Wheel Stud Failure...

Luckily this was on my family's land and I didn't have to get it out immediately. Yesterday morning, I dropped my dad off at his truck way down in the woods, went to pull away and heard a snap in the rear and felt the right rear of the truck drop. I thought it popped an axle shaft and spit the axle out (the rear is welded and I've only put a couple hundred miles on this axle). I got out to find all the studs sheared off. I broke one a week ago in the driveway after checking the rear brakes, but it somehow sheared the other 4.

Before anybody says it, the lugs were tight! I had both rear wheels off two weeks ago, and I had checked them since then because I had a flat on the other side Wednesday.

The rear axle is out of an '01 Sport 2wd that had 170,000 miles on it. I don't know if maybe the studs were defective and just hadn't had much stress on them like they are now? Any ideas?

I was able to get new studs in with the e-brake shoes removed and limped it home. I've got to pull the shafts to change seals and bearings anyway, so I'm thinking about upgrading the shafts and keeping these for spares. What brands and kits are the best?

now for the pictures:

 

[LBarr2002]

I've already replaced all the studs on that shaft. Did that in the woods and drove it home. I'm planning on doing the other side too, just haven't been motivated. I'm going to pull the shafts to do the other side, because I've got leaking seals. I'll see at that point how much stuff I'm going to be replacing.

 

[LBarr2002]

I've already put everything back together, but I think I may still have a leaking axle seal. The e-brake still doesn't hold well after replacing the shoes and adjusting.

Does this axle shaft look normal or could it be worn to much for a good seal?

 

[96eb96]

I've already put everything back together, but I think I may still have a leaking axle seal. The e-brake still doesn't hold well after replacing the shoes and adjusting.

Does this axle shaft look normal or could it be worn to much for a good seal?

there are always axle saver bearings..they ride on a different area of the axle shaft.

 

[LBarr2002]

Yeah, I saw that. But if I was going to pay $40 a piece for seals, I'd pay a little over $100 each for upgraded shafts and have spares. I decided to stick with my stockers for now, and I thought it looked ok. But now I don't know. If it still leaks I guess it'll just leak for a while.

 

[LBarr2002]

Well... It happened again! Same wheel!

By buddy that bought this truck a couple months ago called me today and the right rear sheared off again on his way to work today. He was running down the highway and had a vibration start. He pulled over, checked tires, everything looked ok. He started off again pulling through a gas station and it popped. Lucky it waited until he was off the highway. Still waiting on pictures....

I know I've seen some threads about hub-centric vs. non-hub-centric wheels, and these are not hub-centric. But, I see lots of people running soft 8's etc and not having any problems.

 

[Rick]

These are the studs I'm running on mine:

http://www.jegs.com/p/Moroso/Moroso-Wheel-Studs/748727/10002/-1

 

[LBarr2002]

These are the studs I'm running on mine:

http://www.jegs.com/p/Moroso/Moroso-Wheel-Studs/748727/10002/-1

That brings up a list. I guess you're using part number 710-46180?

 

[cculter]

Is there wheel spacers? I have heard of that causing too much stress on the lugs.

 

[Elessar65]

If you have broken them all again in like a year, but not axle shafts, etc. Then I would think the problem is either the wheels you are running, of some kind of spacer. Something like that. Or thats just the weakest part of your driveline. Try those lugs Rick was telling you about. If they break again the its definitely wheel/whel spacer if you have them, related.

 

[LBarr2002]

No wheel spacers. I'm thinking the wheels are at least contributing to the problem. He's going to try to find some other wheels to run.

 

[gijoecam]

Oh one more tip... Wheel studs should protrude through the lug nut at least the diameter of the stud. In other words a 1/2" diameter stud should protrude at least 1/2" through the lug nut.

Umm, OK, I'll bite... Why?

Ummm, NO !

What's wrong with a little lubrication? It also helps prevent rust from accumulating.

Nothing is wrong with a little bit of lube provided you adjust the torque spec accordingly. Adding a lubricant to the threads of any sort increases the amount of clamping force for any given torque spec. If you normally run a dry thread at 90ft*lbs, and you grease it and torque it to 90 ft*lbs, the clamping force of the lubricated thread is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than the dry one. Lube makes a HUGE difference.

Yes, the other issue is whether or not the added lubricant will affect the ability of the nut to stay put and not turn back off. In my experience (running anti-seize on wheel studs for every vehicle I've owned for 20 years) I have yet to have a properly-torqued lug nut come loose.

Well... It happened again! Same wheel!

By buddy that bought this truck a couple months ago called me today and the right rear sheared off again on his way to work today. He was running down the highway and had a vibration start. He pulled over, checked tires, everything looked ok. He started off again pulling through a gas station and it popped. Lucky it waited until he was off the highway. Still waiting on pictures....

I know I've seen some threads about hub-centric vs. non-hub-centric wheels, and these are not hub-centric. But, I see lots of people running soft 8's etc and not having any problems.

Ding-ding-ding-ding!!! We have a winner! Running lug-centric wheels on a set of studs that aren't designed for it can certainly cause the problem. It fatigue-loads the studs a LOT... If you can manage to extract one without destroying the fracture-face and get it to me, I can have a couple of co-workers take a peek at the fracture face and tell right away if it was fatigue-failure, torsional failure, or some other issue. Even one of the broken-off ends might work for that.

-Joe

 

[LBarr2002]

As I said before this is no longer my truck... I don't know what he did with the broken studs after he changed them out this time.

I was thinking about this again today. I ran those wheels for 3 or 4 years on the stock limited slip axle with 32 and 33" tires and never had any issues. I only had a problem shortly after switching out to the new axle with welded carrier.

 

[mwhyder]

To all of us who have rims with the slotted holes and keep shearing off wheel studs this may be a solution to the problem without changing rims. Just find the washers to fit your rims and the play is taken out from around the studs. http://www.ezaccessory.com/Washers_s/85.htm

 

[mwhyder]

But I will still be replacing the rims so I don't have to worry about it again. Just a thought for some else to think about.

 

[LBarr2002]

Advance sells those washers.

 

[mwhyder]

today was the first time I have heard about those washers. I guess I am a little behind on these things lol

 

[LBarr2002]

I looked at them after the first time it happened. They sell them as "keystone style" offset washers. But at that point I just thought the studs had been stressed or fractured in the previous truck.

 

[LBarr2002]

I know this thread is ancient but I thought about this again and figure I should put the resolution here in case anyone else stumbles on this thread. The friend that owned the truck at the time got some other wheels and brought the keystones back to me. There was a hairline crack between two of the lug holes on that one wheel. So, the cracked wheel was probably letting it wobble and stressing the lugs.