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Lug Nuts and Studs

Stump Knocker

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Joined
Feb 7, 2010
Messages
92
Location
Deltona,Fl.
Occupation
Retired
Dodge Dakota P/U question.
Took truck in last week for service(77,000 MILES) and rotate the tires.
I was told I needed to replace all the studs and lug nuts.
I ask why and was told they are wore out.
Does using an impact wrench stress these parts?

STUMP KNOCKER
 

Catback

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Joined
Sep 17, 2013
Messages
110
Location
WI
Not unless your rims were removed thousands of times.

What will prematurely wear them is looseness (or worn lugnuts or heavy rust).

Why not post pics of what is worn?
 

kshansen

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Mar 11, 2012
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Central New York, USA
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Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Hard to beieve that with 77K the wheels have been off that many times. Unless you are rotating them at evey oil change. Even then that should not be a problem. Or are you running in salt water everyday?
 

FMD

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Jul 26, 2013
Messages
83
Location
somewhere
Dodge Dakota P/U question.
Took truck in last week for service(77,000 MILES) and rotate the tires.
I was told I needed to replace all the studs and lug nuts.
I ask why and was told they are wore out.
Does using an impact wrench stress these parts?

STUMP KNOCKER

An impact can cause damage to lug nuts. A Dodge should be around 100-135 ftlbs of torque. I have a IR IMAX 1/2 drive impact that is rated at 780 ftlbs. It could also be from being loose like someone said earlier. I would want to look at the studs and nuts to see what they mean by "worn out".

I alway just snug up my lug nuts and then torque them down. I even do this on my class 8 trucks. Every tire is torqued.
 

Catback

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Sep 17, 2013
Messages
110
Location
WI
An impact can cause damage to lug nuts. A Dodge should be around 100-135 ftlbs of torque. I have a IR IMAX 1/2 drive impact that is rated at 780 ftlbs. It could also be from being loose like someone said earlier. I would want to look at the studs and nuts to see what they mean by "worn out".

I alway just snug up my lug nuts and then torque them down. I even do this on my class 8 trucks. Every tire is torqued.

Yeah...I was assuming he meant the impact force of the gun, not the torque. Of course, if they're overtorqued you'll damage the threads (my loader and dump lugs are torqued to 500 ft. lbs.).
 

Axle

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Dec 19, 2010
Messages
91
Location
Ontario Canada
Occupation
electronics tech
In the past I would have scoffed at being told I have worn out lug nuts or studs... Then I got my ford... I have gone through more lugnuts on that, and a couple of studs than I have ever replaced on any GM I have. Doesn't matter if its a lug nut out of a ford parts bag, or a generic box from the part store, they are soft as butter. Every season when swapping out my snow tires, I chuck about 5 lugnuts (not all from the same wheel, it'll be one here, two there) from gouged tapers, or being difficult to turn (running a tap through those confirms the threads have distorted). So, depending on the quality/grade that Dodge specs, yes, I can see having lug nuts which are of questionable condition after just a couple of r&r's.

Alex.
 

old1

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Jun 25, 2011
Messages
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PA
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Selfemplyed
Lug nuts and studs:

Now that you mention Ford's; I do remember, this problem on some E-350' and F-350's with dual wheels. All the E-350's were ambulances.

I was working as a Technician, at a Ford dealership, at the time.

The trucks were brand new; but some were just sold and returned for something or other.

Anyway: The lug nuts didn't seem to be overtightened; but the threads were pulled on all the studs. Even a brand new truck, with zero rust or dirt on the threads; you had a very hard time getting the lugnuts off. Not just breaking loose , the whole length of the stud. Metal filings could be seen, when taking them off.

And this was the first time ever that they would have been taken off since new. It seemed that the stud threads didn't match the lugnut threads.

Ford warranty didn't want to buy that answer.

old1
 

monster76

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Aug 14, 2013
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526
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Miami Fl
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Contractor
only thing i have seen destroy lug nuts and studs is not starting them by hand. when i see some one just toss a nut in a socket and go at it some times it cross threads and gets destroyed
 

old1

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Jun 25, 2011
Messages
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PA
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Selfemplyed
only thing i have seen destroy lug nuts and studs is not starting them by hand. when i see some one just toss a nut in a socket and go at it some times it cross threads and gets destroyed

Well: that could be the reason for what I experienced. The ones I saw, were installed at the factory; and you know they didn't start them by hand.
 

monster76

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Miami Fl
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Contractor
Well: that could be the reason for what I experienced. The ones I saw, were installed at the factory; and you know they didn't start them by hand.

i have never ever replaced a lug nut or stud on any of my own personal vehicles my f350 with 350k or supra with 222k my mustang though is the exception i had to put 3" studs to pass tech at the track.... now that i said that with my luck all the studs are going to break when i change brakes or tires
 

John C.

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I just had a truck into the Ford dealer for noise in the front axle and they told me the tread depths on my front tires were less that 3/16" and all the tires had to be replaced. I went in and got the tread depth gauge out of the console and measured none less than 9/16". When I confronted the service writer who had called me he said he only knew what the technician had told him. I told him he had violated a position of trust and now I could no longer use their services nor recommend them to anyone else. The look on his face was priceless.
 

JDOFMEMI

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Jan 3, 2007
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3,074
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SoCal
John

That is a great comeback to an example of poor service quality. That a dealer service department would stoop to such levels does not surprise me though. The one they always tried on me was cracks in the rotors.
The worst example was 3 months and 13,000 miles since a rearend was overhauled under warranty on my F-250 to fix a vibration that I believe to this day was only a U joint. I was driving along when the rearend spit a bolt out of the diff cover. To shorten a long story, ALL of the bolts were loose that hold the ring gear to the carrier, and 5 had fallen completely out. One caught a tooth and was ejected. After repairs I went to pick up the truck and was handed a bill for over $4,000. They told me that repairs only had a 6 month or 12,000 mile warranty. This after buying over a dozen trucks from that dealership in the few years leading up to this. After weeks of hassle, the bill was finally waived, and I was told there was NO warranty on the repair. I have never spent another dime there, and tell everyone I know about the service I got.

Sorry for the rant.

As for the lug nut/stud issue, I would take a close look at them and judge for yourself. They can be ruined by a monkey with an air gun, but it is not likely.
 

monster76

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Miami Fl
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most dealers are like that the tech them selves will lie to get more flat rate hours when its slow
 

Greg

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Jan 28, 2008
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Wi
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One of the reasons I never go to a dealership. If it does not get done in my shop goes to one of two independent shops where I know the owners well and am good friends with both of them.
 

mitch504

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Feb 27, 2010
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Andrews SC
One of the reasons I never go to a dealership. If it does not get done in my shop goes to one of two independent shops where I know the owners well and am good friends with both of them.

My thoughts exactly.
 
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