On my 99 F-150 , i have broke 2 wheel studs in the past month , i dont kno whos brite idea it was to make them so cheap , they aint even tite and they snap right off .....

 

If you have aftermarket wheels that aren't centered by the hub, that's why-
Also, they need to be torqued, I think it's 95-105ft/lbs.

 

i have stock wheels ..... i aint got a torgue wrench , i just tighten them with the impact , and tighten them more with my 4-way , then snap , they break off ..... i kno on my 77 f150 , i can put the 4 way on it , and jump up and down on it , and they still want break ..... i tell u , the newer these vehicles get , the cheaper they are made , and the more they cost , its ridicoulous !!!!

 

USE A TORQUE WRENCH!!!!! Figure your impact, even if it's a cheap one, it will still give about 150ft-lbs. A 4way, figuring 12" arms and an average weight of 200lbs, if you "jump on it", you can get it over 300ft-lbs (momentum will provide torque beyond mass alone).
Any part can be made to look inadequate if stressed in ways it wasn't designed-

 

Yikes! You really, really should get a torque wrench. You'll need one anyway if you ever want to do any engine or drivetrain work.

 

Yeah impact wrenches are the classic way to snap studs and munge up custom wheels.

You might be right that old studs are stronger. Seems like everything is a bit lighter weight than it used to be. But still as long as you never over torque a stud it should never break. It is passing the yield point that kills studs(old college materials class). Once you pass yield, the stud is forever weakend.

Never trust an impact for final torque. Not unless you got a good quality one and have tested it.

Make sure your threads are clean and not rusty. Many people like a bit of antisieze, I do, and some prefer a bit of oil on the threads, others go dry, but you must be clean.

Then if you want to use the impact use it on the lowest setting unless you KNOW the torque it applies at whatever # setting you like, but always lower than required. Then use a Torque wrench to finish tightening the nuts. You should probably recheck the torque a few days later.

Most impacts can apply 200ft pounds and way up if you have a good one. I think my china special does something like 90 ft#s at the lowest setting, so that is OK for my truck assuming I finish with a torque wrench. At 2, 3 or 4 it is past the torque spec on my F250 if I recall.

A 4 way lug wrench can apply quite a bit of pressure if you are a baby king kong. Some people have the feel and some don't. My experience is most don't have a good feel for torque by hand. Thus the need for torque wrenches. Even a cheap click style is worthwhile and it is a very quick method. I check the torque on my trailer tires when I am on the road and I would guess it takes maybe 5 minutes or less to do all 4. So it isn't a bother to torque things properly.

I bet your impact is straining the studs because 1) it is set too high and maybe 2) It is "shocking" the stud with sudden blasts from the impact.

I love powertools but I always finish with a handtool.

Jim Henderson

 

Do not oil the treads. Clean and dry is the spec. The same torque on lubricated threads will significantly increase preload. Preload is the tensile force on the assembly. I worked in the test lab of an aerospace fastener company and we used thread lubes to increase preload for a given torque.

Another point. Too little preload can be worse than a little too much (still below yield point). Loose fasteners will break from fatigue. Lugs cycle stress for every revolution of the wheel.

Jim

 

it's pretty easy to snap a lug stud off. I snapped one on my mothers toyota. it's supposed to be torqued to 70 ft'lbs, and I was using a torque wrench set at 105. Most of them had no problem but on the third wheel I got to, one snapped clean off.

 

i dont ever use a impact on them after i broke the first one off ...... it dont take much to snap these off , u cud barley bump it , and it wud break ..... makes me wanna rig a solid axle under the front ... man that wud be so nice

 

Where you been at dustin?

 

here and there and everwhere ......... haha