Lugnuts rusting and falling apart?
 

I've had two or three lug nuts completely rust and break apart. Today I took my car in to get a tire rotation and one of them broke in a weird way (not rust, just the metal broke on top) to where they can't even take it off. What is going on? The thing lives in a garage!

Also, how the hell are they going to get this off?

In a sense you are lucky - if you can get the other 4 off (or break them in a similar way) you can get the wheel off and tap out what's left of the stud. Replace with a new stud and you are ready to roll again.

Chances are during the previous tire rotation the lug nut was cross-threaded.

None of your studs would have broke from the little surface rust they may have had. They would not rust through short of several decades parked in a field and even then they would seize before breaking.
The most common reason to break lugs is to over torque them or side load when removing the nuts.
That break looks like side loading (uneven pressure on the wrench).

Hmm. So I should have pointed the finger back at discount tire since they are the only ones who have touched the tires since I got it in 2013. Sigh. Ok, off to be mean to someone.

Appears to be a whole lot of uga duga's going on there. I'd be willing to bet those wheels get put on with an impact, probably never seen a torque wrench.

the lugs just sometimes break on these cars.

i've been the only one that's ever done anything with the wheels on my car. i've never used an impact. always a 4-cross wrench, by hand.

i've broken 3 lug studs. fortunately, all in the front, where they're somewhat easy to change.

the lugs just sometimes break on these cars.

i've been the only one that's ever done anything with the wheels on my car. i've never used an impact. always a 4-cross wrench, by hand.

i've broken 3 lug studs. fortunately, all in the front, where they're somewhat easy to change.

I'd like to think I'm the only one touching my wheels but during state inspection every year they pull the wheels. I guess they can't see the pads :sigh: Do they not do that where you are?

The wheels on my 14 were changed twice a year. They hand started every time, used an impact to snug and then finished with a torque wrench. Nothing broke ever. And those are lugs that saw the most possible extreme weather you can get.
The 4 cross wrench is horrible for breaking studs. The leverage created by having the cross bar so far from the nut give so much side shear pressure that no matter how careful you are you can snap a stud in a heartbeat. I pitched my cross wrench in the scrap pile in about 1975 and switched to a Johnson bar with a long socket. Never broke a stud again.

Most probably over torqued. I did a lot of wheel changes on the factory studs on my 2013 while using a torque wrench and never had one break. I also used anti-seize lube on my studs. Lots of debate can be had on if you need anti-seize, but it worked for me.

do you have a link to something similar?

i've got a big impact i use for work, was just trying to avoid excessive force by using the 4-cross. not opposed to doing things differently though. i hate having to change studs.

it's just weird to me though. this is the only vehicle i've ever broken studs on, used the same technique on my ford, mitsubishi, and chrysler of the past. well, the chrysler had an issue with seized lug nuts, but that was specifically because i was a dummy that changed the stock lugs for fancy colored aluminum anodized versions, and then subjected dissimilar metals to salt...

Still never broken one (knocking on wood as I type this). Same method is used still, hand started then impact to when they catch, and torque wrench to finish them off. I carry three spares in my track tool box for emergencies, but so far have not needed them for my own car.

Just your standard 1/2 inch breaker bar. I should have avoided the old and possibly Canadian term.

The 4 cross was needed back in the day when wheels were often set several inches back into the fender and the reach was a necessary evil.

And you have probably had the wheels off and on it way more than I ever did. It is fun seeing that a car that had high mileage, all season, DD use and then modified street and track use is actually still holding up so well and has had few of the “common” issues people talk about.


Ya there is nothing at all wrong with using an impact as long as the nut is not even slightly cross threaded (which is almost guaranteed to happen when people slap the nut in the socket and go to town) or they run it up to full speed until it is forced to stop.