I must say that someone from above "is looking out for me". What happen you ask?

Well yesterday I was coming back from the beach which is around 45 miles from my house when I heard a bad metallic squealing noise coming from the right-side of the car. It kept getting worse and louder so my assumption was my brake pads were finished and it was rubbing metal on metal. I finally got home so I called made arrangements for the next day to go to a brake shop near the beach to put in new pads and resurface the rotors.

Well the next day(today) I drove 45+ miles to the brake shop. As I was going I was being careful not to brake and I actually drove thru three different freeways without braking once. I was actually impress with that feat.

Anyway I arrived at the shop with the car squealing very bad with a vibration in the steering wheel which I thought odd. We get the car on the rack to take off my very expensive wheels when the mechanic yell "holy ****". I came running over expecting to see my rotors ablaze or something but the mechanic was staring at my wheel. He pointed to my wheel and said you have one lug nut on with the other four gone, not there, missing. The one that was left was loose as well. Also one of the the lug bolts was broken.

I just drove several days worth of high mileage and freeway speed with no lug nuts on my wheel save for one loosely held nut barely on the thread.

Someone had tried to steal my wheels. The were probably frighten off by someone and could not finished the job. They broke my locked lug nut and took off three of the other lug nuts before fleeing.

Thank god there was no damaged to the wheel itself or that it did not come off while I was driving. If that happened I had stand a good chance of getting killed.

So the moral of the story: Never take anything for granted. Always check, check, check when you feel something is wrong.

At least I got some beach time today as the car was getting repaired.

Sheesh well you might be right someone was looking out for you.. This same thing happened to a cousin of mine with his BMW.. He bought some 19" and a week later someone tried to take them but they couldn't break his wheel lock but they took all the other nuts off in the process.. He wasn't as lucky thou he got into good accident and almost totalled himself but his 328 was no more.. Ever since then I am **** I always check my wheels before I get in my car..

Thanks for sharing and I think you should go buy a lottery ticket.. One lucky dude!

damn! mike take care of yourself man!! that really sucks... i'm really glad to hear your ok!

it must be your amazing efforts on clublexus... you were saved aren't your wheels heavy too? one lug on each wheel or one? man i'm glad your ok!!

It was the right rear wheel. Just one "loose" lug nut holding it.

Knock on wood three times......

weow mkilty, you certainly had a run of good and bad luck, however you want to look at it. Very glad to hear all is well, and now you can be aware of such happenings. Your wheel lock could have slowed the thief down in the process of stealing your wheel. Probably why there wasn't enough time to steal it. You don't think someone left your wheel like that on purpose?

Incredible!!!! And luck that it wasn't one of the front wheels as well; I suspect that the one single lug nut would not have stood up to many turns.........

I think LexusRules is correct.......what you have created here in CL has generated it's own karmic obligations.

That HAD to have given you some very strange feelings when you first looked at that wheel.........glad you're still with us!!!!!

Thank goodness nothing happened ! My friend told me to buy five wheel locks for each wheel. That way the thief will have hellava time trying to take off your wheels.

Mike,

Similar story here. I was over at Woodfield at the middle parking level. I was invited to shop with 2 young ladies (a sister team). After going to MANY shops (including Victorias Secret...yes, she modeled...perfect body too!) and 7 1/2 hours later I drive them both home. They were both sleeping in the back tired while I still had plenty of energy. After dropping them off I heard a strange clunking noise whenever the brakes were applied. Upon closer inspection I noitce that two of the studs were broken off, including the one for the McGard lock nut. The other three were loose....VERY loose. Seems like someone tried to rip off the wheels but Woodfield security scared them off. I later took the car in to Lexus where they repaired the damage. No charge.

Even with wheel locks you're still vulnerable. Good thing for Security though.

Percy
PS...Young lady... 34D/24/34 on a 5'3 1/2 inch frame. Late 20's. Yummy.

Percy, I know what you mean. When I have pretty women in my car, my energy level is up there with the marathon runners.

I wonder how theifs manage to break the wheellocks

Mike,

that is as close a call as I have ever heard. Thankfully you are all right. No sense in you ever playing the lottery anymore - I think you just used up all of your luck. Once again glad to hear you are okay.

Why the brake noise from loose bolts?

The wheel was rotating at an slight angle allowing the inner ring to touch the metal on the hub. That is how loose the wheel was when I arrived at the shop.

I'm glad that you are still with us man! Count your blessings.

I had a similar occurrence after taking my car in for a tire rotation....they often screw the lug nuts on all four wheels by hand and then go around and zip 'em on...however this a**hole mechanic forgot to get one wheel!-(Kerr Tire, Lynchburg VA). As I'm driving home I feel like I'm losing control and steering feel of the car and pull over. To make a long story short, just one lug nut remained on the wheel and that one was loose!

The guy got fired since the manager stated that this was not the first time that had happened.

**Lots of you mention failed attempts on your wheels...have any of you actually had your wheels stolen???? How bad a problem is this?

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: ...

Mkilty, was there any other damage to your car and/or wheel?

You are one lucky guy!
Glad to hear you're ok.