Thread: Wheel Studs....

I'm not sure what the deal is but I'm wondering wtf is up with my GTP that I'm always breaking wheel studs. The car is close to stock, and I always use a torque wrench when tightening them. I think I've busted about 6 of them (the last one Discount Tire broke for me). It's not confined to one wheel as I've lost them on three of the four wheels on the car.

Prior to this car I've never broke one, including one Mustang that made a whole lot more power than my GTP.

confused in Vegas.

(sorry if this is in the wrong section)

Originally Posted by VinnieGTP

Are you snugging them by hand before you're tightening them?

yes, get them all snugged down by hand ---- then tighten them a touch while still in the air, then torque them after loading the tire. Check the torque after dropping the car. No air tools when I'm doing it. And I'm certainly not doing anything differently than I've done in my previous 35 years of car ownership -- or the period of time I never broke a stud.

my stud broke in half when i tightened it down with the stock lug wrench that comes with the car. Still havent fixed it

Originally Posted by VinnieGTP

Thats really weird...

it is and why I thot I'd ask here. One time I looked down and there was one missing.... figured NBD. A few days later another was gone on the same wheel. This was on a 6 month old SKF hub. Then there's been the ones that broke while tightening (96' pounds, right?) ---- don't know. I checked out the one that Discount Tire paid to replace the other day and it's stripped and sitting in the hub sideways... so there's another one I've got to do.

what bugs me is I'm real careful with stuff like this --- hand tight, torque wrench only, etc, and they're still breaking.

thanks for the ideas tho.

Originally Posted by Zef_66

Mine are usually 115-120 ft-lbs and I have never *knock on wood* broke a stud.

damn, I'd be scared to do that now. Oh well, it's the little stuff that can make one go hmmmm.

Originally Posted by VinnieGTP

Have all your broke studs been aftermarket? Or did you put stock studs in the aftermarket hub?

no, the AM hub, which went through three I think, were the ones SKF put in. I replaced the two then a third one broke. That's when I warrantied it since I was doing the axle anyway.

the others have all been stock that broke and replaced with either whatever NAPA sells and Dorman. Heck, when I got the car I thot it was weird that there had been two replaced on the back.

I've looked at the wheels closely, where the nut hits especially and they look fine to me, and the nut seems to sit in the recess evenly.

stock chrome stars (non torque star).

just got a long overdue alignment a few weeks back --- the guy said it was pretty far off even though the wheel was straight and the tire wear was close to right. It was very 'twitchy' before the alignment.