broken lug stud has got me thinkin..

[northern piper]

Hi all

So in changing over my all seasons for snow (tires on rims so simple change over..) I messed up 1 lug nut and broke a lug nut stud. On the same wheel, RR, I will now replace 2 lug nut studs. Anyway, this got me to thinking. Whenever new suspension or fairly substantial components are replaced, it's pretty typical to hear "replace all fasteners". Do you ever hear of routine replacement for lug nuts? studs? Nope. With all the yahoos out there who gun up a tire after a free brake inspection or any other number of reasons why somebody other than me (who uses air tools cautiously and a torque wrench for final tightening of the lug nuts) I really think annual stud replacement might be something worthwhile.

On this van, a 2000 ws, I've replaced 3 in total I think. These 2 new make it 5.

Any thoughts?

p

[phil-l]

Well - I've never replaced a stud on my Windstar. But I'm wary of anyone else torquing the lugs on my van. If I have any work done that requires someone else to remove the wheels, I tend to re-torque them myself as soon as I get the van home.

I'll also admit to doing something (with great care) that the experts will tell you not to do... Quick story: I once had a '90 Isuzu Trooper. Between Isuzu's poor corrosion protection and the super-fine-pitch threads they used on the lugs, Troopers of that era were famous for broken studs. I quickly learned (I only broke one) from an early Trooper forum that a drop or two of heavy oil (or a small amount of grease; or a small amount of anti-seize compound) on the stud threads would virtually eliminate breakage. The downside to this approach is that you must be very, very careful when torquing the lugs: The torque spec is written presuming no lubrication on the threads. The lube on the threads can allow you to unknowingly over-torque.

So I have - with great care - used this approach on all my other vehicles since then. I understand why the experts don't recommend it - but I also understand why it can make sense in some situations. My result: No more broken studs!