Lost wheel on highway

[Padawan]

I'm not kidding, yesterday my front left wheel fell off while driving on I-93 in NH! Luckily I wasn't speeding, and a couple of seconds before it detached I felt that something was wrong and started to pull over to the right. It was quite busy on the road, happened right at an on-ramp, but nobody hit my car and the wheel didn't hit anything and nobody was hurt. Very lucky.

I've had the wheels for two weeks and the front-end had just been adjusted, ready to get the alignment done this week. It appears the wheel pulled right off the bearings, anybody ever seen something like this??

Needless to say I'll need a new fender panel, if my better half allows me to keep the car at all.

(Click the images for larger version)

[BIGSHCLUNK]

First off looks like SSBC brakes............ which I've been running for 6-7 years w/o issue. Was the retianing washer not installed behind the nut? It looks like the nut is still on the pic. 

[anlauto]

I would think it's impossible for the outer wheel bearing to be pulled through the hub like that....What the heck happened to the rotor ?
I'm guessing you didn't have the stock setup, but did you have the right combination of parts ?

[Padawan]

Previous owner installed the SSBC brakes ~2 years ago, I don't know if everything was installed correctly. Guess I'll see when we take apart the other side to be safe.
We recovered the wheel but the rotor or any other parts are still all over I-93 I guess...

Here's a close-up, click to enlarge.

[brads70]

  Oh man that sucks!    Looks like it pulled the bearings races right out of the hub. When you pull off the other side take a picture of the rotor face where the wheel contacts. Almost looks like it doesn't contact correctly? 

[73EStroker]

Are those taper roller bearings with the bearing cups? If so it should be virtually impossible for the outer cup to push through past the backing ridge in the hub. If it did then there is something seriously wrong with the metallurgy of the hubs as the bearing does not look like it disintegrated. Can't tell if the bearings are taper roller or not! The picture makes them look like ball bearings which would be a no-no. something looks funny there!

[Katfish]

That is really weird, hard to believe that's possible?
As stated the bearing races would have to collapse or pull through?

[ChallengerHK]

Or, as Chris said, the retaining washer was left out.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

I've been tearing cars apart my whole adult life.............. I have never ever seen something like that.  Is that the bearing race peened over the retaining nut? And back to my original question... is the retaining washer there?

[anlauto]

WoW...I'm stumped....If the washer was left off, I don't think it would have lasted two years....
If the washer was in place and the outer bearing seized, it would have had to lock in position and basically melt to nothing in order for the nut/washer/cotter pin to pull through the hub like that....
But the rotor should have held everything in place for awhile I would think....

Leads me to this question....

How good is your stereo system ? It must have been cranked on 11 for you not to notice a lot of bearing noise coming from your front end....

I don't think this catastrophic failure happened in an instant....it had to be going on for awhile...

[Road_Runner]

Wow, that is scary looking!  Glad everyone is safe and your car is 'relatively' unharmed.  Back in college a friend of mine's late 70's Camaro lost the front wheel in the same way.  His was a bearing failure & separation.  I would think that's got to be a possibility on yours.  Like yours, his drivers side front wheel decided to go its own way without a lot of warning...

Later, Jim

[CudamanTom]

there is something seriously wrong with the metallurgy of the hubs

Just curious,
Are you an engineer? 
Them big words get me every time 

To Padawan,
I would check all four wheels. You (and others on the road) were very lucky here.
It's great nothing serious happened safety wise.

[spamtank]

I would pull the other side off to see what it looks like.  I, too, wonder if someone put ball bearings in there instead of tapered bearings.

[blown motor]

This is not that schocking. I farm and I've seen it more than once. If the nut is not tensioned properly when it's install the bearing won't last nearly as long as it should. Almost certainly it was a taper roller bearing. If the pressure (tightness of nut)isn't right then in time the rollers will chew up the cage that holds them in place and eveything comes undone. Last fall i had a wagon wheel come off on the road and go through a fence and 75 yards into a field. The number of times I've seen it on farm equipment makes me wonder why we don't see it more with cars.

[AARuFAST]

I've had the wheels for two weeks and the front-end had just been adjusted, ready to get the alignment done this week. It appears the wheel pulled right off the bearings, anybody ever seen something like this??

You mention front end had just been adjusted.  Alignment need done.
I agree with blown motor.   
The retaining nut was tightened but not backed off for bearing  tolerance. Free spin.
Picture shows retaining nut and washer melted to nut. Bearings disintegrated.
This could confuse you that alignment was needed.  Wheel dragging over tighten retaining nut...

A good body shop can fix that fender.