Wheel Studs
 

Broke a set last year on starting line and missed the Xmas Tree.

Been seeing others lose a wheel from broken Studs.
How often are they replaced?
Is there any special tightening process?
I torque mine to 110 lbs on Aluminum wheels.

Are Moser and ARP the same quality?

D

Re: Wheel Studs
 

You should not be breaking studs on a car with the HP level that you have. I have never broken a stud on my super stock car even when I was running 1/2 inch studs. Check to see that the back of your wheels are flat and make full contact with the axle face. If the wheels are concave or hollow on the back then you will have problems with the studs. What size studs are you using? I always torqued my 1/2 inch studs to 75 ft lbs. You might be over torqueing yours. I had Moroso studs in my axles.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Agree. My 1/2 rears get 85 lb/ft, and the 7/16 fronts get 65.

I do 110 or 115 on my dragster with 5/8 studs.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

(Edited)
Using Moser Studs on Moser Axles.
Never had an issue with Breaking Studs before my incident.
Even replaced a pair of Moser Axles.

Our Impala's weigh 4000+ Lbs.
My car on good days cut 1.61 60ft times.

Changed my burn out process.
Once the tires are warm will walk out instead of powering out of the box.

110Lb torque should work for Aluminum wheels

D

Re: Wheel Studs
 

I did buy a complete Moser rear end from a guy recently, and he specifically noted to me the the original Moser studs were junk and he had replaced with ARP.

But I reiterate without knowing your wheel manufacturer that 110 is more than Weld recommends for 1/2" studs.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Put big studs in and forget about it!

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Make sure that the lug nut shank isn't too long and bottoming out. Everything I've had has the shank about 1/8" shorter than the wheel center is thick. Gotta be careful with press-in studs that may have a slight "shoulder" sticking out.

Lug nut shank diameters can also vary. It surprised me when doing some searches on Summit's site. A little too small can be just enough to pound the stud to the breaking point.

Make sure the holes in your wheels aren't worn or ovaled.

I've been using 1/2" Moser studs on my CM for 18+ years without breakage. Axles assemblies were changed twice over the years and were still good. Just upgraded to lighter axles. The original axles I had didn't have the Moser decal, but had M/E welded into the register.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Dan… Are you using Wheel Spacers? MB

Re: Wheel Studs
 

No....spacers!.

This year seen a few cars at various drag strips loose wheels.
Bit more than years before.

Moser Studs my car uses are supposedly made from high grade steel.
Figured 110Lb was ok.. was using 85# when they broke.
Some performance wheels are tightened to 110.

I had never broken any in 40 years of racing until last year.
Now more cautious checking the Lug Nuts before each race.

D

Re: Wheel Studs
 

After re installing wheels I re torque after the first run. Usually find a few that need to
be re torqued.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Never more than 90# with aluminum wheels! Never less than 75#. 110 is too much stress on the studs. Jim


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Re: Wheel Studs
 

I think its possible to over torque wheels that have an inner spacer. After they have been over torqued they begin to rattle when off the car or when being rotated or even rotate where the universal bolt pattern will not align up then if the shank or shoulder does not protrude thru the wheel and the inner spacer has been crushed due to over torqueing when it gets torqued then the nut bottoms out on the shoulder and it may be a little loose allowing it to snap them off ! I like mine torqued at 85ft.lbs for the rear and 65ft.lbs on the fronts also helps keep the rotors from warping from over doing it

Re: Wheel Studs
 

https://www.weldwheels.com/wp-conten...ifications.pdf
https://arpinstructions.com/generaltorque.html
ARP says 125 ft. lbs. Weld says 85-95 ft. lbs.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

First you have to find out if they're braking or shearing off. The clamping effect between wheel and axel flange has more to do with the wheel staying on. If it slips, gone. A 6D common nail has about a 2000 lb shear force, I would think the 1/2 stud would be stronger.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Thought that Moser Studs were higher quality than Stock Studs.
Hence tightening to 110# for better clamping force.
Plus advice from another racer that did the same.

When the left wheel came off the Studs were supposed to be at 85#.
From Coleydogs post....Breaking or Shearing?
They look like they broke, one had fallen out without me knowing it.
Plus did not check them in a couple months, which I do now often !!!!!!!
So that would indicate they were loose. Correct?

Bought new Studs and Axles from Moser as the Splines were even bent.

Adding one more experience.
After installing the new axles and studs they were Clamped to 85#.
At the track checked them and they were loose and reset them to 85#.

Made a few Q runs and they were loose again.
This time clamped them to 110#.
Checked after the race they were at 110#

This last week pulled all the wheels off and examined the.
Discovered some of the Steel Washers were deformed.
Cleaned the surface of the holes in the wheels and replaced all the Washers and few Lug Nuts.
Never had Steel Washers deform like these did.

Going to contact ARP to learn what Steel Washers they have.
Think I need a better quality.

Are Studs from ARP, Moser and others are made by different Manufacturers?

