- THE STUDS ON MY LEFT REAR WHEEL SHEARED OFF, at the drum and I lost a wheel - on the freeway, no less! Actually, 4 sheared and one just bent (no lug nut on it). When I looked at the other side, 2 of the studs were snapped off at the drum and one lug nut was loose.... I am wondering if it was tampered with or the wheels were not seated when last put on (2 weeks ago, by a non-pro) or is there something going on with my differential...
This is by far the strangest thing I have had happen - any wild guesses?

 

my best guess is that in the past the wheels have been over tightened, causing too much stress to the lugs, (les scwabe dudes told me and my friend that they don't check torque specs unless you watch them... food for thought) which eventually causes them to crack, especially under side to side stress. HOWEVER what happened to you sounds like the non pro didn't tighten them much at all. did you hear weird grinding noises when you first moved your car and when you were driving?

unless I'm mistaken, you will have to have the axle shafts pulled to have new studs attached, which sucks... but isn't too hard to do. just get a slide hammer kit from auto zone and pull them out if you can. although it may be harder with just one stud, but i'm sure a happy imagination can solve that problem.

on a larger note, was every one ok in the accident?

 

someone used an air impact tool set on max torque on your lugs nuts and overstretched them

check all the wheels. loosen and examine for damaged pulled threads.
use torque wrench and alternate bolt pattern tighening. 100 lb ft max.

 

Yea, everyone (just me) survived. Funny, just before it happened I felt a wobble - like there was a strong wind, so I had already started pulling over. Had to replace a drum, brake parts and of course studs.
It was a bitch finding the right studs, though.
Thanks for the input.

Over torque sounds like the most possible - for sheared studs.

 

FYI to DCRB The axle shafts have to be released from rear differential by removing cover and loosening the keeper that holds axles in place.

 

Also tightening lugs sequentially in a "Star" pattern in 3 or 4 trips around the "star" prevents damage like that.

Once a wheel stud is fatigued by either over tightened stretching, or being run loose, it's "Boogers Woods" in my book & should be repaired by removal & replacement, ASAP.

I agree with 96_4wdr I Always tighten my wheels to 85 Lbs/ft & using antisieze on all my wheels "bearing points" on hub or axle, on washer or canted seats, on studs & lugs. I admit I do run alloy wheels & antisieze compound also has a preventitive, dielectric, affect also on the bi-metals.
I Race my "Hot Rod" Truck a lot. I never lost a wheel on anything, including both my Aero, my "Truck Rod", or my T-Bird with a 4 lug wheel pattern.

FBp

 

ah good to know, my only experience with pulling axles was on my friends 87 toyota corolla gts which has rear disks on it instead of drums

 

Exactly. Over tightening on the front can cause warped rotors when exposed to braking heat.

I know whenever I get new tires installed, within a week or that same day, I always take twn minutes and jack up each wheel, then retorque the wheel lugnuts. Lug nuts should be snuggly tight. They do not have to be rammed on, because they will eventually pull the studs out, or snap them, from fatique.

Always make sure your lug nuts are the correct ones, seat the wheel correctly (whatever type of rim you are using) and that your lug nuts are new without being rounded off from using a socket that does not grip the nut properly.

Lastly, oversized wheels, and wheels with a lot of positive offset, cause more problems than they are worth. Whenever you see a Tahoe or Expedition with 22" - 24" big shiny wheels, know that they cut their fuel mileage by 30% and are wearing brake pads and brake shoes at twice the normal rate.

 

Since I run 15X8, Alloy, Grand Marquis-OEM wheels on my 93 XLTN/AWD and have been doing so without any problems or difficulties what so ever for quite few years and many thousands of successful miles in of all types of driving and with my wife, and daughter and son & myself driving & since I run other wheels of different sizes & types other than OEM on most of my vehicles & trailer. . . . I must respectfully disagree with the quoted statement above. Granted I did calculate my backset coefficient to my relative centerline of suspension loading and wheel rotation before choosing the wheels I did.

