I've got my truck in the shop right now for a couple weeks getting a new paint job... While I'm waiting to get it back, I've been driving my grandfather's '87 Chevy. Had a flat last week and took in up to Discont Tire to have the tire fixed. When I went back to get pick it up and hour later, they handed me two of my lug nuts and told me that two of the studs had broken off during the repair. They blamed it on whoever had worked on the tire last claiming the lug nuts were cross-threaded the last time they were put on. Sounds reasonable, but on one of the two tires that had a stud broken off (the one with the flat tire I was there for) I had just put the spare on that the day before. In that I put the lug nuts on by hand, then tourqued them with a tourqe wrench, it would seem to me that it would be impossible for someone to cross thread a lug nut all the way down to the rim by hand. Would seem to me the more likely scenario is that they either cross threaded them or broke them off when tourqing. What do you guys think? Does it seem reasonable that after 15 years they could just break off, or was Discount just covering there own *ss? Also, are they very difficult to replace?

 

I dont think that it sounds reasonable that they just 'broke' because of age. Although, 15 years old is gettin up there for an automobile, it is not really old. As for replacing the studs (I cant believe that Discount Tire didnt do it for you, at least offer) it is not very difficult at all. Just about, if you can change the oil in a vehicle, you can change the wheel studs.

 

I had a local Walmart twist off one of my lugs by starting the nuts with an air wrench. That cross threaded the nut and they finished the job with a regular 3/4 pry bar. I was replacing the rotors with cross drilled anyway but they would have paid for the repair.
I don't think steel goes bad with age, except for rust. The fact that you torqued the one wheel the day before indicates to me someone is lying.
Go back to the store and ask to speak to the manager. If the manager doesn't help then ask for the number and call the district manager and so on until you get someone reasonable.

 

Bolts work because they actually strech to a point to keep tension. If you have the tires off and on all the time metal fatigue can set in making the bolt very brittle ....just a thought.

 

They claimed they would replace the studs but are not able to because of the 'liability.' They said if both of the broken studs were on the same wheel they wouldn't even let me drive the truck home, but as long as 4 of the 5 are on it's completely safe to drive. (Can you emagine going back and being told you can't drive your truck home because we broke your studs!) Anywyas, thinks for the info guys... I'll call back up there and see what they say.. Was quoted $75 to $150 to have it done depending on if they have to remove the rotors to tap the broken stud out. Probably will end up doing it myself. (and sending an invoice to Discount!)