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

[Epiphany]

That's why I'm not a fan of these rings as many out there aren't even aware they may be in place (if they didn't install them, etc) and somebody servicing the car may simply toss them not knowing what their intent was. Samer, you really should verify fitment with these in place. Matt is right, they do look like they may be preventing the wheel from sitting flush with the rotor face. If you must use them with those wheels at least use rings that only fill the chamfer machined on the wheel and no more.

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[Mike Pfeifer]

I didn’t realize project6gr wheels used centering rings like that.

 

[ice445]

I didn’t realize project6gr wheels used centering rings like that.

Same, the SVE wheels do not and someone told me once they're made in the same place. Maybe they're saving a buck to fit more vehicles?

 

[Unas2k5]

I should remove that black ring? I’m sure it’s not on there anywhere since that hub assembly was replaced. I had the forgestar F14 before this set that could’ve been there since that last set

 

[Epiphany]

Samer, you need to verify what you have at each wheel. Contact your current wheel supplier and ask them if these wheels require them. If they do, buy ones that they recommend, they aren't very expensive. If they don't, remove them from each hub and also make sure there isn't one stuck to the wheel.

 

[Unas2k5]

Ok thank you I will take care of that tomorrow

 

[hlfbkd420]

I have Project 6GR rims. Never had any issues and I do not believe there is a ring on my hub... At least I hope not because I swap between my stock 19's and my P6GR 20's all the time. Car has 22,000 miles on it. But now I'm pulling them off this weekend and looking just for the heck of it.

 

[Cobra Jet]

It'd be nice to see an in-depth, scientific analysis done. The last one I looked at was from wheel stud failures seen at a racing school that many of you here were privy to by purchasing the very car that brings you here. The failure mode there was of a different type but the breakdown was eye opening. I can't share the results but they were definitely not what was expected.

Internet quarterbacking here requires a number of assumptions which really isn't fair in terms of an genuinely scientific and accurate assessment but since that seems to be the way the world operates at the moment, I'll take a crack at what I see. I'll assume the studs were installed properly (pressed and not pulled) and fully seated along with none of them being defective.

Right off the bat, and a question to the OP...was the aftermarket wheel you used hubcentric but to a different diameter than what Ford uses in this application? I ask because I see what looks to be a nylon spacer slid onto the axle hub register.

Not a fan at all of this type of "solution" but I digress. Point being, the loading on the studs could be different than normal (read: bad) if a stud issue allows the minimum required amount of friction between the rotor face/inner wheel hub face to fail to meet threshold and you lose concentricity.

I also see something on the threads. OP, did you or the installer use anti-seize on the threads? Fodder for another discussion that can go off in a number of different directions and I'm just trying to better understand the conditions in this case. I numbered the studs for discussion purposes but you can clearly see something on stud #2 and evidence of such in the same approximate locations on the remaining studs.

If my eyes are right, my thoughts lead to what torque figure was used. Anti-seize isn't the best lubricant for this application (scatter) as it can lead to inconsistent and thus inaccurate tension being applied. We don't know the methodology used by the installer, ie, torque figure reduction using X% for friction reduction and/or if that target figure was attained when installed. All we have is a picture.

Of a number of scenarios involving the order of failure I lean towards the following. I could see #2 and #3 failing first. This left $1 and #4 to give it everything they had as they now faced the high bar, with #1 losing the contest and exiting next. This left #4 in a weaker state than #5 so it failed next and in a somewhat different mode than the other failures - more on that in a minute. The last man standing, #5, is no doubt on the verge and I suspect microanalysis would show fractures at a similar thread root location as the others.

As to whether the studs were installed using too high or too low of a torque figure...my sense is the error was made in that there was not enough tension imparted and the failure mode was fatigue (this is where the aforementioned concentricty and friction issue can wreak havoc on the fasteners). Failed wheel studs due to extreme and repeated impact gun use often shear at a near 45* angle or have other characteristics such as "necking" (reduced fastener diameter) whereby the overall length of the fastener increases permanently - they become "plastic" or permanently elongated. If that is indeed anti-seize on the fasteners, one might assume that these may have been overtorqued at some point. Tough to assess that one.

It does look as though the wheel holes were somewhat "oblonged." Look closely.

Wheel movement under braking/turning due to inadequate preload on the studs meant there was inadequate clamp load. Wheel studs are designed to be under tension and without shear (a force applied 90* to the stud axis in this case). Studs #2 and #3 show cyclical loading. It looks as if the preload was low as you see on both a large area that is flat and bright as the shear forces dominated and caused abrasion, creating the smooth face. You can see ratchet marks as well (radial arcs on the smooth surface) which indicate high stress concentrations. Stud #4 looks to have started to fail in similar fashion and then with roughly 50% left it failed in tension rapidly and just ripped right off. I suspect this is when the driver really noticed this while driving. Thank God for stud #5, it may have saved a life.

ON EDIT - OP, I would pay very close attention the hardware on the remaining three wheel/hub/stud assemblies. As in removal, vigorous cleaning and inspection. You may have another failure right around the corner if the conditions regarding hardware choice and install were the same.

Is that rim even safe to be driving on again if the lug holes have ovaled out?

I ask because to me, if it had happened to me and I saw the rim lug holes were no longer round, I would not use the rim.

 

[Unas2k5]

What is going on ? It happened but to the other side now. I wasn’t even driving fast or aggressively. Could it be these aftermarket rims just not built right ??

 

[Cobra Jet]

What is going on ? It happened but to the other side now. I wasn’t even driving fast or aggressively. Could it be these aftermarket rims just not built right ??

This happened to you again??

Are you sure the lug nuts are being torqued properly (or even are correct lugs)?

 

[shogun32]

You snapped bolts? Ovalized the holes? It's unlikely the wheels are made of the wrong material or skipped hardening.

Do you own a torque wrench? Do you check your wheels studs weekly and confirm they are staying tight every time? What nuts are you using? The nuts are 60 deg V instead of rounded, right?

 

[Paul McWhiskey]

I have just re read this entire thread. Samer, did you replace all of the studs on each hub? I would suggest that you do so since the wheels were severely over torqued. I believe that you stated that you replaced all of the lug nuts but most likely the studs have all been damaged by the gorilla force that was applied to them. I also suspect that it may be the cause of your current failure. And I am assuming that you inspected each wheel and determined if the nylon rings were in place or were needed to ensure that the wheels are sitting flush on the hub?

 

[Zrussian13]

You haven't pissed anyone off recently have you? Having one wheel snap studs ok, but happening a second time is hard to believe, even if the wheels aren't torqued properly.

 

[Unas2k5]

It happened again! And yes I made sure they were torqued at the shop. I don’t understand why this keeps happening. This is the other side ! I wasn’t even horsing around or anything. I have pictures /videos.

 

[Unas2k5]

vid

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