Broken lug bolts

[Ducatinut]

Newbie in Ohio here! I put some American Racing wheels on my 1999 Ranger about a week ago. On my way home from the barn as I turned three bolts broke off my front wheel. I thought I had the correct torque or could it be the wheels? Just getting started on my truck. Thanks for any help in advance.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

What did you torque them to? Do you have the right type of lug nuts for the wheels?

 

[Ducatinut]

I torqued them to 100 ft. lbs. I got the lug nut at a local auto parts store. I told them what I was doing and used what they sold me. It's too late to fix it tonight but I can give you more info tomorrow after I take the wheel off. The truck has 62000 miles and was used by my employer mainly for the security gaurd's. Any advice on removing the broken lug bolt? Thanks!

 

[adsm08]

The studs can be replaced individually, but can be purchased as part of a hub and rotor assembly as well. If your brakes are old, I'd get rotors and just do a brake job.

If your brakes are ok get new studs and nuts.

 

[Ducatinut]

Brakes are ok. I wonder if rusted bolts is part of the problem. The body/paints in good shape, very little rust. The truck has been sitting for awhile.

 

[pjtoledo]

you're now in a situation where all the wheel lugs may be damaged. start taking wheels off, and see in the lugnuts will easily turn all the way to the drum/rotor and contact them. if a nut won't go all the way in that stud may be stretched, and substantially weakened.



Perry

 

[upnsmoke]

I would be concerned about why it happened so that it could be prevented from occurring in the future. If the lug nuts got loose it is usually evidenced by the hub, rotor, and/or lug seats being a little beat up. You would likely have felt it in the steering wheel if a front wheel got loose, though, and I would say it is unlikely if you torqued the lug nuts right. Are you sure your lug nuts have the correct taper for your wheel? If you used lug nuts with a spherical seat for example, on wheels with a 60 degree taper, they would tighten down and seem okay setting still, but would have only a narrow band around the seat where they actually contacted the wheel. On an aluminum wheel, as you drove the truck, the lug seat could be damaged slightly by the amount of pressure applied to that small area, allowing the lug nut to loosen. Some aftermarket wheels require longer studs as well. ARP makes wheel studs. They are a little steep, but I run them on most of my vehicles. I like a solid 3/8 inch of thread engagement in a lug nut. I'm no engineer, and less than that may be acceptable, but I would not chance it, regardless of what anyone says. I would check to see that your studs are long enough.

 

[PhantomOfTheBumpside]

Studs, not bolts.

Take off the rim, take of the hub or rotor that the studs are in. Apply drift and hammer to knock them out. Drop in new. Tap with hammer to seat a little, reinstall hub/rotor, reinstall rim. Make sure your torque is correct. If you are using torque sticks, use one at or below your proper torque and finish by hand with a proper torque wrench.

Make sure your rim really does match your stud pattern. Some metric are 'almost the same' as SAE and guys have a tendency to swap them because they can... this puts tension on the studs at angles not intended and with excessive force generated sitting still and even more so during operation.

 

[Brandon Nootenboom]

I would be concerned about why it happened so that it could be prevented from occurring in the future. If the lug nuts got loose it is usually evidenced by the hub, rotor, and/or lug seats being a little beat up. You would likely have felt it in the steering wheel if a front wheel got loose, though, and I would say it is unlikely if you torqued the lug nuts right. Are you sure your lug nuts have the correct taper for your wheel? If you used lug nuts with a spherical seat for example, on wheels with a 60 degree taper, they would tighten down and seem okay setting still, but would have only a narrow band around the seat where they actually contacted the wheel. On an aluminum wheel, as you drove the truck, the lug seat could be damaged slightly by the amount of pressure applied to that small area, allowing the lug nut to loosen. Some aftermarket wheels require longer studs as well. ARP makes wheel studs. They are a little steep, but I run them on most of my vehicles. I like a solid 3/8 inch of thread engagement in a lug nut. I'm no engineer, and less than that may be acceptable, but I would not chance it, regardless of what anyone says. I would check to see that your studs are long enough.

I would definitely check the lug seat to see the wheels have the same taper as the lugs, also as ^he^ said check stud length and how much is engaging. Even check to make sure that the hub bore of the wheel is big enough, it's unlikely to be a problem but I've seen it before where it looked like it was evenly on until I hit them with a torque wrench and they torqued "funny" Check for elongated lug holes in the wheel, they should show if the wheel was loose or not

 

[straycat]

Darn, glad you were not hurt in any way. If you need to take it to a tire shop and have them do it for you (reoplace any broken lug nuts). Just make sure you have the right lug nuts for the wheels. I am not too sure but I don't think the stock lug nuts will not work on my AR rims. I never tried them on the wheels. I bought the wheels and lugs together.

 

[kryptonitecb]

+1 to correct lug nuts and studs

I've bought lugs after been told they were correct only to find the box or bag was labeled wrong. When you replace the studs take an old one with you to check the correct taper. You should be able to get the nut on the stud all the way without using a tool. And unless you used an impact to beat the nut on the stud you couldn't have over torqued it by hand.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[Ducatinut]

Heading home from work now, I appreciate all the help. I'll check back later to let you know what I've found.

 

[naford]

Doesn't 100ftlbs seem like alot. I thought 70 was the number but I could be wrong.

 

[kryptonitecb]

The hack jobs at discount tire use impact hammers without restrictions. The little trick they do with the torque wrench is only to doublecheck that the lugs are tight enough after putting a +200ft/lb impact on it. So 100ft/lbs once would be fine. More likely they were cross threaded.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[naford]

They should be using torque sticks/bars that are color coded for the torque needed.