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Weak Wheel Studs

4K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  HeavyG 
#1 ·
I installed some 1.5" hub/wheel centric spacers about a month ago. Hand tightened, then used a 1/2" drive ratchet to get snug, & torqued to 100 ft/lbs with a torque wrench. Performed the same procedure to re-install my factory wheels. Yesterday I wanted to apply some anti-sieze that I just picked up. I followed the same procedure as I re-installed the spacers. For some reason some of the nuts would not want to torque down with the wrench set to 100ft/lbs ( I think factory spec is 98ft/lbs?) so I stopped and removed all the nuts again. I noticed that the wheel studs started to stretch. I've already had on spun wheel stud replaced under warranty a few months after I purchased the truck. This incident happened by just attempting to remove the wheel for the very first time. Was 100 ft/lbs too much or does Nissan just use crappy wheel studs? I used an impact gun but only to remove the lugnuts. Desperate to get my wheels back on I attemp this again. This time with torque set to 50 ft/lbs then kept increasing by increments of 10ft/lbs. this seemed to work on all but 2 studs. Now I have to replace these studs. Does ARP make studs for our trucks? I read an old post where someone used a set made for Lexus but this was to extend the lengh of their stud and I just want OE length.
 
#2 ·
I only run mine at 85 FP. Check your torque wrench. I have three,two of them where way off. I put different studs on mine.Because they where too short. They had a bigger base circle.I had to drill out each whole,but they are stronger then stock.Check online Im sure you can find what you want.
 
#3 ·
I have seen in a few other posts that anti seize makes it so that you actually over torque nuts when you use it. So you may have pulled them much more than you thought you did. Now I may be completely wrong, but others can chime in on this.
 
#5 ·
I suspected that the anti-sieze may have been the cause but a buddy reassured me that it should be actually ensuring proper torque readings. I also figured if my torque wrench was off then it wouldn't allow me to over torque. Monday morning I'll go pick up some replacements and swap these things out.
 
#4 ·
To my understanding you should never put anything on wheel studs. Anti-seize, or pretty much anything else acts as a lubricant which results in them being over tightened since the torque specs don't account for for the lubrication.

That being said, after getting a set of very heavy tires installed I did have 4 wheel studs snap when I tried to remove them. I'm pretty sure this happened because the tire shop failed to center the wheels (hub centric) on the hub before torquing the lugs. I replaced the broken studs with Dorman studs I've had the wheels off and back on half a dozen times or more since then without another problem. I haven't seen anything yet that would lead me to believe that our wheel studs are any weaker than the ones you would find on any other comparable vehicle.
 
#6 ·
Anti-seize will get you a truer torque reading than a dry stud. I anti-seize mine LIGHTLY once or twice a year. I've never broken a stud on any of my 3 frontys and I've had any number of different tire and wheel and suspension combinations. I can't even begin to recall how many times Ive had the wheels off of the current one, much less the other two as well. I'm also pretty adamant about shops I take it to using the proper torque/tools. I torque mine to 100 lbs as well. I always run the nuts down by hand and then torque to 100 lbs in a single step using the correct pattern and a good Snap-On torque wrench that I take very good care of.
You either got some bad studs, contaminated threads, someone had previously over-torqued them or your torque wrench is due for a tune up.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I cleaned the threads before applying the anti-sieze so no dirty threads. I just got new tires a couple of weeks ago but I have spacers so tire shop shouldn't have touched the lugs securing the spacers on. I am the one who initially installed the spacers which I torqued to 100ft/lbs. As I've mentioned earlier I did have a stud replaced under warranty a few months after purchasing the truck new so maybe a bad set of studs? I've taken good care of my craftsman torque wrench by always resetting it to the lowest setting (20ft/lbs) and keeping it in the original case although it is almost 20 years old now. Maybe time for a new one.
 
#8 ·
Mine's nearly that old as well. Sounds like you did everything right. Maybe just a bad batch of studs like you said. Replace them all if you can!
 
#9 · (Edited)
Yeah, I'm gonna pick up some new ones tomorrow and replace the entire set in the rear.
 
#10 ·
Anyone using a torque wrench might want to consider getting one of these type of gizmos:



Inexpensive and very useful to check the calibration of your torque wrench from time to time.
 
#11 ·
Wow, I don't know how I missed that one. I did a search a few days ago one only came up with one that cost $1500. How do you recalibrate the wrench though?
 
#13 ·
Depends on your specific model of course but if you have one of the analog twist the handle till you get to the setting you want types you have to remove the handle locking nut to get to a nut which allows the calibration sleeve to be adjusted.

I've attached a pdf that might be of use tho again your wrench may be different (if you still have the owners manual for your wrench it may have some details on how to do that for your specific wrench).
 

Attachments

#12 ·
you dont use antisieze on studs without DROPPING the torque. go read ARP's article on fastner torque. Or what is really stretch! When you apply oil or lubricant to a fastner that has a torque calculated for proper streatch you will streatch the fastner beyond its designed streatch and will snap or streatch the fastner to where it is unusable if you torque when lubed on a fastner that should be dry. So yes a torque wrench DOES measure torque applied, but does so at the calculated yield when either lubed or dry. ARP even makes their own lube to more precisly torque their fastners correctly. Many manufacturers have now switch to torque, then torque to yield to get the correct clamping force. Then when you rebuild say and engine there are specs to measure if a bolt has S T R E A T C H E D to much and be replaced. If you have a Nissan workshop manual go look under checking head bolts in the manual and how to measure between which threads and the limits of set streatch. :)
 
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