Wheel studs sheared off.

[D W]

Originally Posted by Bucket-hat Otis

It is impossible to know definitively what happened. Over torqued? maybe. I'd say it's probably a case of the wheel got in a bind for some reason when you put it on. You probably had two or three lugs that were tight, and the rest rattled loose. When the wheel started wobbling, the tight lugs could not handle the pressure and sheered. I always snug the lugs with the tire off the ground, that way I can rotate the tire and wiggle on it to check the best I can that the wheel is not in a bind and all the lugs snug all the way down. Then, put the tire on the ground and tighten down the lugs until you hear them squeak and/or creak.



You can do this by hand with a 4 way. In fact, I prefer a 4 way for 2 reasons. It provides even torque on the lug - you are pushing on one side with one hand and pulling on the other side with the other hand. Torque wrench with an extension causes a leverage effect on one side, meaning you have uneven pressure on the lug. Second, if you put it on with a 4 way, you can get it off with a 4 way. Getting a lug off with a 4way that was put on in a shop with a high pressure power tool is near impossible.


The safest thing to do is have a good road service plan. Those folks show up with a gas powered air compressor and the proper high dollar air tools. Working on your own tires on the side of the road near traffic is extremely dangerous for multiple reasons. If you feel you can not afford a decent emergency road service plan, then at least keep emergency flares. Joe Public Driver in general will not move over for little orange cones or triangles. But they will slow down and move over if there is something in the road that is on fire and very bright. I've been through this a few times in the last 1.5 million miles over the last 35 years.

I actually had to read this twice because the first time I couldn't believe what I was reading. This not only defies science, but it defies logic as well.

[Chuck_S]

Trailer lug nuts will loosen on the road. On a new trailer, on the dealer's lot, it's not surprising to find many loose lug nuts. I reckon more than half were loose when I picked up my new trailer that had been towed less than 100 miles from the factory. I know because I torqued them -- with an actual torque wrench -- to spec. No guessing. 90 lb-ft? 110 lb-ft? 120 lb-ft? Find the spec.

Recommended procedure with a new trailer is torque. Re-torque at the first rest area. Any loose? Check the next rest area until they stop loosening. Eventually this will be just a once a morning check on the road. Cold tire pressure and lug nut torque is daily maintenance.

Years ago I watched 3 of 6 lug bolts come off one wheel of my single axle boat trailer and bounce on the road (J/24 racing sailboat). A buddy was towing it behind his commercial van and I was following. Got him stopped and found most of the bolts and a rural gas station had enough to get the boat home. Made me a believer -- heck, a disciple -- of lug nut torque.

And by the way --

[babock]

Originally Posted by PatrickY

Everybody knows "righty tighty, lefty loosey" … except the Brits.

And the Swedes. Impeller that is built into the block on older Saab motors had left handed threads. Thankfully, I had a service manual.

[D W]

Originally Posted by PatrickY

Everybody knows "righty tighty, lefty loosey" … except the Brits.

Many years ago the now defunct Chrysler Corporation had its iteration of left hand thread lug nuts that went on the driver's side, and right hand thread lug nuts for the passenger side.

[mharrel]

Originally Posted by dnicoll

I don’t know, maybe you’ve been lucky? But, When I put new rubber on the Ram a couple years back, the tire shop insisted I return at about 100 KM and they would re-torque / check torque of all lug nuts. As well, when I have the vehicle serviced and the tires are removed - the invoice clearly states that lug nuts should be re-torqued At 100-125 KM. When I had new Good Years installed on the Corsair last summer, the tire shop insisted I return so they could re-torque all lug nuts. I asked what ft/lb they torque to as I did purchase a torque wrench a couple years back, so checked them myself. At that time several of the lug nuts were a ‘little’ loose, but not much. And NO, do not loosen the lug nuts and then torque them, again. (And again and again ....)

