Lug nuts on wheel is backing off,... can plowing snow with ice chains cause this?

[Green Acres Homestead]

My lug bolts on my Kubota tractor has recently been backing off.

Here is the situation.
I have a plow on an angle. When I push heavy snow it pushes and stirs the tractor sideways. I have big ice gripping tire chains with ice studs. Does it make sense to anyone that these ice chains are digging in and wanting to run straight but the plow being on an angle pushes the front of the tractor to one side or the other. The ice chains has so much grip and wanting to go straight but the tractor front is being steered off to the side. This has significant force sideways and the chains have significant grip to go straight which is cause a very powerful twist on the axle and wheel which is popping the lug bolts.

Do you think this is possible that this twisting stress is causing the stud bolts to pop.


Thanks
Ray

 

[mcfarmall]

Your first sentence says the lug bolts are backing off i.e. loosening, yes?

Further in the post it says the stud bolts are "popping" i.e. breaking. Not coming loose, breaking.

How many hours on your tractor and have you ever retorqued the wheel bolts and or nuts as recommended in the owners manual?

Which is it?

 

[rademamj1]

All tractor lugs loosen over time. And new tractors should have their wheel lugs checked and tightened every few months, regardless of your tractor activity.

 

[ruffdog]

Are we talking about a wheel that has a flat disc center section or one that is formed that uses tapered lugs?

 

[oosik]

Hmm - I've never had any lug nuts back off. Three years ago I removed all 56 ( 14 on each wheel ) lug nuts - one at a time. Applied blue loktite and retorqued. Just an added measure of safety. I started to do the same for the big 'ol bolts that secure the FEL frame to the tractor. First one off - I noticed that Kubota uses something - perhaps loktite - on those bolts.

 

[WranglerX]

Usually if lug bolts/nut are tightened to torque spec the don't come loose, but never hurts to check them once in a while...... Even MY little SCUT specs say 90ft-lbs. BUT... When tractor came back from 50 hour service at dealership one wheel had all the bolt loose on wheel they has to remove to clean HST strainer....... Obviously "mechanic" did not torque them... Yes the e-mail to service manager was glowing red hot...

To day I was doing burn piles, and while sitting a rock taking break I was staring at tractor wondering IF it was time to verify the torque on lug nuts as I did install wheel spacer a while back....

Dale

 

[mcfarmall]

Frequently, with new tractors, the lugs either aren't tightened properly at dealer setup or they don't sand off the paint on the axle flanges. What happens next is the paint drips wear down and now the wheel is loose.

The OP didn't answer my question about the hours on the tractor so I don't know if age has anything to do with the problem or if there is another issue.

 

[5030]

I check my lug nut torque at least every 3 months with a torque wrench I might add.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Your first sentence says the lug bolts are backing off i.e. loosening, yes?

Further in the post it says the stud bolts are "popping" i.e. breaking. Not coming loose, breaking.

How many hours on your tractor and have you ever retorqued the wheel bolts and or nuts as recommended in the owners manual?

Which is it?

Are we talking about a wheel that has a flat disc center section or one that is formed that uses tapered lugs?

Answer these questions.​

 

[ruffdog]

Are we talking about a wheel that has a flat disc center section or one that is formed that uses tapered lugs?

The reason I asked this is I never had a lug get loose on my TC33D after 19 years and it had a formed wheel with tapered lugs. When it was new I lubed the lugs, tightened them and forgot them. Most of the issues I have seen are on wheels that use a flat lug against a flat wheel.