Lucky me broke a rear wheel stud, found this thread searching... Sad that gm seems to have changed something on wheel studs. I was torquing mine to 90 ft lbs and not even close to 90 one snapped. Can see an inclusion in the broken stud and it's not stretched at all.
I decided to tackle it myself since a dealer would pin the blame on me anyways... Well now I sit here with a lower ball joint that won't pop loose for the world on a 1800 mile 1 month old 2015.
Tried the harbor freight puller but it is too small to slip around the ball joint boot without definitely cutting rubber.
Used a hammer on LCA with it supported on jack but didn't pop loose like my previous experiences. At this point I am really screwed, car isn't movable and I'm at my wits end...

 

Popcorn bump.

 

I've always just drilled the backing plate and knocked them out. Did many C5 and C6 rear studs this way and I believe it can be done the same way on the C7. No disassembly required.

 

Yeah, to me the upright casting looks like it eliminates that option on the C7. It looks tight enough I didn't want to go through the hassle of drilling a hole and not getting it done that way.

 

My experience with using the hammer method of breaking the ball joint loose was to not support the LCA. I put the jack under it but I left it about a 1/4 inch below it. I found I actually had to push down on the LCA to see if it came loose after a couple of whacks with the hammer.

Bill

 

Got it by modifying the harbor freight $20 separator by opening up the 3/4" slot to slip around our ball joint and then put upper jaw on ball joint stud. Couple hours later all done.
For anyone that stumbles on this thread in the future, I didn't touch the emergency brake system. The hub will slide out of the upright with that all intact.
Also by putting the stud in a freezer and a little heat on the hub the replacement was easy

Feels really good to have the car sitting on 4 tires again.
Something is up with these damn blue wheel studs....

 

I agree something is wrong with the blue studs. Does anyone know if the C6 stud will work?

 

Hopefully someone can find out the part number for an ARP stud that is a direct replacement. I'd like to do that to mine during the Winter.

 

I sent an email to Zip today asking this and they replied that ARP does not make a stock direct replacement.

 

Isn't the torque specs only 90ftlbs? Or was that the c6? I actually only do mine to 90 regardless.

I did have the spinning issue on 3 studs where it would not tighten past 80 however once I switched out the lugnuts, it went away and I was able to tighten to 90.

 

I don't think it's a lugnut issue .. I bet if you backed out the lugnut, waited an hour, and tried again they would torque down. I think something happens where they start to stretch. I had badly stretched lugs that still torqued to 100lbs but when you pulled the wheel off, they were severely stretched.

There is definitely something wrong with the lugs.

 

Torque value is 100 lb ft.

 

Bill

 

70 foot lbs. for 5 wheel lugs.

 

Bump. Is it settled than?
100 not 70?

 

It has never really been up for debate, as far as I know. It's 100 in the manual, 70 is way too low.

 

Don't believe me believe the studs they do the talking and quite snappy in fact lol.

Ever tried to remove a tire on the road and the wheel lugs were to tight for available tools?

 

70 may be the level for non GM cars with aluminum wheels but 100 is the number for all Corvettes since the C4s were introduced and for most other GM cars with aluminum wheels.

Bill

 

I've never had that problem

That said - I don't think many people are doing side-of-the-road tire changes on a Z06. My wheels are on and off a dozen times per year or more, so I don't worry about road grime "weld".

 

I don't suppose anyone has found a good OEM length replacement?

I started on this project tonight and got the first of the front OEM studs out no problem using Bill's technique. However, as also noted the ARP studs are longer and won't go back in unless I pull the hub.

While the front doesn't sound too bad it sounds like pulling the rear hub is a pain so I'm reconsidering my course of action. This seems like a piece of cake with stock length studs.