The CCA - www.caravancouncil.com.au - continually receives a small number of reports of broken wheel studs, and loose wheel nuts, sometimes with the nuts unwinding COMPLETELY off the studs. There has recently been a SPATE of such incidents.
It must be stressed that if a stud breaks, it is certainly NO proof that the stud itself was faulty. There are a number of reasons for the problems. All supplied instructions regarding wheels and wheel nuts MUST be precisely followed. It is VITAL to ensure that if 'van owners or dealers fit AFTER-MARKET wheels and nuts, they thoroughly check to ensure the replacement wheels and nuts are, in fact, COMPLETELY suitable for the vehicle and axles.
Possible Reasons for Broken Wheel Studs, or Loose - and lost - Nuts:
The pitch circle of the studs in the (imperial) hub NOT exactly the same as that of the holes in some (metric) wheels, such that all studs bend when the nuts are tightened
The ANGLE of the taper on the nuts NOT the same as the angle of taper in the wheels
LOW-GRADE studs being used
The hole in the wheel centre NOT compatible with the spigot diameter of the hub
The serrated studs NOT fully driven home when pressed into the hubs, such that they gradually give a little, thus causing the nuts to become loose
Rattle-guns - set at unknown high-torque levels - used to TIGHTEN wheel nuts (rather than just undo them), causing the studs to stretch, and thus become weakened
Nuts being tightened in a circular pattern in one action, rather than in a criss-cross pattern using two or three (increasing) torques
Wheel centres being highly dished, thus acting as a large spring-washer that gradually looses its tension and causes the nuts to loosen
Clearly, ALL nuts must be tightened to the correct TORQUE, and in the correct PATTERN, in strict accordance with the instructions provided by the wheel or chassis manufacturer.
It is strongly recommended that pencil lines are made on one face of EACH nut - with a mating line on the wheel - so that a quick visual inspection can detect any loosening of a nut. Clip-on "indicators", fitted to each nut, provide an even-quicker warning of any nut loosening.
Continual vibrations - and occasional heavy impacts - from road surfaces, inevitably have an adverse effect on the wheel assemblies.
This is severely aggravated if the tyre pressures - and the spring rates - are too high for the actual wheel-loading.
Stresses on the wheel assemblies are further increased if shock-absorbers (dampers) are not fitted.
Leaf-springs do provide some damping of vibrations, but unfortunately it is mainly on the "bump" (up-wards) movement of the wheel, rather than on the "rebound" (down-wards) movement of the wheel where it would be far more beneficial.
HI
**Low grade poor quality Chinese rims strength re flexing and cracking
**Chinese rims have not in many cases have spring loaded wheel nut seating = poor design
**very little taper in wheels not wide enough , if its not as wide as a factory holden /ford rim its not good enough
**poor quality of wheel nuts ,taper to long combined with above = disaster= wheel nut bottoms out
Wheel studs have only broken when they are very poor quality. Import vs Ozzy made . Evident on auto front discs .
Wheel nuts fail bind when they are very poor quality . Its funny some auto maker suffer badly some not at all .
Hi Swamp,
I've been considering upgrading my single axle set from 2t to 3t. The biggest issue is getting suitable wheels - Jayco mag wheels are rated at 1000kg (more than some, but still not enough) & they are made in the "C" country to the north!
I went through the exercise last year when I found one spoke cracked - seems I'm stuck unless a supplier in Townsville has something more suitable (when I get back to the warmth).
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Warren
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
Hi As long is there is a $$ in camper trailers yes even the ozzy camper makers will use this garbage . If its not rated for car 4x4 use its crap !! That weeds out many but still not all .
Then again corrugated roads sought the men from the boys . It really depends how u like to travel upside down/rolled over . Guess where the yellow wheel nut safety tags came from =as a result of all the garbage that's imported into ozzy . Don't forget its not the experienced air gun operaters fault if u have really **** quality studs and nuts .
1500 kgs per wheel checked out split rims eg tojam cruiser or small truck rims ??. Going to 3 tone axle the axle stud rim combo is already known . Suggest u contact axle suppliers for corresponding hubs and rims
-- Edited by swamp on Tuesday 3rd of July 2018 06:10:39 PM