That must be a Canadian thing, or maybe a Canadian Tire thing. I had a set of tires for my TT put on in Watson Lake and they said the same thing. I thought it was strange as I never had that happen in the states. May be liability protection.

If I have new tires put on anything, the first thing I do is go home and loosen and torque the studs. Two reasons: one, sometimes they are so tight you have to loosen them with a cheater bar, so on the side of the road, you would bev toast. And two, I know the lugs are properly torqued. I don't trust tire shop guys. They may say they torque them---but do they??

Nuts and bolts are engineered to a specific torque. They have maximum strength at that torque. Either looser or tighter diminishes strength.

[KQ2N]

I've changed tires all my life using a 4X lug wrench, never a problem. Now, in my "golden years", figured a air impact wrrench would save my back. Well, it may have saved my back, but as others have said on this thread, I too sheared off in my case every single lug on a tire on my car. The last one sheared off as I was parking the car in a parking lot. Boom!!!

[Chuck_S]

And what did you torque them to?

-- Chuck

[KQ2N]

I just put the impact wrench on a high setting, figuring the tighter the better...

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by KQ2N

I just put the impact wrench on a high setting, figuring the tighter the better...

Absolutely the wrong thing to do. When you over-tighten you have a good chance of elongating the stud such that when load is applied (driving and turning corners loads the studs in cycles. This can fatigue the stud till it fails.


Every stud that was tightened with the impact needs to be replaced.
You can read my blog post on the proper way to tighten lug nuts.

[cfo111]

Originally Posted by KQ2N

I just put the impact wrench on a high setting, figuring the tighter the better...

LOL LOL LOL

[babock]

Originally Posted by Tireman9

Absolutely the wrong thing to do. When you over-tighten you have a good chance of elongating the stud such that when load is applied (driving and turning corners loads the studs in cycles. This can fatigue the stud till it fails.


Every stud that was tightened with the impact needs to be replaced.
You can read my blog post on the proper way to tighten lug nuts.

I believe he was kidding!

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by babock

I believe he was kidding!

Well we can hope so but given the stuff I run into I can't be 100% sure.

[babock]

Originally Posted by Tireman9

Well we can hope so but given the stuff I run into I can't be 100% sure.

I have had tire shops in the past think that was ok so you never know.

[Scrapper]

There's a popular tire shop near me that uses an impact to tighten the lugs. I have never seen them use a torque wrench.


The place is so popular if you pull in their parking lot at 6 am you will have to wait for 1-1/2 hours. They start work at 7:30.


I haven't used them since watching them tighten the last tire on my truck six years ago.

[Qwkynuf]

Originally Posted by KQ2N

I've changed tires all my life using a 4X lug wrench, never a problem. Now, in my "golden years", figured a air impact wrrench would save my back. Well, it may have saved my back, but as others have said on this thread, I too sheared off in my case every single lug on a tire on my car. The last one sheared off as I was parking the car in a parking lot. Boom!!!

Originally Posted by Tireman9

Absolutely the wrong thing to do. When you over-tighten you have a good chance of elongating the stud such that when load is applied (driving and turning corners loads the studs in cycles. This can fatigue the stud till it fails.


Every stud that was tightened with the impact needs to be replaced.
You can read my blog post on the proper way to tighten lug nuts.

If I am reading that correctly, every stud that was tightened with the impact wrench *had* be replaced - because they all sheared off - the last one as they were parking the car in a parking lot.

[Chuck_S]

There are devices known as "torque sticks" which are used with impact drivers. They slip at their rated settings and in theory don's allow more torque. Tire shops use them almost exclusively and have them in several settings for their air powered tools. Better shops will use a torque wrench.

I have one rated at 65 lb.ft I use with my battery powered rattle gun to get to that rating for an initial tightening and then use a torque wrench to the proper setting (80 lb.ft) on one car for example. I think the trailer gets 90 or 100 lb.ft (notes are elsewhere).

-- Chuck