A wheel stud is a part of the suspension system in most cars, trucks, and SUVs. Wheel studs, in combination with lug nuts, serve to keep the wheels secured to the wheel hubs on your vehicle. Anywhere from four to five (six to eight on heavy duty trucks) threaded wheel studs protrude from each wheel hub. The studs extend through holes in the wheel and each accept a lug nut. When the lug nuts are torqued properly for the vehicle make and model, the wheels are securely fastened in place in a manner which prevents them from coming loose while still allowing for easy removal in an emergency situation on the side of the road.
Some vehicles, instead of wheel studs and lug nuts, feature threaded holes in the wheel hubs that accept lug bolts. While this is opposite to the typical arrangement on a vehicle, it serves the same purpose.
Lug nuts are made to be torqued to a specific degree that allows sufficient holding power for the wheel. Yet there should not be so much torque that the lug nuts cannot be removed easily with a small service wrench in an emergency. No lubricants, thread locking materials, or lock washers are used- only the friction created when that specific amount of torque on the wheel stud threads is applied.
If the threads are damaged or the stud is bent, the wheel stud should be replaced. One way to tell is if the lug nuts do not release easily (or at all) with the small service wrench. If a lug nut is missing, you might be able to see whether a wheel stud has broken as well. Damaged wheel stud threads most frequently occur as a result of poor service, where the wheel is allowed to drag over the surface of the stud. Broken wheel studs are usually the result of over tightening or cross threading.
Replacement of a wheel stud requires that a technician raise and support your vehicle in the air and remove the wheel. The wheel studs are pressed into the wheel hub from the backside. On most vehicles, the procedure can be performed without removing the wheel hub. Instead, a small press tool is used to force the stud back through the hub (some wheel studs can be successfully removed with a hammer). The wheel stud includes a knurled flange that bites into the metal of the wheel hub. With the old wheel stud out of the way, the new stud is inserted into the wheel hub and pressed into place, allowing the knurled flange to seat fully. The wheel is then reinstalled and the lug nuts torqued before the vehicle is placed back into service. Some vehicles require that the wheel hub be removed from the vehicle for access to the wheel stud. In such cases, the procedure is more involved.
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