Sheared Off Lug

StuLax18

StuLax18

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Location
Dallas, TX
Car
2007 FX35 RWD
Has anyone ever had this happen? I was driving along and I noticed this kinda wobbling from the rear. Having had loose lugs before, I knew what was going on, so I was watching it. Once it got pretty bad, I pulled over to check my wheels. Popped off the center cap and this thing popped out (see picture below). Another lug got stripped, too. I now am riding on only 3 lugs. Do you think I will be ok driving a few miles on 30 mph roads to the dealership? Tomorrow is exhaust install, so I need it back around 4pm. I've been watching it, and after tightening the 3 lugs, it was fine driving home, I was just careful.

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I would be extremely careful driving with only 3.

Obviously your wheels have not been torqued properly and perhaps overtorqued in the past.
Always use a good torque wrench. I have even seen tire dealers using totally inaccurate equipment ( I know because I checked their tools) I used to calibrate and test torque wrenches at a Nuclear Power Plant.
 
I just tighten by hand until it becomes hard to turn. I never put alot of force into it, just enough so that it's tight. I think it could be due to my EX wheel I use as a spare, because the lug nuts don't fit into that wheel like they do with the FX wheel.
 
StuLax18 said:
I just tighten by hand until it becomes hard to turn. I never put alot of force into it, just enough so that it's tight. I think it could be due to my EX wheel I use as a spare, because the lug nuts don't fit into that wheel like they do with the FX wheel.
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Stu, get yourself a good 1/2" drive torque wrench. It's an excellent investment and will save you a few heartaches.
 
I've done it, they can get loose from not being tight enough, can stretch from being too tight. If the lug nuts don't sit right, get new lug nuts. My wheel almost came flying off on the freeway in Texas. We stopped in time, had 1 stud left that was seated. 3 sheered off, 1 loose that I was able to semi seat to get onto friends trailer.
 
Agree with the others, get a decent torque wrench and torque to 83 ft.-lb. (per manual). This is achievable by hand but at least with a torque wrench (that has not been dropped), you know all lug nuts are torqued to the same spec. I have become anal about it and go around my car torquing the nuts after taking my car for tire/wheel work. The dealer caused me a real hassle one time because they put a lug nut on so frickin' tight (and cockeyed).
 
It is easy to overtorque the lug nots by hand and snap off a lug. I got a torque wrench after a couple of friends snapped off lugs on their G35s.
 
They gave me new studs and lugs. I think it's a compounded issue. That wheel has been refinished, and they painted the back, so it sat weird against the hub. I also had a flat on that tire, and had my EX wheel spare on there. The EX uses different lugs, with the stud being covered by the nut after install, and it doesn't have the same taper on the end. I think all of these issues kind of added up together to cause the problem. I know with the spare wheel, I was always retightening it, because I was scared it would come loose.
 
I've never had a stud shear while on the road - but I have overtightened and sheared off a stud/lug as I'm tightening.

Now I only use a torque wrench. Not too expensive on eBay. I also keep a bunch of spare lugs and studs on hand cuz they are super cheap. If I EVER find one of the lugs/studs have been cross threaded in the past, I trash it. Also, after doing my brakes, I had beaten up the lugs pretty good and replaced them all with new ones for good measure.
 
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