(Near) Catastrophic failure of H&R Spacer Studs. Causes?

[churchx]

If OEM rim had been 16", 17" winter tires cost more and often much harder to find in (advisable for winters) narrower widths .. but there should be many cheap enough and good enough cast wheels out there .. or even of higher end if one can consider used ones from classifieds, to not use steelies and/or spacers.

[rmr]

Originally Posted by 8RZ

I can't tell from the pic but are those lug nuts the "acorn" style? That's what is needed with those wheels.

They were the factory lugs used and have been used on these wheels for another season before with no problems. From what I've read the conical factory lugs work with these steel wheels, but perhaps the wheels are in such bad condition there is poor seating for the lugs anyway.

Originally Posted by guybo

Property torquing spacers is kind of a pain the tookus. Install spacers, torque; install wheels, torque. Drive 100 miles, remove wheels, retorque spacers; install wheels, torque. 100 miles, retorque wheels.

What I see above was someone being lazy and not properly torquing even once, let alone 5 times.

Yes, I mean the OP being the lazy one.

When the spacers were originally installed all of this was done (yes it was a PITA) but I had no problems with anything until the winters were put on. I think youre right though, if I wasn't lazy and had put the wheels on myself with a proper torque I think this could have been avoided one way or another

Originally Posted by Tcoat

DAMN I didn't catch that it was closed. That explains so much. I couldn't figure out how the wheel could be so rusted where the nut should have seated. They weren't seated since they bottomed out in the studs. Over torque against the closed end nut weakened the stud and then since the wheel wasn't tight a hard bump or a bit of shift in a turn sheared them right off.

They are the factory lugs but the way the 20mm spacers are set up is such that there is not a difference between the stud length with the spacers installed. The fronts use extended studs while the back use an adapter style where the spacer actually has its own studs pressed in and bolts to the factory studs.


As it stands right now all the spacers have been taken off the car. I'll be buying new studs for the rears all around and have gotten myself longer lugs (steel gorilla acorn style) with almost double the thread length as factory lugs just in case there was any bottoming out. Spacers will be uninstalled again next winter and I think I've got to replace those steel wheels they are definitely tired

Thanks for all the input guys

[Icecreamtruk]

Originally Posted by guybo

Property torquing spacers is kind of a pain the tookus. Install spacers, torque; install wheels, torque. Drive 100 miles, remove wheels, retorque spacers; install wheels, torque. 100 miles, retorque wheels.

What I see above was someone being lazy and not properly torquing even once, let alone 5 times.

Yes, I mean the OP being the lazy one.

You know, there was a time where I did this. Then after doing it for like 3-4 times, every single time the nuts on the spacer were always correctly torqued. After 100miles, in between track sessions, after swapping winter/summer wheels. Im pretty sure that properly torqued nuts dont just randomly fall off or become loose. Properly torqued means torque wrench, not impact gun.

Back on to OP, 100% convinced the seat of the nuts in your wheels is so corrupted the nut came loose and allowed all the charge to be placed on the stud, which you know, breaks them. I think this would've happened on the stock studs as well.

[rmr]

Originally Posted by Icecreamtruk

You know, there was a time where I did this. Then after doing it for like 3-4 times, every single time the nuts on the spacer were always correctly torqued. After 100miles, in between track sessions, after swapping winter/summer wheels. Im pretty sure that properly torqued nuts dont just randomly fall off or become loose. Properly torqued means torque wrench, not impact gun.

Back on to OP, 100% convinced the seat of the nuts in your wheels is so corrupted the nut came loose and allowed all the charge to be placed on the stud, which you know, breaks them. I think this would've happened on the stock studs as well.

This is what Im thinking as well. Perhaps between this and overtorquing with an impact gun by the shop, things went very wrong. I don't think its the spacers fault which is good.

I'm just thankful I noticed something driving two blocks to the store and not two days before on a major highway. Terrible to think what could have happened if a wheel decided to go on its own out on a highway.

Lesson learned. Thanks for the input guys.

[rmr]

As a followup to this thread, having decided I will replace all the studs on the spacer I've been thinking whether or not the integrity of the spacer itself has been compromised.

It probably took a lot of forces it wasn't designed to take having those studs/lugs shear right off. The spacer itself looks completely fine as do the holes for the lugs. I just wonder if its still safe to use it, if there is some defect that I cannot see?

If anybody has any ideas or experience with this it would be greatly appreciated.