I get 22.5+ mpg, with larger, more stable, alloy wheels. Alloy composition not only dissapates braking & road heat build up quicker to a cooler op-temp, but it runs cooler across the operational spectrum, are a lighter gross weight even though larger, turn slower as opposed to heavier, restricted air flow, hard to balance, bendable, damagable, imbalance prone, 14X7 steel, OEM, wheels that turn faster at all given speeds & don't dissapate heat well at all & flex laterally when side loaded (as in hard turns or switchbacks).

Again I will state it is the proper tightening sequence (star pattern), proper methodology used for tightening, applying the correct torque in 1 or 2 stages, and at least using some sort of lubricant, if not Anti Sieze, on clean threads of undamaged lug studs during reassembly.

As for going over or "rechecking" after wheels have already been tightened it may catch a loose lug, but it can not repair a stress fatigued stud from the overtorquing during tightening.

If the tire monkey ran his Ingersol or CPI air wrench at full torque (around 120-140 lb/ft) sitting on the trigger after lug seated up, the stud is already junk. Checking/ retorquing only masks an inevetable & gives false confidence.
Stretch fatigue does not recover. It is loss of elasticity in overloaded steel. Remember catinary? It is sag-out that happens when steel loses elasticity. Next step is catastrophic failure, or what is commonly referred to as Breaking.

Loadability is severely reduced or removed whenever steel is stress fatigued to the point of surrendering it's elasticity. That's an Engineering fact. But conversely proper mechanics & procedures will preserve the integrity of any good steel indefinitely. . . . .

FBp

 

I replaced one of mine once without pulling the rear axle on 89 Aerostar

 

fordpeteboy,
don't be so sensitive
read the operative words which are very true
oversize wheels with lots of positive offset
I see it all the time up in the hills, $50,000 boy toy with $10k of tires and wheels broke down with front bearing suspension failure from poor tire wheel selection.
i don't even bother to stop anymore, let them walk.

 

Just a follow up for you all.
I couldn't get more than 2 of the studs from the dealer - which were CHEAPER than the wrong ones at AutoZone - so I ended up going to picknpull and popping out some studs from a sad Aero. Removing them with the axle still on, is easily done with a few sharp raps on the stud - BUT I protect the stud by running one or 2 lug nuts down it and then hitting the lug nut - not the stud end.
Getting them back on...
Here is how I did it.
I put the new stud in (axle still on) and hold it while putting a large washer and nut on it. I then use my pry bar to seat it A LITTLE so that it won't fall out easily. I then remounted the drum and wheel and used spacers on the stud till there was only enough room to get the nut on. I used my lug wrench to slowly pull the stud into the hub (seated). Remove the spacers and install the proper lug nut. The trick is the initial partial seat with the pry bar and then the spacers.
Good luck.

 

96_4wdr
Thanx for the heads up. No Offense intended there for sure. If there is one to somebody, I do apologize.
I'm not taking it personally, nor am I trying to be offensive if I seem so. I do not want to be.

Not trying to be **** either, just trying to be methodical & spot on accurate. IMO, OEMs have a habit of "averaging" everything to satisfy a biggest Crowd of users possible with varying degrees mediocrity usually being the net end result. I seek to improve what I have with my upgrades & Mod's. etc.

Not all oversized wheels are bad, or in "offset crisis". I tried to make that clear with the last sentence in paragraph #1: "granted I did calculate my backset etc etc" to show it must or should be part of the consideration

I just wanted the other users to realize there are great options & solutions that do include the oversize thing when thought out & understood.

What I would mention is I firmly believe all modifications should be in an upgrading capacity, never in a down grading one. If a modification isn't an upgrade, resulting in improvement, I totally agree it's better off not attempted or done.

