Here's a real mystery to me...I bought an 03 Sportsman 500, basically stock with a bent left rear rim. The former wife of a guy who owned it had hit a stump and decided that riding this thing was'nt for her. So I come along, buy it, get it home and use the bent rim as an excuse to buy some brand new ITP type 5 rims. One day I'm riding with a friend and he whistles for me to stop as he noticed that three of my four lug nuts on the same wheel have fallen off. Not JUST the lugs but all the studs are gone too. I recovered one of em and limped the quad home, ordered ten more, replaced the lost ones and stocked the rest on board. Last week I'm running along on a trail, look down and three of the four lug nuts are gone again. I replace all of em on the spot, run about a mile and wham!..three of the four are gone again. I once again steal a stud and lugnut from another wheel, limp it home and go directly to the auto store for some blue locktite. I went riding last Sunday with no bad signs but have been a bit mystified at this recurring problem. What gives? Any answers out there?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

I cant say that this has happened on my atv, but i had the same problem on out Sears garden tractor. THe lug bolts (not nuts) on the back tire always used to come out, no matter how tight we made them (really tight). The wheel actually fell of once, the second time i noticed the wobble when there were two of five left. And tractors dont go that fast, but there has to be some scientific reason for this? But if it was a common problem, you would think they'd have done something about it.... anyways, i did the same thing with the threadlock, and havent had a problem since.

 

The main problem with losing lugs on the trail is that most people dont retorque the lugnuts after they put them on. You have to check them every ride or two and make sure they are on tight, especially after the first time you put them on.