Wheel stud failure

[DadsHemi]

This just happened to my Daughter and son in law pulling their 38’ Heartland from Utah to Illinois. Lugs were under torque.

[Texan]

I carry a cordless impact more for removing the lug nuts than putting them on. When installing the lug nuts i don't hammer the impact wrench but just run the lug nuts up then just bump the trigger to get maybe 40 or 50 pounds at best then use my torque wrench to torque each wheel to 90 pounds then retorque to 130 pounds. I have the 9/16'' studs. After about 50 miles i retorque the wheels then after about another 50 or 75 miles i retorque again. I was raised up without a torque or impact tool but they are great if you know how to use them. If you are torqueing your own wheels then buy you a good quality torque wrench. I bought a cheap one a few years ago and the quality was just as cheap as the tool itself. There a lot of us with these rv's that are getting up in age and the right tools along with the 6 pt. leveling has made our job a whole lot easier especially with these heavy tires and wheels.

[Montana Man]

Originally Posted by dfryk

Thanks for all the comments. I appreciate them.

To respond to a couple of things:

The lug nuts were finished with a torque wrench. We have alloy wheels. I inspected them and there was none of the wear that would be associated with nuts coming loose and the wheel beginning to wobble.

I'm still puzzled. I think I will replace the studs on all four wheels and hope this was an anomaly.

How was that inspection conducted? And how often over 3 years?

[psomers]

If the wheel is found you should be able to see what problem was. Under torqued the lug holes should be wallowed out and a wheel replacement is necessary. Over torqued wheel is not wallowed out and wheel is re-usable.

[timandsusan]

X2 Texan! Cheap is not the way to go on torque wrench.

[jsb5717]

I've got an inexpensive torque wrench that I've used for a couple seasons for my wheel lugs and Andersen Hitch. Has it been accurate? Who knows...

A quick search for torque wrenches will render a plethora of options and price ranges. Higher cost doesn't guarantee higher quality. So how do you select one that will perform as expected? Many on Amazon, for instance, have good ratings in all price ranges.

[Dave W]

For a decent torque wrench, a beam style works just fine for wheel torque and is a lot less expensive and will easily maintain reasonable accuracy while a dial is often questionable and a 'clicker' may be as well. While I have several, carry the ancient PA Sturdevant beam but use the high buck clcker at home.


Cheap, foreign, Far East made junk is ... still junk (yes, there are some that are OK but they are also b$$)

[PSFORD99]

Originally Posted by Dave W

For a decent torque wrench, a beam style works just fine for wheel torque and is a lot less expensive and will easily maintain reasonable accuracy while a dial is often questionable and a 'clicker' may be as well. While I have several, carry the ancient PA Sturdevant beam but use the high buck clcker at home.


Cheap, foreign, Far East made junk is ... still junk (yes, there are some that are OK but they are also b$$)

There is only one way to know if a torque wrench is accurate ,and that is have it calibrated , we had to recalibrate out torque wrenches every six months. Also it depends on how well they stay calibrated is how you take care of them. One is to always back them off to 0.

[PSFORD99]

Originally Posted by jsb5717

I've got an inexpensive torque wrench that I've used for a couple seasons for my wheel lugs and Andersen Hitch. Has it been accurate? Who knows...

A quick search for torque wrenches will render a plethora of options and price ranges. Higher cost doesn't guarantee higher quality. So how do you select one that will perform as expected? Many on Amazon, for instance, have good ratings in all price ranges.

To be honest how far off can any torque wrench be , does anyone here know, without having it calibrated .

[prndl]

Look at this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQzABbhwlDM

Great analysis of the remaining pieces to tell what happened.
It would take a lot more torque that you think to break a bolt.

[bcrvman]

Originally Posted by Slow Hand

To me 110 is some major torque. I don't think my wrench goes that high. You may have had a lose wheel. When was the last time you did a nut check? I check every trip. I only do mine at 80. I'm always afraid that I would strip out a nut. I have not had a lose wheel. and I know only time will tell. I would however check the rest of the studs and I would consider replacing them all.

