Inner CV joint loose bolts...

[russman68]

Hi everyone, sorry if this is in the wrong section but just after your opinion really...
Last night i was driving home and heard a tapping noise coming from my front nearside wheel, i pulled over and checked for stones in the tyre etc but found nothing. I got back in the car all seemed ok no noise atal... anyway i carried on my journey for about 5 miles and suddenly there was an incredibly loud crunching/grinding noise coming from the same wheel! I slammed on the brakes and had a look but couldnt see anything so took the wheel off and noticed a greased bolt on the floor.. i then realised that the bolts holding the driveshaft onto the gearbox had all came off apart from one!! to say i was relieved that single bolt held is an understatement! I called out the RAC with the tools to reattach the bolts and found all but one in the undertray bit. He put 5 of the 6 bolts back in to get me home.
I was slightly surprised that all except one bolt would just come loose and fall off with no signs of wear/stripping etc, but was just unbelievably happy that they didnt fall out on the motorway... would have been a slightly different story!
Anyway here is my question.. those bolts (inner CV joint i believe) havent been touched in 5 years except for 2 months ago when my clutch was replaced at a SEAT garage. Have i been allowed to drive away with those bolts not being tightened properly!? If so then they could have caused £thousands of damage!!
Could anything else cause this or do i need to ring the garage and go mental at them?

Sorry for the essay.. can you tell i'm a student? just feel a bit aprehensive about where i stand..

Thanks!!!

 

[DPJ]

No, ring the garage and go mental. Criminal negligence. They need replacing with new bolts, don't put the old ones back in.

(Check your invoice to ensure they refitted new ones 2 months ago.)

Torqued up correctly, they do not come undone on their own..........

 

[Fl@pper]

might not have been the tightness more likely the washers being missing

look for number #12

seen it happen and roll round smacking the gear box casing and siezing up the transmission as it pulled away from a roundabout 2 mins after doing 60+mph on a dual carraigeway, that crunch might be a sign of it being too late

 

[paradigm]

I had mine come off the passenger side a few months ago, oddly enough after clutch work. Unfortunately for me, this involved all 6 bolts, the shaft coming out of the diff, hitting the gearbox and leaving me with a gaping hole in the box.

So bill for new shaft, bolts, flange, and GEARBOX

 

[russman68]

Thanks guys... much like i thought!

Dave - there was no mention of new bolts on the invoice and knowing seat if i didnt pay for them then they didnt go on. In general are new bolts ALWAYS needed?

Flapper - those brackets were there (albeit bent up and twisted) therefore i can only think that the bolts werent torqued up properly. luckily i could stop as soon as i heard the crunching - one bolt was still holding and nothing looked cracked or broken, also when the remaining 5 bolts were put back on to get me home everything seemed fine - gears, steering all seemed fine. do you reckon i was lucky?

thanks guys, just wanna know where i stand when i take it to the garage on Sat.

 

[DPJ]

Thanks guys... much like i thought!

Dave - there was no mention of new bolts on the invoice and knowing seat if i didnt pay for them then they didnt go on. In general are new bolts ALWAYS needed?

Flapper - those brackets were there (albeit bent up and twisted) therefore i can only think that the bolts werent torqued up properly. luckily i could stop as soon as i heard the crunching - one bolt was still holding and nothing looked cracked or broken, also when the remaining 5 bolts were put back on to get me home everything seemed fine - gears, steering all seemed fine. do you reckon i was lucky?

thanks guys, just wanna know where i stand when i take it to the garage on Sat.

They are really one-use bolts.