Wheel studs coming out

#1

I’ve got 2 wheel studs in each front wheel that often come out when I remove the lug nuts. I was using blue locktite, but now I’m using the high-temp, high-grip red locktite. But two of the studs are still coming out. I torque my lug nuts to 82ft-lbs. Why might this be occuring?

  1. Maybe I need to clean the threads better? I cleaned the stud threads with alcohol but I didn’t clean the threads in the hub. Maybe I need to clean both thread surfaces really well with alcohol and a wire brush so the red locktite has a good clean surface?

  2. Is there a way that my studs could be prematurely worn such that they grip the nut too hard and/or the hub not hard enough? I’m pretty sure that DP Motorworks, who built the car, put in high quality studs.

#2

You have to tach weld them in place from behind or they will continue to loosen. we welded all of ours and problem is solved. If you need to get them out just grind off the weld and screw them out…

#3

When I saw you putting back in your stud at RA, I knew that one was going to come back out again.

I was going to say something but your were so sure of what you were doing I decided not to.

#4

csrow wrote:

[quote]When I saw you putting back in your stud at RA, I knew that one was going to come back out again.

I was going to say something but your were so sure of what you were doing I decided not to.[/quote]

Lol. What was it you were going to say? I mean there are just so many ways of screwing a stud back in. Like: “Hey Scott, it’s RIGHT-hand rule you nitwit”.

#5

When I saw you installing the stud with a lug nut still on it through a wheel in one step, I was just wondering how it was going to stay in.

By no means am I expert on these things but I do change tires a lot and all my studs seems to stay in place. In fact, when I had to change out my hubs, removing the studs was really a pain.

  1. I use red loctite. In fact I think there is even a higher temperature version but I don’t know what color that is.

  2. After the install, I would let it cure for 24 hours before putting any stress on it.

  3. Make sure the stud shoulders are seated firmly on the hub. For the first install, you can use the allen wrench but if you are reinstalling it, I would use the double nut method to be able to apply the required installation torque.

  4. If you are re-installing a stud, clean out all of the old loctite and other junk before installing.

  5. DO NOT remove your tires when the hub is hot. I would let it thoroughly cool down before removing the lug nuts.

That’s all the BS I can think of right now. It may or may not be the reason you are having problems with your studs.

#6

I previously had studs installed with red loctite. They never came out. In fact, I couldn’t get them out when I tried.

When changing wheel bearings on the front (with the hub), I needed to put in new (longer) studs and decided to use blue loctite. So far, no problems with them coming out. Knock on wood.

Didn’t do anything special, except run them in snugly with an allen head to the shoulder on the stud. They were new studs and new hubs (clean threads all around) for whatever that’s worth.

#7

csrow wrote:

[quote]When I saw you installing the stud with a lug nut still on it through a wheel in one step, I was just wondering how it was going to stay in.

By no means am I expert on these things but I do change tires a lot and all my studs seems to stay in place. In fact, when I had to change out my hubs, removing the studs was really a pain.

  1. I use red loctite. In fact I think there is even a higher temperature version but I don’t know what color that is.

  2. After the install, I would let it cure for 24 hours before putting any stress on it.

  3. Make sure the stud shoulders are seated firmly on the hub. For the first install, you can use the allen wrench but if you are reinstalling it, I would use the double nut method to be able to apply the required installation torque.

  4. If you are re-installing a stud, clean out all of the old loctite and other junk before installing.

  5. DO NOT remove your tires when the hub is hot. I would let it thoroughly cool down before removing the lug nuts.

That’s all the BS I can think of right now. It may or may not be the reason you are having problems with your studs.[/quote]

Ya, that’s all reasonable. It was only this latest time that red locktite failed. Next time it happens I’ll clean the threads on the stud and in the hub with a brass brush and alcohol. A pistol bore brush should work. And then re-apply red locktite. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll check out this welding idea. I didn’t know you could get to the back of the studs. It’s time I learned to weld anyhow.

#8

Ranger wrote:

Let me know if you decide to tack weld them. I’ll make sure I skip practice that day… Start with 9th place trophies and work your way up to SpecExhausts. Then, eventually, you can start welding suspension and roll cages. :laugh:

#9

TheRedBaron wrote:

[quote]Ranger wrote:

Let me know if you decide to tack weld them. I’ll make sure I skip practice that day… Start with 9th place trophies and work your way up to SpecExhausts. Then, eventually, you can start welding suspension and roll cages. :laugh:[/quote]

Ok, so maybe I won’t learn to weld this way. I’ll learn to weld by making a 9th place trophy. We can call it “The Glob”.

#10

Ranger wrote:

How about “The First Non-Penetrating Bird Poo Trophy for 9th Place”… Has a nicer ring to it.

#11

If any of you torque your studs with the double nut method, how tight???
I was told to only do 16 ft/lb which sounds a little low.

#12

I’m on my second set of wheel studs from Turner. Couldn’t get the first set out, so I had to install another set on the new wheel hub assemblies I put on. Seemed fine with the red loctite and 16 ft/lbs with an allen socket.

#13

It took me 25 minutes to take 4 studs out from a hub that I replaced.

That’s with heating and using a breaker bar and a BFH. It really wasn’t worth the effort the save those 4 studs.

Just red loctite to 16 ft-lbs and letting it rest over night.

#14

I’ve used red loctite without a problem. I let them set in overnight before torquing on the wheels/lugs. When I changed wheel bearings I tried to salvage a few but it was pointless, just replaced them.

I doubt a brush will remove red loctite from threads, just run a tap down in there to clear them. You could die the studs or replace them if the allen head is rounding.

#15

A stud remover will help get them out - and not score the treads beyond the usable point.
Ed

#16

got a link for one of those?

#17

allenr wrote:

#18

I couldn’t beat this problem so I just bought some new studs from Vorshlag. I noted that their website says to use anti-seize on lug nuts. I hadn’t heard that before. You guys use anti-seize on lug nuts?

The studs that are coming out are doing so because the darn lug nuts are, well, SEIZED. There may be something to this anti-seize business.

#19

A bit of anti-seize goes a long way towards preventing galling of the lug nut threads and the nut seizing to the stud. You can also use a touch of oil, but anti-seize compound lasts longer.

#20

From what I’ve read, anti-seize will change the coefficient of friction between the nut and the stud, so if you anti-seize you should lower what you torque the lugs to. This makes sense to me, and I have no idea how much lower the torque should be … so I don’t anti-seize. I think I’ve had 2 studs back out with the nut this year, both after the car sat for ~2 months. I typically rotate tires day on day at the track to even out tire wear, which I think helps to limit the amount of time the stud and nut have to bond. I always carry a set of 8-10 spare studs and nuts with me, just in case.