Owners manual will tell you correct torque or any tire shop. 80 is low unless you tow a pop up, my truck is 165, my RV is 110-120 because it is 1/2" studs, 9/16 studs is 140-150.

[Ram Montana High Country]

I glanced at all of the replys - didn't see a mention of nose height. I read/heard that the higher the nose, the more weight is put on rear axle. You mentioned, different TV and the new was higher than old. Food for thought

[StageCoachDriver]

Probably torqued too tightly. Really sorry to read about your problem.

[craigb]

I lost a front street side wheel the same way. Not all of the lugs failed at the same time but enough that the rest couldn't hold.
BTW, I need a replacement wheel "Sendel T04 16 8 on 6.5 if anyone has one.

[ChuckS]

RV wheels... on fifth wheels are subject to side stress and such. The wheels are “lug centered”... not hub centered. Proper follow up with a torque wrench set to correct value depending on if those are 1/2 or 9/16 studs would most likely have prevented the lug bolts from being sheared off...

Once is 3 years with a torque wrench just isn’t gonna get it... YMMV

[StageCoachDriver]

I think one needs to be mechanically inclined to RV in any machine. One needs to perform preventative maintenance on a regular basis.

[chessera2527]

Originally Posted by dfryk

Thanks for all the comments. I appreciate them.

To respond to a couple of things:

The lug nuts were finished with a torque wrench. We have alloy wheels. I inspected them and there was none of the wear that would be associated with nuts coming loose and the wheel beginning to wobble.

I'm still puzzled. I think I will replace the studs on all four wheels and hope this was an anomaly.

Are you overloaded, i have never broken a stud in 30 years even after using a an impact, something way off here

[McRod]

Originally Posted by dfryk

We recently had all 8 wheel studs on the RR of our 2015 3160 sheer, releasing the wheel to do some significant body damage. Upon close inspection of the fracture lines, it was clear they all failed at the same time, or nearly the same time. All fractures looked clean. (The wheel was professionally installed three years ago and never removed since. Torqued to 110.)

I've never heard of this happening nor has our wheel/tire guy. Anyone else?

The only other thing that may enter into the question is that we recently purchased a new 4WD Ram pickup which is a good bit higher than our old 2WD Ram. This results in a SLIGHTLY higher front end than previously. The front is only about 2 inches higher than the back. I can't see how this small difference would cause the problem. I only mention it because it is the only change in setup.

Any sage wisdom out there?

Thanks.

Your lug nuts got loose. That's what causes your issue. The lugs didn't fail.

[whutfles]

And if you have a favorite torque wrench that you've had for a few years you may want to compare it to another wrench for the same torque. A few years ago I was preparing for a trip and rechecked the torque on my tow vehicle. I started with the left rear dual. The first nut kept tightening with no click. Finally the stud broke. The Dodge dealer replaced the stud. I had him check the torque on my wrench compared to his. He tightened a nut in a vice to 120 with mine and then checked it with his and his was over 200 lbs. So, they do wear out. Mine was a Craftsman.

[Denny and Angie Miller]

Originally Posted by Daryles

I had a car tire installed with the lug nuts cross threaded. Tires were replaced and installed at a tire shop. Some time much later got a flat and had to change that tire.
When I tried to take the wheel off the lug nuts snapped off one by one. Had it towed to that tire shop. They replaced the tire, lug nuts and the lug nut studs, no charge...
Yeah, they knew they messed up.
Had them pull all the wheels off and verified the others were good.

I ask the installer to not use an air wrench when reinstalling...They probably use one anyway. Since I'm in a small rural town I cant usually find the exact tire I want locally, so I end up buying tires online. If that's the case I load the old wheels and tires on my trailer along with the new ones and just deliver them to the installer to be mounted. A lot of trouble I know, but I'm anal about maintenance.