wheel stud drag
 

For the second time in two years of autocrossing I'm replacing wheel studs on my left rear spindle. Last time I changed the wheels for the autocross I didn't have any trouble getting the stickies on but it was tough to get it off after the event and I KNEW I was cross thredded putting the street wheel back on.
Now, usually when I'm taking my wheels off there's one or two nuts that are tighter than the rest (I use a torque wrench all the time). It seems like they loosen up if I take a little pressure off the wheel with the jack. I figured this was due to camber, such as it is.

Is it normal to have to change the wheel studs this often when you're changing wheels ten or so times a year?
I just got these studs at Autozone, should I look for better ones elsewhere?

I can get them out without taking the spindle out but there are other tings I'd rather do with my day, ya know?

Cory

I haven't had any issues with wheel studs on my auto-x FD. And between changing tires and rotating them, the wheels come off, on average, 3-4 times a month. I have moderate amounts of camber dialed in (-1.6, -1.3) with no effects as you are experiencing. So, in my experience, no ... it's not normal to have to replace wheel studs that often. I can't imagine there being much difference between generic wheel studs and stuff you get from Mazda. Are you sure that you're torque-ing down the studs enough? It sounds weird that the studs are easier to remove once you start removing the load from the wheel.

Is there something different about your race wheels?

Both stock wheels. Actually,same thing with a third set of stock wheels I have.

CW

Are you hand tightening them before you torque them down? Another thing that popped into my head, are the thread pitches the same for the wheel stud and lug nut?

One thing I do when I change my tires is, brush off the wheel studs after I remove the wheel. Sometimes there are metal shavings or other stuff on there that could mess up the thread of the stud when it is being torqued down. I drift so I change tires often and I have never experienced any stud having to be changed for any reason.

Peace

I have broken rear wheel studs on three seperate occasions. Why always the rears? I dunno, but like redrotor I swap tires about six times a month. I checked the wheel hubs and spindles to be certain they were true, I checked my torque wrench (always use a torque wrench when you change wheels this often!) and I replaced all the lug nuts. Had another one seize :bash:

I have taken others' advice and use anti-seize compound on the wheel studs. I can't say yet if this cures my problem but the lug nuts are noticeably smoother going on and off.

Whatever you do, don't break rear wheel studs on an FD! You have to replace the wheel bearing in order to replace the studs (and I have done it twice on one side and once on the other in about 2 years' time :( ). Wheel bearing is about $45 from MazdaComp, studs $2 each, and then about $50 in machine shop service to press the bearing out/in. Basically $100 everytime one of those fuggers snap!

My lugs always seized during removal. You'd get about one full turn loose and then feel it bind. I think it's because the chrome plating on the lug nuts galls and then seizes on the stud. The anti-seize should fix that and so far seems to do the job.

For you racers out there, keep a couple spare wheel studs on you, as the fronts are easily replaced by pounding the old ones out after you remove the caliper and rotor. The rears on the other hand are going to require pulling the rear hub from the axle (the toughest part) and then visiting the machine shop.

I would keep a nice coating of anti-seize on the studs. The only time I've sheared a stud was in the middle of summer (~100 degrees F) and I went to change my tires right after my last run. The rims, lugs, brakes, everything, were still hot. No anti-seize either. So if you can, let everything cool down a little bit before you try to take them off.
Good luck

This may be way off but are the wheels locating on the spindle - "Hub Centric"? I am not sure if mazda changed any of them or not. Just a thought.

Another thought. Are your nuts drilled through? If they are a blind hole you may be bottoming out on the stud rather than the wheel.


-billy