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-----Aftermarket wheel studs all sheared off
Q. My car is fitted with aftermarket wheels and chrome plated wheel studs of no known specification.
All five studs on one rear wheel have totally sheared and the wheel dropped off. We have found cracks on all the studs on the other rear wheel. Can you make any comment as to why this happened.
- Melbourne. Victoria. Australia
August 12, 2016
A. Hi Essex. If it something you care about for serious legal reasons, such as personal injury, it is important retain a lawyer and let them do the investigating rather than doing it yourself. If it's more of an issue of concern for future safety, it's possible that a government branch, or an automobile association or better business bureau has some information.
It probably isn't possible for a knowledgable metallurgist to help you based only on the fact that they broke, without a detailed study of the fracture pattern and metallurgical testing. As an engineer -- if they are low grade steel they probably simply weren't strong enough; if they are high strength steel they might have required (and not received) proper hydrogen embrittlement. I am not a metallurgist, and a description of cracking (meaning they're hard, not soft) but haven't broke (meaning they don't seem to be embrittled) is beyond my ability to guess at. Sorry. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
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August 12, 2016
Thank you Ted.
I do want to do the full investigation and do have all the broken studs for a full examination.
I also want to add that there was a small clearance between the wheel centre hole and the spigot.
Essex
- Melbourne Victoria Australia
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