1/5 of my lug nuts broke off. Should only that one bolt get replaced, or all?
 

Went to a Subaru dealership yesterday to get something checked. I got home afterwards and wanted to check on my struts. So i have my stock wrench that came with my BRZ and am trying to take off one of the nuts and it's like at 1000lb because I could not get it to move! It's super tight and I end up breaking off the nut with part of the bolt inside. It's one of five and on the front passenger side.


I immediately called my service advisor and let him know about it and he said it'll get taken care of when I go back in a few days to finish up my other repairs (waiting on parts). I'm going to ask if they can replace it free of charge, which I think they should since the guys tightened it that tight.


My question is, is it necessary to have all the bolts on that tire replaced as well? Or only that one that broke off? I estimate to drive about 75 more miles until I go back to the dealership. I don't drive on highways, and fastest I go is around 60mph, but I could go less since I'm not even supposed to be going that fast in the city anyways.

Well now, btan219, first off, I'm surprised that you were able to break off a lug stud/nut with the OEM wrench.

The remaining four lug nuts should hold the wheel on for the trip back to the dealer, as long as you don't do any fancy driving.

I would have them remove ALL of the lug nuts on all the wheels, inspect the studs and re-torque them.

What a pain ......huh!


humfrz

Just replace that, but buy some more

Do you work on your car?
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...0&postcount=13

Did whatever you were getting checked require them to take the wheels off? Just wondering since it's kinda implied but not entirely clear in your first post that they did. Seems to me like the only things that could cause you to break a stud when loosening the lug would be if it was rusted in place (which it wouldn't be if the wheels had just been removed and reinstalled in this most recent dealership visit) or if it were cross-threaded when it was put on, which it could have been either at this most recent visit or, if the wheels didn't come off this time, whenever the wheels came off last. Seems more likely that the stud would have broken when they were tightening it down if it were cross-threaded, but anything is possible. Especially if the tech who did it got lazy and/or didn't want to admit their mistake.

The most common cause of broken studs is incorrectly applied wrench pressure. The lugs are very strong when pressure is applied straight though them. Just a bit of lateral pressure will snap a lug in a heartbeat. The nut and stud could have been installed 100% perfectly and be broken trying to remove it if done poorly. I cringe every single time I see somebody put a foot on a lug wrench to break it free. I know the go to thing is "the tech must have done something wrong" but sometimes we manage to screw up our own cars and blaming everybody else just isn't real.

I'm not.

Spoken from experience .......??

:eyebulge:


humfrz

Yes. Only took about 5 times before I realized I was the problem.

Lefty loosey ...rightsey... tightsey .......??????????

:iono:


humfrz

No, I knew that when I was 4.
Was more of a keep the lug wrench at a 90 degree angle to the lug issue.

Yea I can definitely see being frustrated with the weak ass emergency wrench. And then jumping on it with both feet from the roof of your car because it is torqued so tight. Don't ask me how I know :scared0016:

Funny enough that is part of the reason I started working on my own car, I tried to do a simple tire rotation with the supplied wrench and it was quite an ordeal.

Believe it or not I haven't broke or stripped any on my BRZ and done dozens of track days. But I'm switched to ARP studs now to accommodate my spacers and impact for nice and easy swaps at the track. Definitely recommended.

OK, so, you were a little late to wrenching ....... but, that's OK ..... :thumbsup:


humfrz

Sorry to hear about that. Leave the emergency wrench in the trunk and get one of these:

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-...bar-60819.html