Dan

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Not that it applies in this case but I'm just saying that over my years of working drag racing I have found that when I've been called to the starting line to look at broken wheel studs, a lot of times there is a wheel spacer involved.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Dan , what size wheel studs are you using , are they pressed in or threaded in the axle flange ? It is interesting that you had them loosen up , sounds like something was not seated properly .


I have always used Mark Williams 5/8" drive studs , which has an 11/16" shank which fits snuggly into the lug holes in my Weld Wheels . Never have had a problem with that setup . If you buy new axles , I would recommend switching to that setup .

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Thanks
YEAH agree about the seating.
When the new ones were pressed in they appeared well seated.

At the track checked them with a torque wrench to 85#.
The torque wrenched clicked but did not feel seated the Lug Nut kept moving.

So tightened to 110# where the Lug Nut stopped moving.
Loosened and retightened, it likes 110#.

Dan

D

Re: Wheel Studs
 

https://i.imgur.com/xi93WCy.jpg

3880 lbs. 60 foots 1.30s, best of 1.28. Moser axles and 1/2" studs, torqued to 100 lbs. never broke a stud, thousands of passes and still in service.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

check your torque wrench better yet use another one to compare to yours ---somethings not right---We tighten/torque our Weld Aluma Star wheels on a Comp Eliminator dragster to 50 pounds check em after every pass never had one loosen up so far

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Dan, what rear wheels are you using? -Al

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Centerlines !

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Take a look at the back side of the wheel where it mates up to the axle flange. The back of the wheel must be perfectly flat where it mates to the axle flange. My buddy had a set of centerline wheels and the backs were not flat. They had a concave area near the stud holes and he could not keep the lug nuts from coming loose and breaking the studs. He finally had to change the wheels and junk the centerlines. After that no problems with the studs breaking or the lugs loosening up.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Thanks Mike;
Did that, took a straight edge and they are flat.

FWIW been drag racing for a long time.
Blew up engines and transmissions.
Stuff happens and hope nobody has the surprise of losing a wheel.

All the advice here is good!
When racing any vehicle got to pay attention to everything.

Looking at ARP again for Studs.
When I freshened the Heads used ARP Head and Header Bolts.

D

Re: Wheel Studs
 

this may sound stupid but are you using the "correct" lug nuts both either in thread pitch not METRIC on an SAE thread or vice versa as well as the style of nut for that wheel--- IE: cone ,shank etc.?? Weld/Centerline says 85 pounds for most of their wheels with 1/2 inch studs so something is not correct in the application here.Also I would get another torque wrench to tighten them then double check the torque with your wrench see if it clicks at the same rate---FED 387

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Do you have the correct lug nuts? If the taper is not right, the lug nut won't seat right.
Do all the lugs loosen up if 85# is used?

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Here is a good one: LOL ~!

https://www.facebook.com/OldRustyCar...E0MjMzMDQ4NjY/

Re: Wheel Studs
 

They do now !
In fact replaced all the Washers.
Some were deformed.

The new Studs were tightened until they felt snug and seated.
The rears are now at 110# and fronts back at 85#

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Now that's funny. Almost looks like it was probably planned

Re: Wheel Studs
 

I had 4 of the 5 1/2" wheel studs shear on my car in 2007 just after painting it. The problem was the lug nut shank did not engage far enough into the spacer. Even if you are not running spacers, if it is a shouldered lug nut the stud may be allowed to flex and shear. I installed 5/8" screw in wheel studs and never had another problem with wheel studs.

Are you sure the lug nut is not grabbing the wheel and that is the false torque reading? Do the lug nuts drag of hang up when threaded onto the stud with no wheel the full thread length? I also use a dab of anti seize on the wheel studs.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Problem with that is stock wheels no longer can be mounted.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Sometimes!
I can still mount my stock SS wheels with the extended Wheel Studs.

As for new studs.
Mine would not stay at 85# after installing them.
Re-Torqued them to 110# until the Torque Wrench indicated they were tight.

Today taking previous advice mounted new M/T Front Runners and Slicks.
Torqued rears to 100# and fronts to #85#.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

My bad, I thought it was a problem on a race car.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

You correct! It was the 95 Impala SS.
Just can mount the Stock SS wheels and tires even with Long Studs to store the car over the winter.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Maybe Larry is talking about bigger diameter studs.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Yup missed that..
To do that would have to Machine the Wheels for Larger Studs.
Going to a stronger higher strength Stud should be enough!

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Which would be the logical thing to do.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

I have Moser Wheel Studs!
That good enough?
D

Re: Wheel Studs
 

I really think something is not right with the wheel vs the lug nut perhaps. So what if the shank was too long and bottoming on the stud ever so slightly? The result would be a wheel that was not being clamped as tightly as you think. It could allow the wheel to work on the studs and eventually break them. Maybe this came up before. You could face the shank on the lug nuts to shorten them up a touch if they were close.

Re: Wheel Studs
 

Had to do that with some lugs that bottomed out on the hub and brake drum Jim. Measured the wheel thickness and a shop with a coolant cutting wheel shortened them for me. Big diameter studs were not an option because they would have limited the wheels we could throw on the car.

Seems something here is preventing the wheel from being clamped tight.