Wheels / Tires: Broken wheel bolt

[plee4139]

I've just been notified of an issue with my Sky Hawk by my shop, Chargem and Bleedem, that a wheel bolt is broken. I have been hearing a kind of scraping sound from that direction, and I need to know two things: 1: how dangerous is this condition and should I stop driving the car, and 2: what's involved with the repair or replacement? I breathlessly await your sage and Knowledgeable counsel.

[nvonada]

I have seen cars driving around with 2 lug nuts missing. I have also seen loose wheels bounding down the highway. I would consider this an urgent but not critical situation. I assume you have a broken stud. The fix is to press out the old stud and press in a new one. This is complicated a bit if you have tapered axles with the brake drums swaged on. Search the forums and you will find a lot of discussion about this.

Nathan

[rockne10]

The studs are readily available individually; and a shop other than Chargem & Bleedem should have no trouble doing the job.
I would have them check the wheel for possible damage; and perhaps the drum.

[52-fan]

Is the broken stud on the left side and do they know those are left hand thread? Was the stud broken before the car went in the shop? The noise needs to be investigated before driving very far. It is hard to give much advice about a sound without hearing it.

[jclary]

Is the broken stud on the left side and do they know those are left hand thread? Was the stud broken before the car went in the shop? The noise needs to be investigated before driving very far. It is hard to give much advice about a sound without hearing it.

That's a good point and I was thinking the same thing. One other possibility (I had it happen on my '48 champion) is a failed brake drum flange where cracks had formed at the stud splines and spider-webbed outward from the stud holes. When that happens, the flange of the brake drum will flex and create noise as it rotates. The problem is that the cracks are hard to see when the wheel is removed because the cracks are difficult to see. I found mine by putting a little pressure on the drum trying to check wheel bearing play with the wheel off the car. I suppose you could use magnaflux and expose any cracks, but I happened to notice the cracks in mine without having to do that.

[rockne10]

Is the broken stud on the left side and do they know those are left hand thread?

Good point!
As the old saying goes; on the left side, lefty tighty, righty loosey.

Many right threaded studs are not stamped on the end; but I believe all left threaded studs are.
Many people, even six or seven decades ago, were not aware of the right and left variation.
Big trucks STILL use left threads on the left studs.

[Metman]

Makes one wonder, as 52-fan was asking... Did the broken stud occur at the shop, where they may have been blasting the left handed thread with an impact wrench trying to get it off (actually tightening) and sheared it?
In any case, needs to be fixed.

[Jeffry Cassel]

Don't trust tire shops and mechanics! Years ago we went on a family vacation in our Ford CV wagon. Had local tire guy rotate and balance the wheels. It shook all the way to Alabama. My father in law knew a good guy out in the boonies. He found 2 or 3 broken bolts on every wheel and the remaining ones tightened to over 200 ft lbs! Used his entire supply of lug bolts to replace them all. The local guy could have killed us! (and the wheels weren't balanced correctly either.) Very common to have some born yesterday dropout doper try to remove left hand lug nuts by turning them ccw. That is why they are stamped 'L'

[stradvonzarovich]

Does anyone know of a mechanic that can repair a broken lug stud? This is for a 1941 Champion. I watched a video on youtube where this machinist drills out the swedging & then puts this custom jig under the hub & drum to prevent it from being crushed as he pushes the lug stud out with a press. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated...

[mbstude]

Does anyone know of a mechanic that can repair a broken lug stud? This is for a 1941 Champion. I watched a video on youtube where this machinist drills out the swedging & then puts this custom jig under the hub & drum to prevent it from being crushed as he pushes the lug stud out with a press. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated...

A ‘41 model doesn’t have swedged lug studs. They’re a press fit.

Just be sure to support the drum / hub in a way so that nothing gets distorted when the studs are pressed in and out.

[Greenstude]

If there is one broken stud, check the rest for cracks, and replace any that have them.. When in doubt, replace. A hub or brake drum which is cracked must be replaced, preferably before the car is driven again.

[nvonada]

A ‘41 model doesn’t have swedged lug studs. They’re a press fit.

That is really good news. Are you sure about that? I have a couple mildly boogered studs I would really like to replace and I have been dreading it.

Nathan

[JoeHall]

If there is one broken stud, check the rest for cracks, and replace any that have them.. When in doubt, replace. A hub or brake drum which is cracked must be replaced, preferably before the car is driven again.

Agree, the shop idiot who ruined the one stud may well have damaged the others also.

[PackardV8]

A ‘41 model doesn’t have swedged lug studs. They’re a press fit.

That is really good news. Are you sure about that? I have a couple mildly boogered studs I would really like to replace and I have been dreading it. Nathan

Take nothing for granted on an eighty-year-old Studebaker. Have someone who knows confirm yours are original. I can't count the "bitsa" cars and engines I've seen with the most unlikely amalgam of parts all flying in loose formation.

jack vines

[Corbinstein0]

so it's worth asking the question...... Which wheel? Driver's side, Passenger, Front Or Rear?
this will change the dynamic of the thread some.....

ie, most Driver's side will be left hand thread and rears require removal of the drum with a special puller just to get at it.