A week ago monday I put some aftermarket rims on my car. The good people at Treaddepo gave me some off brand spline drive nuts instead of the usual socket types. So I put the wheels on and tighten them securely.
This evening, coming home from work, my Cobalt starts making a knocking sound. The knocking matches the speed of my car and not the speed of the engine. I can feel it in the gas pedal and brake pedal as well as hear it. "Merde" says I, That sounds like a half shaft giving up the ghost. Since the car has only 700 or so miles on it, I know this isn't the case. So I whip into the nearest well lit gas station to have a look.
Then I remind myself that I hadn't checked the lugnuts after driving the car a while with the new rims on. Sure enough, most had backed off slightly, two of them substantially. Stupid me. So I use the lug wrench and the splined socket and grunt them on good and tight. I'll check them again in a few days.

Bob

 

my rule of thumb with any aluminum wheel... retorque at 25 miles... check again at 50miles.
I had all four wheels come loose on my Cavalier summer before last... kind of scary after being on the interstate doing 75mph+...

Scott

 

First, are you sure the taper on the nuts they provided match the taper in the lug nut wells of the wheels? Second, did you use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts? Most people say screw the torque wrench. But I say the torque spec was invented for a reason. To not warp your brake rotors, not damage your wheels, and to keep the wheels on the car.

The post above this one is also excellent advice.

 

My sister lost 2 wheels at 85 mph one time. Her X losend the nuts on her car. I check mine all the time.

Later

 

Damn..dat sucks

 

i have Motegi MR7 wheels with those McGard spline-drive nuts... i'm not too keen on them. That and the key they give you is real cheeseball. Feels like I'm going to break it... I had to go out and buy a 21mm deep socket and bar to get my wheels off now.

Scott