Stripped a Stud -- Safe to Drive?

[extrashaky]

I once raced at 300 mph with zip ties in place of lug nuts. You'll be fine.

[i heart ricers]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

I once raced at 300 mph with zip ties in place of lug nuts. You'll be fine.

#driftlyfe

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by i heart ricers

why dont ppl do things themselves anymore???

pay a dealer for a new stud! ouch!

To be fair, it's an annoying job and 99% of owners aren't capable of DIY-ing it. Whether it be lack of experience, tools, space to work, or sheer incompetence.

But yeah, can be done in any garage with hand tools and patience, which the OP seems to have at least a scrap of.

To the OP, I stripped two studs at 3 years of ownership, there's a rumor that the studs are only good for about ~80 wheel changes. IMO keep your threads clean and don't let the wheel drag along the threads, I think that's what killed mine, laziness... and 2+ wheel changes per month for about 2 years.

Edit: And I concur, 4 lugs won't ruin the car, drove about 50 miles each time I stripped one.

[cdq85]

I rode around for like 3 months on 4 studs before i traded mine in. I actually forgot about it and drove normally like an asshole the whole time and all was good.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

I once raced at 300 mph with zip ties in place of lug nuts. You'll be fine.

Up hill, both ways!

[extrashaky]

I once drove the Dustball Rally in a 1967 MG Midget with my navigator hanging over the back of the car holding the rim in place with a wire wheel wrench. You'll be fine.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

I once drove the Dustball Rally in a 1967 MG Midget with my navigator hanging over the back of the car holding the rim in place with a wire wheel wrench. You'll be fine.

Ahhh so that was you!

[VIP BRZ]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Up hill, both ways!

Through 3 feet of snow?

[venturaII]

My Renault LeCar only had 3 studs to begin with...well, bolts...

[geezerbrzeezer]

Originally Posted by carczar87

Hey all--

Kind of embarrassed here, but when I was changing from my summer wheels/tires to my winter wheels/tires this weekend, I managed to strip one of the studs on the rear passenger's side wheel in removing the lug nut.

I'm planning on taking it to my local Subaru dealer to have them replace the stud. My question for the forum is: Is it safe to drive the car to the dealer with 4 out of 5 lug nuts on the rear right wheel? It's about a 4 mile drive on local roads, no faster than 40 MPH. Obviously I'd like to avoid getting it towed but if that's the only safe course of action, then that's what I'll do.

Okay, you stripped a stud. Get over it. You're exploring your sexuality - nothing wrong with that.

In all seriousness though, who last put the wheels on prior to your swap to winters? I always request that the dealer hand torque the lug nuts. My thinking is that you're not at fault if you were not the person who installed your wheels last rotation/brake service, etc.

Please let us know.

[i heart ricers]

Originally Posted by geezerbrzeezer

Okay, you stripped a stud. Get over it. You're exploring your sexuality - nothing wrong with that.

In all seriousness though, who last put the wheels on prior to your swap to winters? I always request that the dealer hand torque the lug nuts. My thinking is that you're not at fault if you were not the person who installed your wheels last rotation/brake service, etc.

Please let us know.

why is the dealer putting your winter wheels on

jesus!

do you guys even own tools?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by i heart ricers

why is the dealer putting your winter wheels on

jesus!

do you guys even own tools?

Again. I could put my own on but I simply don't want to! My tire shop stores mine and for $30 a year I can just pull in and have a quick coffee and doughnut while they take about 10 minutes to swap them out. Why the hell would I want to mess around with a jack in my open driveway for an hour just to change some wheels? Time for me is precious but money I have loads of.
There are also people that live in apartments where it just is not practical to work on their own cars especially something such as changing wheels. There is nothing wrong with people having others work on their cars if that is what they want.

[MuseChaser]

I go to the dealership to have my oil checked, my washer fluid refilled, my seats adjusted, and my windows rolled down the correct amount for best airflow when it gets warm but not quite warm enough for air conditioning. They do great work, their washer fluid performs so much better than aftermarket fluid, they get the seats just right, and it's worth the 85 mile drive. I love how they overfill the oil just the right amount.

On more serious notes, I totally get paying the dealership at this point in my life. I was raised to never pay someone to do something you can do (or can learn to do) yourself. Depression-era parents who always lived frugally no matter how well they were doing financially at different times in their lives. Once you live that way, there's almost no shaking it, and I still have a hard time laying down long green for anything. I'm in the second half of my 50s now, and have spent most of my working life "socking it away" when possible. I've got to admit, I'm definitely starting to see the huge plus sides in paying folks to do things I hate doing. My garage floor is disgusting due to the way the garage collects rainwater and mud 'cause it's downhill; I keep it as clean as I can, but no matter what it's gross. Lying on my back in mud on a cold cement floor underneath an old rusty car has lost its charm to me. Stuff I can do next to or above the car, great.. and I've got a fairly well equipped garage. If I've gotta put it up on jack stands and take the Position Of A Thousand Tortures, well... I start weighing my options these days. I don't put down ANYONE for where they fall on the DIY <------> PSE (Pay Someone Else) spectrum.

Stripped studs - both of my Volvo 240s suffered from PlayDoh studs. On one of them, I replaced all the studs on the front hubs, which required removing the "tone ring" (like a flimsy tooth gear that was read by the ABS sensor.. fragile, rusted on, and a real PITA). Not enjoyable in the least. The other one had two bad studs on one rear wheel and one on the other. Drove it that way for a loooong time. On the other hand, the 240 is not exactly a speedster, nor does it beg to be driven aggressively.

Yes, get your stud fixed. Don't feel bad about paying someone to do it, unless you're interested in wrenching; if you are, go for it. It's not an impossible job in the slightest.

Best,

Barry

[Summerwolf]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Again. I could put my own on but I simply don't want to! My tire shop stores mine and for $30 a year I can just pull in and have a quick coffee and doughnut while they take about 10 minutes to swap them out. .

This is a service I have never heard of. Really small local shop? That is a pretty cool convenience for a winter tire setup. Not sure if I'd do it with nicer wheels but stocks and a winter setup? Sure.