Help, what would cause the wheel bearing /hub to break off ? Only one lug nut holding the rear tire 🛞 (video)

[Unas2k5]

I was on the freeway and I thought I got a flat tire. I went out the car and the tire was fine so I continue to drive then it sounded like something was completely wrong. I went out, and saw that the Lugnuts broke off. Only one lug nut holding the rear tire lol
What would cause this I don’t understand? Should I get OEM have assembly or should I get the Duralast?

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[Skye]

I can think of any number of things.

Have you confirmed, is this just a stud/nut issue or did you lose the suspension? The hub and bearing? Driveshaft? You've recently had HP and other mods? Does the suspension need to be modified to match? If the suspension is still with us, I'd then move on to the rims/nuts.

The rims are aftermarket. The rims, are they correct for the car? Were they recommended or confirmed correct fitment?

If the rims are correct for the application, now, I'd wonder about the nuts, if they were correct for both the rim and the stud.

If the rim and nuts were correct for the studs/hub, now I'd want to confirm what they'd been torqued to, if they were tightened correctly and in what fashion.

Finally, how often the car is inspected. You have an earlier thread regarding the steering wheel. Any chance whomever you'd been working with broke these off? placed the wheel incorrectly? Was the car thoroughly inspected after the last work?

IMO, losing even one stud implies something was wrong. that seems obvious, I know. But either the wrong parts, wrong assembly, something. It wasn't a random QC parts failure.

 

[Unas2k5]

Thank you for your input. The rims are made specifically for the car and they came with those lug nuts. I don’t believe the wheels were touched during that last visit to the shop. Maybe it’s a torque issue ? The shop that installed them had 3 idiots working together to install them and I didn’t see them measure torque at all. Do you know how much they should be torqued to? I want to make sure they’re torqued properly

 

[Skye]

Each application could be different. Ford recommends 150 lb-ft /203 nm of torque for factory rims. I'm using LMR, SVE rims with Gorilla Nuts; they also recommend 150 lb-ft / 203 nm of torque. Check with the maker of the rims to confirm.

I noticed your other post, of mods, HP and all that. I'm going to speculate that, with whatever HP and mods you have, and, an incorrectly attached wheel, the studs were either rattled by the rim until they broke or they were effectively ground off by some type of rubbing.

Obviously, you've got at least one rim to check. I'd pull all four wheels, inspect and re-torque to the correct spec.

BTW, factory suspension? HP? How much?

 

[NGOT8R]

I torque my aftermarket aluminum drag wheels to 125 ft-lbs which is less than the factory recommended torque of 150 ft-lbs.

 

[ice445]

Simplest explanation is that the lug nuts were never torqued, and the wheel wobbling cut/broke most of them off.

 

[PC_GUARD]

You definitely lucked out, considering what could've happened.

 

[Cobra Jet]

To loose lugs or break studs like that, the lug nuts could not have been torqued correctly.

How long ago did you have it at the shop for the wheel installation? I mean, you could go back to them and see what they will do for compensation, BUT at this point they can refute the issue and say their Techs did everything "right" - even if they were the last to touch the car.

All I can say is - you're very lucky that wheel didn't cut loose - because not only would it have caused extensive damage to the rear 1/4, it would have caused you to wreck and/or if the wheel separated from the car and split off down the highway, it could have caused a very bad situation....

Definitely pull the remaining wheels, inspect and torque all lugs to 150 ft lb. If you don't already have a torque wrench, get yourself one, it's a valuable tool to have at home.

 

[TopJimmyCooks]

I was on the freeway and I thought I got a flat tire. I went out the car and the tire was fine so I continue to drive then it sounded like something was completely wrong. I went out, and saw that the Lugnuts broke off. Only one lug nut holding the rear tire lol
What would cause this I don’t understand? Should I get OEM have assembly or should I get the Duralast?

Looks like over-torqued lugs to me. If the "techs" just spun them on with an air wrench, who knows how tight they were. Also, be sure not to tighten lugs when the hub assembly is hot (e.g. just came off the track). Wheel and hub should both be cool.

 

[Skye]

If the "techs" just spun them on with an air wrench,

This... I'm sure there are a lot of people who use tools properly, but we've all seen so many instances of those who set their guns to "max" and just wail on something with it, without a torque wrench in sight.

 

[ice445]

Looks like over-torqued lugs to me. If the "techs" just spun them on with an air wrench, who knows how tight they were. Also, be sure not to tighten lugs when the hub assembly is hot (e.g. just came off the track). Wheel and hub should both be cool.

Also an option. Righty tighty until it gets loose, then another 15 seconds with the impact is standard procedure at some shops.

 

[Unas2k5]

Each application could be different. Ford recommends 150 lb-ft /203 nm of torque for factory rims. I'm using LMR, SVE rims with Gorilla Nuts; they also recommend 150 lb-ft / 203 nm of torque. Check with the maker of the rims to confirm.

I noticed your other post, of mods, HP and all that. I'm going to speculate that, with whatever HP and mods you have, and, an incorrectly attached wheel, the studs were either rattled by the rim until they broke or they were effectively ground off by some type of rubbing.

Obviously, you've got at least one rim to check. I'd pull all four wheels, inspect and re-torque to the correct spec.

BTW, factory suspension? HP? How much?

BMR lowering springs & Koni shocks/struts. 842WHP 635TQ built motor/built trans

 

[Cory S]

OVER torqued or severely UNDER torqued......

 

[Cory S]

I torque my aftermarket aluminum drag wheels to 125 ft-lbs which is less than the factory recommended torque of 150 ft-lbs.

I do both street wheels and drag wheels at 125. It's still a good workout cracking 20 of them loose.

 

[BlackandBlue]

Over torqued. If they were under torqued those steel studs would have eaten that wheel up moving around on it.

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