breaking wheel studs

[240marcuSX]

i bought Enkei rs5s a while back and they came with some gorilla nuts, lug nuts, the really small ones that come with a key, and now, almost everytime i take my wheels off, i break a wheel studoff inside the lug, and have to buy new lug nuts, i asked some body before and they said that the lug nuts might not fit the wheel studs right, and there is a little play, but a very little, should i just switch all my wheel studs to a little bit bigger?, or should i just tighten the wheel studs to exactly 80 ft. lbs? and put some anti-cease on them? it seems to me that the wheel studs are somehow cutting into the lug nuts between the threads, but theyre not cross threaded, maybe a bad reaction between the 2 metals and the heat from the brakes?? anyone had this problem?

[SmithSR]

Are the Gorilla nuts marked with the thread pitch so you are sure you're using the correct nuts for your car?? I would steer clear of the anit-sieze.

[i2ice4m3]

they said that the lug nuts might not fit the wheel studs right, and there is a little play, but a very little...

What do you mean little play?

[98TURBOKA]

I would have to say that the little play could be a very bad deal!!

[SmithSR]

Yes, I've seen vehicles with the wrong lug nuts for their thread pitch. I'm having trouble remembering exactly which are close enough(perhaps 12-1.5/12-1.25, or 1/2-20 to 12-1.75, but i do not remember for sure) that they could be incorrect, but there are certain lugs that will *kind of* fit onto the wrong stud.

[240marcuSX]

well, by a little play i mean, i can wiggle them just a very little, not enough to hear it, that doesn't seem like the problem though, i think that its when i used the impact wrench to take the lug nuts off, it spun so fast that it cross threaded them on the way out, because i remember when i took my stock shocks apart, you know how you have to some how hold the top of the piston to loosen the top nut, well i figured i didnt need the shocks anyway, so i whipped out the impact, and spun it off there, without holding the top of the piston, I think im just gonna use a lug wrench from now on, its just as easy anyway, this particular problem sucks, because when i start auto-xing, if im breaking wheel studs every time, im not going to be able to race, or get home, lol

[Magnes]

...should i just tighten the wheel studs to exactly 80 ft. lbs? and put some anti-cease on them?

Aren't you? 72 - 87 ft-lbs range is fine, just don't use a damn impact gun.

If you're going to use anti-seize then torque them a little less as the anti-seize acts as a lubricant and gives a lower torque reading for the same tightness.

[240marcuSX]

i see, thanks guys for the help, ive got it resolved now.......i hope, i got 8 more locks (extras) from discount tire direct, and i highly recommend discount tire direct by the way, their shipment is always 2 days, (here at least) and i only ordered 6 locks for $10.00 and they gave me 8 for the same price. summit was asking like $25.00 for 4!!!!!!!

does anybody know how to get a wheel stud on without an impact gun? just in case i'm at an auto cross and break a stud in the future. thanks

[Exar-Kun]

you can use a puller, or a long "breaker bar" to twist the stud through...

-chet

[Magnes]

Just wondering... did you have this problem before you put the Enkeis on?

I can think of only 3 things that might cause a stud to break of in a wheel nut:- The nuts are overtightened.- The nuts and studs aren't the same diameter and thread pitch- The wheel is not resting on the axle flange, thereby putting shear loads on the studs.

Kinda strange that they onl;y snap when you remove the nuts, and you haven't lost a wheel out on track yet!

[240marcuSX]

im guessing that they were just over tightened... theyre definately on the axle flange, and the lug nuts are 12-1.25, the wheels are definately on there good, no problem there, it was only when i took them off. But i believe i have it resolved. And no i broke one stud with the stock wheels on. thanks for your help.

[jam149]

All the switching of tires at autocrosses and track events, I broke a stud with the stock wheels too.

I did go with the anti-sieze, and I haven't had any problems at all since then. Nothing loosening up, or breaking. The lug nuts go on smoothly. Just don't drop them in the gravel - with the anti-sieze, they pick up everything.

joe

[TBreu007]

Get new nuts, and make sure your torque is correct.I use a squirt of lubricant on my studs every now and then on my race car, but it's kind of iffey on a street car since you don't check the torque as often. My wheels are off on the race car a couple times a day, so they're constantly getting re-torqued.Whatever you do, don't get anti-sieze or lubricant where the nut touches the wheel.