lug nuts.


I can borrow a good half inch torque wrench from a friend who lives nearby.

This event on the interstate happened around midnight Saturday night into Sunday morning. This could’ve been devastating if that wheel came off!

Thanks for any helpful information. if somebody could explain how they attach these Laser levels on lifted trucks when they do the alignment?

Thanks!

 

[04fxdwgi]

The new laser alignment equipment clamps to the rim of the wheel, and doesn't touch the lugnuts.

I would suspect the problem was the lugnuts themselves, not allowing proper torque, if the torquing was done correctly. Maybe damaged / out of spec / wrong threads / lousy metal composition, or grey market / cheapo lugnuts. Torquing to proper torque values may have pulled the threads on the lugnuts out.

$54 ones that failed vs $190 for the nuts that are good to go. See where this is going?

 

[HangmanNY]

my torque wrench is good. I suspect it was these defective, inferior lug nuts

So far, Derrick from Custom Offsets is AWOL. When I contacted him on the first day about these lug nuts, he never got back to me. And now since I nearly lost the wheel on the interstate, he has not contacted me. That speaks volumes about him.

 

[GeauxinUp]

You keep mentioning Derrick, is he the owner or something. If not, surely there's other people there who can help you out. Have you tried calling the number listed on their website to ask for a manager? Did you take pictures of all this?

 

[Daw14]

Did you retorque the wheels after a hundred miles or so after initial installation ?
With all the other parts you changed,it would be a good idea to go back over everything else you have worked on , and recheck the torque and an overall inspection.

 

[HangmanNY]

You keep mentioning Derrick, is he the owner or something. If not, surely there's other people there who can help you out. Have you tried calling the number listed on their website to ask for a manager? Did you take pictures of all this?

Derrick is the person I dealt with. I left several voice message with him and the main number. Also contacted Custom Offsets through the website asking for a warranty claim. So far, no replies.

This happened around midnight on the way up. I was less concerned about taking photos and getting to our destination safely.

I never had to worry about checking the lug nut torque on my original factory 20 inch wheels. Whenever I rotated those tires I torqued to 130 foot pounds.

And I didn’t drive the truck 100 miles with the new wheels/tires while it was in Florida. These were clearly inferior lug nuts.

When the new McGard USA made spline lug nuts arrive (here in NY State), I’m going to remove that wheel and examine it carefully. And hopefully the studs on the brand new wheel hubs haven’t been damaged.

I have a friend nearby who has a good torque wrench. And a set of dial calipers. I’ll be taking another wheel off and checking the tolerances for that compared to the wheel that nearly came off.

I got an email from Custom Offsets a while ago asking for a review. I never gave a review until yesterday. Then the joke of it is I get a reply, saying it has to be looked at by a moderator? What a joke! So if they don’t like the review, it doesn’t get posted?

 

[Dean2]

PHONE them and insist on staying on phone till owner or senior manager talks to you. Takes way less time than all this typing. No joy, do a Google review and warn others. Whatever you post here, hits a very limited number of people.