Thanx
FBp

 

[QUOTE=FordBoypete]Since I run 15X8, Alloy, Grand Marquis-OEM wheels on my 93 XLTN/AWD and have been doing so without any problems or difficulties what so ever for quite few years and many thousands of successful miles in of all types of driving and with my wife, and daughter and son & myself driving & since I run other wheels of different sizes & types other than OEM on most of my vehicles & trailer. . . . I must respectfully disagree with the quoted statement above. Granted I did calculate my backset coefficient to my relative centerline of suspension loading and wheel rotation before choosing the wheels I did.

I get 22.5+ mpg, with larger, more stable, alloy wheels. Alloy composition not only dissapates braking & road heat build up quicker to a cooler op-temp, but it runs cooler across the operational spectrum, are a lighter gross weight even though larger, turn slower as opposed to heavier, restricted air flow, hard to balance, bendable, damagable, imbalance prone, 14X7 steel, OEM, wheels that turn faster at all given speeds & don't dissapate heat well at all & flex laterally when side loaded (as in hard turns or switchbacks).

Again I will state it is the proper tightening sequence (star pattern), proper methodology used for tightening, applying the correct torque in 1 or 2 stages, and at least using some sort of lubricant, if not Anti Sieze, on clean threads of undamaged lug studs during reassembly.

As for going over or "rechecking" after wheels have already been tightened it may catch a loose lug, but it can not repair a stress fatigued stud from the overtorquing during tightening.

If the tire monkey ran his Ingersol or CPI air wrench at full torque (around 120-140 lb/ft) sitting on the trigger after lug seated up, the stud is already junk. Checking/ retorquing only masks an inevetable & gives false confidence.
Stretch fatigue does not recover. It is loss of elasticity in overloaded steel. Remember catinary? It is sag-out that happens when steel loses elasticity. Next step is catastrophic failure, or what is commonly referred to as Breaking.

Loadability is severely reduced or removed whenever steel is stress fatigued to the point of surrendering it's elasticity. That's an Engineering fact. But conversely proper mechanics & procedures will preserve the integrity of any good steel indefinitely. . . . .

---------------------------------------------------------------
Did you actually read what I wrote? I said 22" - 24" rims!!!! Running 14" wheels then changing to a 15" (15X8) alloy rim isn't going to hurt a thing. I KNOW THAT. Many vehicles ran 14" wheels, but offered a 15" wheel option. I can name 7-10 examples off the top of my head.

I also said too much positive offset on those large wheels is not good. Your 15X8 Grand Marquis wheels are fine, I'm NOT referring to this type of wheel!

Now sometime you are in a wheel shop, lift that 15X8 alloy wheel and then lift a 22" - 24" wheel, and tell me what would take more power and braking to start -- stop/.
Rechecking torque will catch possible fatique, but it must be done immediately. You can't have several heat cycles run through them.

So what would you suggest then, to do, after you get new tires put on? Recheck torque specs as I suggested, or do nothing? I mean, if you watch the tech snug up the wheels the correct way, no big deal. My suggestion is for if you are not sure if the wheels have been over-tightened, then it's a good idea to check them immediately.

 

Whoa Ed. . . .
Yes I actually did read what you Said and here it is below.
This is what I responded to because I run what are called "Oversized Wheels" by most folks (as I previously explained). I mentioned determining the backset aspect issue too. . . .

I also tried to make sure I wasn't being argumentitive or insulting, twice. . . . a lot of good that did huh? I don't care about Tahoes or Yukons or Ghetto wheels. Especially in a Aerostar forum I just wanted other readers to be clear that not all oversized wheels cause more problems that they are worth.

As for overtightening by a tire shop stretching wheel studs, What I suggest is request the shop nicely to please torque your lug nuts to the correct torque spec for the studs your vehicle has. My Michelin dealer does it gladly because he values our patronage there. I leave a gratuity for the tech. It's really worth it to not have to remove greasey hand prints. Plus I don't need to recheck anything because I know it's all right as I leave the facility.

I don't want to argue, that's why I apologized before you blasted me, but whatever, have it your way, I'm done with this thread anyhow.

FBp