I took my drivers side tire off to look at my brakes before i change them and 2 of the lugs nuts freakin break off. They were alittle tough right untill they got to the end of the stud them bam! they freakin broke off. So after cursing and flippin out i went to the pass. side and took that tire off to check that brake system and i notice that 2 of the studs on that side are brand new. i got the car no more then 3 months ago from a dealer so i guess he replaced them when he did the brakes. Do j-bodies have a habbit of breakin studs???
1998 Sunfire, 2.2L auto
If you put aftermarket wheels on the car, or if it came form the dealer with aftermarket wheels, then sombody forgot to use hubcentric wheel rings. If you have factory wheels on the car and the correct lug nut, then they shouldn't be breaking at all. I would bring it back to the dealer and tell them that you had 4 wheel studs break off, and that you want to have them replaced.
I am what I am and it is what it is.
I am the 2nd most untrusted person in the world next to a lawyer,welcome to our dealership, may I help you?
i only had 2 break off the other 2 look like they where broke before and replaced. How do u go about removing and replacing the stud?
1998 Sunfire, 2.2L auto
Here, maybe this will help you. Frank The Tank did this back in february and it took me like 20 minn to find it. Consider yourself lucky.
I'm sure that this will answer any questions that you might have. It is very informational and he did a great job. ENJOY!!
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=11&i=94042&t=77601#94042
I am what I am and it is what it is.
I am the 2nd most untrusted person in the world next to a lawyer,welcome to our dealership, may I help you?
If they were tough to turn and then broke off at the end, it sounds like they may have been cross-threaded.
Despite what NASCAR teaches us, you really shouldn't use air tools to put lug nuts on and you sure as hell shouldn't use one to tighten them.
Use a torque wrench. Torque stock nuts to 100 ft-lbs and tuner lugs to 90 ft-lbs.
As mentioned above, if you've got aftermarket wheels then you MUST use hub rings with them. Click my sig for more info.
puttin on lug nuts with air tools is completely fine as long as u put 3 or 4 threads on them first.
-Borsty
I have had 2 or 3 studs get cross-threaded on my Caravan. Everytime it happened, the wheels were put on with a friggin air gun. One time, I even watched the guy thread the nut on by hand and air it tight. I've never ever had studs get screwed up like this on any car before, but even on this van, whenever I do it myself (with a torque wrench), I've never had a problem. Only after I get it back from someone who's touched them with air. No more. Since, I demand that they not use an air gun at all on the wheels, loosening or tightening. I'll stand outside the garage door and watch to make sure. I even carry a lug cross in each car so if I have to have service done and they cop the excuse "we don't have any manual tools, everything is air", I can provide the tool for them.
Jason
North Carolina
1997 Cadillac SLS (147k miles)
2003 Dodge Grand Caravan (50k miles)
I have had this happen to me a few times. The dealer sales the studs in a 6 pack and the lugs are individual. They are around 6.00 a piece though.
I had this happen once, ended up breaking 3 studs off when I was changing out my wheels. I just ran down to NAPA and got 3 plus a couple extra just in case. I used a little bit of grease on the studs before I put the wheels and lugs back on to make sure it didn't happen again. I changed out my wheels 4 times after that and I didn't have anymore problems.
-Erin
ok im startin to get really pissed now. I went and installed the new studs and put everything back together and i went to tighten down the nuts and the @!#$in stubs just turn in the holes like the ribs arn't grabing so i checked and there all the way in just not grabing anything. one is lose and i can wiggle but the other one i can turn all the way around. Now what the hell is worng?
1998 Sunfire, 2.2L auto
cornering too fast with lugs that arent sufficiently tightened tends "push" the lugs straight off the stud, usually crossthreading it on the last thread, which leads to it breaking when trying to remove.
i work at a shop and as long as you thread the lug a couple of rotations by hand to make sure its not crossthreaded then air tools are great.
Ryan Shissler wrote:I went and installed the new studs and put everything back together and i went to tighten down the nuts and the @!#$in stubs just turn in the holes like the ribs arn't grabing so i checked and there all the way in just not grabing anything.
It sounds like possibly that stud has been replaced so many times before that enough material has been worn away from the wheel bearing flange (where the studs mount) that the "splines" on the stud have nothing to grip. Almost like the hole is "stripped" if you will.
I don't know if they make studs with oversized "splines".
Jason
North Carolina
1997 Cadillac SLS (147k miles)
2003 Dodge Grand Caravan (50k miles)
If that is the case of having a stripped spline and that there is nothing for the rear of the new lug nut to be pulled in and set into, then it looks like it is time to replace the hub assembly. The nice part about that is that you get a new hub with a new bearing and 5 new wheel studs. WHAT A COMBO!!!!!.
I am what I am and it is what it is.
I am the 2nd most untrusted person in the world next to a lawyer,welcome to our dealership, may I help you?
well i went back today and got 2 more studs and they seemed a bit bigger then the last ones so i put them in and they fit perfectly in there and now everythings good again.
"cornering too fast with lugs that arent sufficiently tightened tends "push" the lugs straight off the stud, usually crossthreading it on the last thread, which leads to it breaking when trying to remove."
More then likly what happend. i tend to take turns faster then i should...
1998 Sunfire, 2.2L auto
