Wheel Stud Snap
Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Westlake La.
Wheel Stud Snap
My baby Crystal Red 2009 C6 Coupe Z51.
At 18,600 mile replaced wheels and tires.
I hand touque every wheel to factury spec.
Last week after 11,000 miles, I spotted a missing nut.
After a closer inspection found the lug had snap off.
My questions, is how common is this?
It makes me want to trade her off for Grand Sport.
At 18,600 mile replaced wheels and tires.
I hand touque every wheel to factury spec.
Last week after 11,000 miles, I spotted a missing nut.
After a closer inspection found the lug had snap off.
My questions, is how common is this?
It makes me want to trade her off for Grand Sport.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,352
Likes: 568
From: Ventura County, Calif
My questions, is how common is this?
It makes me want to trade her off for Grand Sport.
If you're looking at this as a reason to trade, just do it. GS has the same kind of studs. Be sure to post pics of the new GS. 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,840
Likes: 65
From: Tree City
Awwwww!! As a retired steelworker, I can tell you that it isn't all that uncommon for something like this to happen. There could have been a minute crack or bubble in the stud that was never seen by anyone and the strain made it break. Let it go and enjoy your car. Good luck.....
CF Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,313
Likes: 25
From: Tucson Arizona
I've snapped a stud before but it was my own fault. If all the lug nuts were torqued properly (albeit 11,000 miles ago) it's extremely rare that one stud would break. I wouldn't consider it cause to trade-in the car. FWIW the OEM C6 studs are pretty easy to install.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 21,502
Likes: 461
From: Southern Utah
Very easy to replace and as stated above, is easy to understand if you understand the way metal displays its properties. Not common on cars, but certainly nothing to worry about. Your car and the GS would have the same parts (either axle shaft in the rear or hub in the front), so if you want to trade for a new GS, go for it, but you can't use this as a reason...
Remember that these studs are not used on aircraft or the space shuttle, so they are rolled on a machine and tossed in a bin...they are not x-rayed for flaws. Even if one has a flaw, there are four more there to hold the wheel on, so they are just not that crucial. For $3, you can get a replacement from the Dorman drawers at any auto parts store.
Remember that these studs are not used on aircraft or the space shuttle, so they are rolled on a machine and tossed in a bin...they are not x-rayed for flaws. Even if one has a flaw, there are four more there to hold the wheel on, so they are just not that crucial. For $3, you can get a replacement from the Dorman drawers at any auto parts store.
Last edited by cclive; Feb 2, 2012 at 12:47 PM.
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 11,118
Likes: 1,890
From: Missouri City, TX
This is not a common failure that I have ever seen unless grossly over-torqued. It certainly is possible to have a defective wheel stud installed at the factory but I believe it to be uncommon.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,110
Likes: 25
From: Alexandria Louisiana
My baby Crystal Red 2009 C6 Coupe Z51.
At 18,600 mile replaced wheels and tires.
I hand touque every wheel to factury spec.
Last week after 11,000 miles, I spotted a missing nut.
After a closer inspection found the lug had snap off.
My questions, is how common is this?
It makes me want to trade her off for Grand Sport.
At 18,600 mile replaced wheels and tires.
I hand touque every wheel to factury spec.
Last week after 11,000 miles, I spotted a missing nut.
After a closer inspection found the lug had snap off.
My questions, is how common is this?
It makes me want to trade her off for Grand Sport.
I love my 08 coupe
I think you might have drank the kool-aid. Must be a GS in you future
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,504
Likes: 2
From: Sacramento California
My baby Crystal Red 2009 C6 Coupe Z51.
At 18,600 mile replaced wheels and tires.
I hand touque every wheel to factury spec.
Last week after 11,000 miles, I spotted a missing nut.
After a closer inspection found the lug had snap off.
My questions, is how common is this?
It makes me want to trade her off for Grand Sport.
At 18,600 mile replaced wheels and tires.
I hand touque every wheel to factury spec.
Last week after 11,000 miles, I spotted a missing nut.
After a closer inspection found the lug had snap off.
My questions, is how common is this?
It makes me want to trade her off for Grand Sport.
Stud sheared off even with the wheel...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,038
Likes: 1
From: North York Ontario
It happend on my 07 on two different wheels same as you washing the car one day and noticed a lung missing I had to have them replace the all the studs on each of the two wheels.
I had HRE rims so i started worrying if it was them, never found the root cause but no repeat occurances since then.
I had HRE rims so i started worrying if it was them, never found the root cause but no repeat occurances since then.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 40,999
Likes: 9,764
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
When you replace the stud do an inspection of the hub where the wheel fits. On my 86 I had one stud that kept breaking on my left front wheel. The same location had 3 broken studs about 2 months apart. After checking things several times I realized there was a slight metal burr that was keeping the wheel from seating properly on the hub. I used a file to clean the burr off the hub and never broke the stud again.
Bill
Bill
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,116
Likes: 5
From: Livonia MI
Happens more than you'd think. I swap to track wheels several times a year on my Vette, and usually winter tires on my daily cars. More than once, during removal, lugs snapped off in my hand, barely using any torque. I always install my wheels to spec with a torque wrench, so don't know why, but happens.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,868
Likes: 294
From: West of Burlington, Ontario Canada
IF you greased the threads and nut (and you should never do so)! It will allow way too much torque on the stud and they WILL break. If you didn't grease them it could be just a flaw in the stud. Replace it and make sure the torque is correct and you shouldn't have any problems.
Jim
Jim
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 11,118
Likes: 1,890
From: Missouri City, TX
IF you greased the threads and nut (and you should never do so)! It will allow way too much torque on the stud and they WILL break. If you didn't grease them it could be just a flaw in the stud. Replace it and make sure the torque is correct and you shouldn't have any problems.
Jim
Jim
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,868
Likes: 294
From: West of Burlington, Ontario Canada
Negative! The torque value of a wheel stud is determined not only from the clamping force but also the friction created by the tapered part of the nut on the tapered part of the rim. Next time you're in the junk yard try a little experiment. Put some grease on a wheel nut and stud and start tightening. I'll bet the stud snaps off before you get the torque wrench to 50 lbs.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 21,502
Likes: 461
From: Southern Utah
Negative! The torque value of a wheel stud is determined not only from the clamping force but also the friction created by the tapered part of the nut on the tapered part of the rim. Next time you're in the junk yard try a little experiment. Put some grease on a wheel nut and stud and start tightening. I'll bet the stud snaps off before you get the torque wrench to 50 lbs.
