FLJKU

Today I drove from Orlando to Jacksonville in my 2012 JK Sport with 23,000 miles.

On the return trip I noticed an odd vibration when I would let off the gas but it would go away when under power. Having the clutch engaged or disengaged did not affect anything.

While driving or trying to trouble shoot my problem, I figured it may have been the driveshaft.

I arrived in Lake Mary and it dawned on me to check the lug nuts. The rear wheels were completely loose. The passenger rear had metal shavings covering it. When I say they we're loose I mean I could turn them by hand.

The driver rear were all loose except for the one with the locking lug on there. It was also missing another lug which has sheered off.

I called my brother and through speaking with him, we were guessing something may be loose in the differential or drive shaft that caused enough vibrations to shake them loose.

Just for information shake, my jeep is garage kept and only driven on the weekends as I have a work car so the possibility for someone messing with them is not there really.

Any advice or opinions of where I could or should start would be greatly appreciated or if anyone had a similar issue covered under warranty I would appreciate it!

Cheers!

horrocks007

Your lugs were probably loose in the first place. I highly doubt that they would come loose because of any vibrations from anything if properly installed.

FLJKU

I bought the jeep in May and plasti dipped the wheels the day after I purchased it. The wheels were put back on the next day and cranked down as far as the lug nuts are concerned. Just odd for both to do it if that was the case. I could see that if it was one wheel but not for both.

Mountain Man Tim

So you dipped the wheels when it was new, and drove 23,000 miles without rotating your tires? I believe we just found your problem.

FLJKU

Appreciate that but no I purchased it in may. At that time if had 22k on it. I have only put roughly a 1000 miles on it as it's a '12.

Rub_My_Icon

Re-torque them and keep an eye on them, If you park her outside maybe through a few locking lugs in there just in case. (who knows with the freaks out there these days)

FLJKU

I appreciate it. They were tightened in the parking lot and re torqued when I got home. I know at minimum I have to replace the driver's side hub.

I do have one locking lug but the jeep stays garaged thankfully.

I'll post some pictures up tomorrow for shits and giggles.

Rub_My_Icon

Are they the stock wheels? or steelies? Have you done anything with the wheels other then plasti dipping them and or did you plasti dip the lug area maybe adding thickness that wore off after some driving hence leaving the lugs looser then the recommended specs? Lug nuts dont tend to come loose unless there the wrong lugs or not torqued properly steel wheels must be re-torqued after the first 50 miles, My assumption would be the plasti dip creating a wearable thickness in the lug area. I had some aluminum ralley wheels on my monza that needed re-torqued often bout 500 miles apart. I also heard of wheel spacers that just slipp over the lugs can cause this issue' (Never used them so dont know for sure)
Sorry hope this helps i dont promise to be the brightest crayola in the box!

Mark Doiron

Any pictures? Sometimes someone can pick something out of a picture that may have been overlooked by you. And what wheels and lugnuts are you using? Where did the locking lugnuts come from? There are different styles of lugnuts that are not interchangeable. When you Plasti-dipped the wheels, were you careful that there was no excess between the wheel and the hub? After reinstalling the wheels, did you retorque later? I know most of us never bother with that, but if there were some Plasti-dip between the back of the wheel and the hub, it would eventually compress down and allow the lugnuts to loosen. Have you checked your front wheels?

FLJKU

When I get off work today I will add some pictures. They are the factory lugs with the factory locking lug nuts. There was not any plasti dip on the back of the wheel at all. The front wheels were completely fine. Not a loose lug on them.