broken wheel stud

'94 GC, 166k, V8

My son's 94 GC began vibrating yesterday. He checked the front wheels and found a lug nut missing and the stud broken off on the left. I haven't pulled the wheel off yet, but the stud gone!

I'm just wondering what we might be looking at in repairs/costs?

I paid a tire place $20 to replace a stud, but if you can pull off the wheel & pop out the old stud (sometimes by tapping with a hammer), you should be able to replace the stud. They're only a few dollars each. A tire shop should keep these stocked, or go to a Jeep dealer (you'll pay more, but they should know the size).

If you're getting vibration it's likely something else like a steering stabilizer or maybe something easy like wheels need alignment.

Replace the stud & lug nut, try it out, and let us know if it's having more trouble.

'94 GC, 166k, V8

My son's 94 GC began vibrating yesterday. He checked the front wheels and found a lug nut missing and the stud broken off on the left. I haven't pulled the wheel off yet, but the stud gone!

I'm just wondering what we might be looking at in repairs/costs?


The repair cost of a broken wheel stud shouln't be much, your talking about half an hours worth of work. I would say about $40 at most. You could actually do this repair your self, the stud with lug nut is prolly around $5-$10.

All you have to do is remove the wheel, remove the brake caliper (2 - 13mm bolts) slide the rotor off and stick through the back, put the rotor back on, and install the lugnut and tighten it down as you tighten the stud will draw through the hub. you might be able to get it all the way through with the rotor on but if not just put the caliper back on and tighten everything up and put the wheel back on and just keep tightening until it is pulled all the way through.

NOTE: There is a special tool for this which does make it a lil easier but is not necessary. The tool kit is prolly about $30

How long (much driving) does it take to do this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/cone9/IMG_2096.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/cone9/IMG_2094.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/cone9/IMG_2095.jpg

One stud broke off, but I intend to replace all five along with a new wheel.
Do you think the wheel hub would have been damaged (weakened) enough by this abuse that it too should be replaced.
There must have been considerable vibration with this. Any other possible damage I should look for?
I don't know how long/far the car was driven with loose lug nuts (he's not sure).

[I hope this was a accident that these nuts came loose and not done intentionally by some nefarious entity!]