The Dangers of a Broken Wheel Stud
Wheel studs are designed to keep your tires and wheels safely secured to your car. In most cases, these hard steel components don’t go bad or wear out. However, because the wheel stud is exposed to the elements and takes on tremendous daily stress, there are other issues that can cause these parts to wear out or break. Improper installation, over torquing of lug nuts, or under tightening of lug nuts can all cause a wheel stud to fail.
There are many warning signs that alert you to the potential of a broken wheel stud. Listed below are a few symptoms to look out for:
Damaged Threads
Tires and wheels are attached to the vehicle by lug nuts that have a similar thread pattern as the wheel studs. Occasionally the threads of the wheel studs can be damaged due to:- Improper installation: the lug nuts are supposed to be hand-threaded a minimum of four rotations to ensure they are properly attached to the wheel studs. Many mechanics and car owners that change a tire on the side of the road often forget this fact before they start to quickly tighten the lug nuts. They should also be tightened in a star pattern and securely fastened to the vehicle’s hub before being placed back on the ground.
- Cross threading the lug nut onto the stud: this happens frequently in quick change oil service and some tire service shops, especially when technicians get in a hurry or use the wrong wrenches. To avoid a cross threading situation, make sure the lug nuts are installed correctly and slowly guide the lug nut onto the wheel stud until it touches the hub.