Broken Front Wheel Studs

[Shadylane]

Originally Posted by Kirk Morgan

Iam wondering if the inner diameter of the wheel is interfering with the outer diameter of the hub causing a wedge effect.Can you unscrew the broken studs out of the nuts without much effort? If they wont i would think there is some kind of a wedge affect going on..

I had to remove the stud from the lug nut with vise grips. It wasn’t handy until it was half way out. Never thought about hub interference with the wheel.

My torque wrench is within 4 pounds of my friends new Snap On wrench. I guess I could lower the torque number a bunch.

[RJ Sledge]

What’s your BC measurement on the hub and what is it on the wheel.
Early Ford Mustang Fairlane maverick pinto was 4x4.5” and later fairmont models were 4x108mm (around 4x 4.25”).
Make sure you are using the correct BC on wheel and hub.
Studs have fatigue from a register that’s too loose and allowing it to flex.

The pics of your hub stud hole look rough, was it an original Aero Space hub or modified for a different BC?
Not knocking your equipment.....just imo lol.

Good luck

RJ

[CMcAllister]

Plenty of cars out there with Weld wheels and Aerospace brakes, and aren't spitting lug nuts out on the floor. Fit shouldn't be an issue unless parts are made wrong. And unlike axles, front hubs that have the rotors bolted to them don't have a register to center the wheel. Instead they rely on the nuts.

One problem I had with screw in studs in an aluminum hub is the stud backing out of the hub as the nut is torqued. Studs should be torqued into the hub to manufacture's spec (Strange says 65 lb.ft.). I use red lock tight as well. Even doing that they would want to turn. I had to use a socket or tool to hold the head of the stud on the back of the hub while torquing the nut to prevent it.

As has been recommended, I would replace the studs with good USA parts. While talking about length Strange does in fact offer 2 1/2" studs.

[Alan Nyhus]

Check the hub fit to the wheel center. In the pic of your hub, the inner edge where it transitions to the flat hub looks pretty shiny...like maybe the wheel isn't coming up flat to the flat of the hub.

[pmrphil]

If the broken stud wasn't free in the lug nut that tells me that the stud was stretching, and staying stretched, past it's strength limits. Better quality studs should help.

[Larry Hill]

From the picture of the hub and the wheel it looks like it has two different bolt circles. It look like you are using the smallest of the two on the hub. Have you tested the wheel to the larger bolt circle. When we used Aerospace brakes the radius on the back side would not let the shoulder of the bolt seat completely. We had to take a .020” cut to fix and still had to observe radius. Good luck.

[Signman]

Just as a long shot

Do you cross tie downs when towing. Am pretty convinced those that tie down straight front and back not crossed allow a lot of side to side movement while towing which causes most of the wheel cracking.
It's a stretch but this would also put some stress on the lug studs.

[John Dinkel]

Were the wheel studs made in China?

[Shadylane]

I checked the hub size compared to the wheel size, there is a difference however the wheel has a small step on the inside to accommodate the hub (see picture). I removed the hub and bolted it to the wheel it fits just fine, no binding or tight spots.
Original un-modified Aerospace hub. I purchased them new.

Studs are Moser's not sure where they are made. I have ordered a set of Mark Williams which are manufactured by ARP. I always lock tight the studs on the hub as they are a true screw in stud without a head.

I do cross my tie downs on the rear but not the front, didn't consider that might be too much side load.

I made sure the small bolt pattern on the wheels matched the small bolt pattern on the hub. Fit is good putting the wheel on the hub.

The first 18 months I raced the car there were no issues, then boom.

Lot's of good ideas from you guys, I'll keep looking.
Thanks