missing wheel lug nut, Broken torque plate screw

[fenixus]

ehhh, shit happens and it happened to me when finishing the brake job on front driver side. it came up that the wheel stud got broken when tightening wheel lug nuts on ground.
i don't feel like i did it as i never use excessive force (e.g. whole body weight as some do). when torquing them up i usually use one foot to make it tight.

also since last tire rotation in shop about 2 months ago i can hear a humming noise coming from front driver wheel (loudness changes a bit with speed). i think it might be related.

how hard is it to replace it the broken piece ? what parts need to be replaced to get this done right ?

thanks.

[djb2]

Do you mean that you broke a wheel stud?

If so, get a hammer and a drift and knock the old one back into the hub. I use a small sledge and a piece of 3/8" rebar, but something a little more delicate will work as a well. Even the new stud and a framing hammer will work. Do this with the wheel on the ground to minimize the shock to the wheel bearing.

Once the old stud is loose, jack the car up, remove the remaining lug nuts, take off the wheel, and look between the wheel and brake caliper. You'll see a spot where the loose stud can be removed and the new one inserted. You'll likely need to unbolt the brake caliper -- two additional bolts. All this should be done without putting any part of body under the car, so you can even do it with the car's jack.

Insert the new stud, and use a lug nut to draw it in far enough so that it holds in place. Reinstall the brake bracket, mount the wheel, and use a lug nut to finish drawing the stud into place.

The stud is M12 X 1.5 - 40mm long. They cost about $1 each from a supplier, but you'll likely pay $3-$4 from a chain parts store, about the same as a Toyota dealer.
The Dorman P/N is 610-266.

[fenixus]

yes, i meant the wheel stud.

wow thanks! i had no idea that studs can be replaced separately from the whole torque plate :P
glad to hear it.

if it's that easy i think i can just get the stud from dealer and bring the car to shop for a quick repair.

i'm not a pro with tools hehe. can you be more specific about getting the broken stud out? should i just hammer it back out ? will a regular home repair hammer do? wouldn't that destroy some torque plate threading or something? not sure if i understand it right.

[DxElite]

I had to replace 4 wheel studs because wally world tire shop douches over torqued and didn't put the nuts on right, so when I took them off to do my brakes they broke off. Stopped going there once those tires were goners.

You can get the studs from any autoparts stores, no need to go to the dealer for it, really common part.
Regular hammer will get it off, there is threads on the studs that go into the plate, but won't damage it.
Procedures are just like djb2 posted.

[fenixus]

ah OK, thanks DxElite!

didn't know it's quite common.

i'm pretty sure that the problem started in a shop in my case as well. they use power tools (air guns) to remove & replace nuts from wheels, easy to over-torque. just am not sure which shop did it, formerly i was using Firestone for past 2 years until about a year ago. since then i mostly do all bigger jobs in a local (cheaper) shop.

never mind. anyways i think same mechs with proper tools can do it with a snap of fingers unlike me (one socket tools set and a scissor jack, no garage).

since any stud will do i can buy Dorman front stud for $1.99 at local AutoZone and let the shop quickly do it.

thanks for input!

[belrancho]

I ran into the stud problem with my 99 and I am the only one that has removed and replaced the lug nuts on this car. I use a torque wrench and do not use my impact on them at all. I am very careful to torque the nuts very evenly and I put grease on the threads. I take the wheels to the tire shop in my van.

The threads on the studs get dirt and brake dust in them and then bind up. You will continue to have this trouble until you use lug nuts that have caps on the end. If I had a new Toyota I would put the capped lug nuts on it right away.

My brother has a 99 and he had a stripped one on the front and on the rear. You should remove the rotor first and then just pound out the stud. You can use the lug nut with a spacer behind it (like a thick end wrench) to press it back in.

I removed the rear hub which was only 4 bolts and did that one. The front one I just removed the rotor and pounded it out and replaced it. I bought the studs from a Toyota dealer.

I put alunmium wheels on my 99 with covered lug nuts and they screw on and off real nice. They would bind up with the original lug nuts.

[Mike Gerber]

Remember, the correct torque for the lug nuts is 76 ft lbs. You don't need your feet to produce that amount of torque; just you hands and arms. If you don't want to have this happen again buy a cheap 1/2 inch torque wrench at places like Harbor Freight Tools and torque your lug nuts properly. $15-$20

PS: The bracket the caliper bolts to is called the Torque Plate in Toyota factory manuals. Your original post was a bit confusing.

Mike

[fenixus]

thanks Mike. I realized my initial post may have been mis-informative, sorry. i'm learning names of all those parts and thought earlier in my noobness that a wheel stud is an integral part of the torque plate (impossible right? hehe that's me). now i know

I wish I could edit the initial one and replace "broken torque plate screw" with "a broken wheel stud".

I will not argue about the torque force i used with one foot, but hey I'm not that heavy (185 pounds), so max I could apply with one foot (the other on ground) was probably around 80-90 ft-lbs (i think). I am more worried about local shops using air guns with no torque meters. Once i was barely able to remove lug nuts with no power tools handy after the shop tightened them ...

I am considering buying that 1/2'' Harbor Fright torque wrench, but my current socket toolset is 3/8'' only ... don't really want to buy a new set for torque wrench only...

... unless i get this 3/8'' toque wrench for same price as 1/2'' one. at elast i would be able to use it with my current socket set. only problem that tightening the wheel lug nuts will fall into high upper range of this tool (Torque range: 5 to 80 ft. lbs. ). will this do?

[djb2]

Originally Posted by fenixus

thanks Mike. I realized my initial post may have been mis-informative, sorry. i'm learning names of all those parts and thought earlier in my noobness that a wheel stud is an integral part of the torque plate (impossible right? hehe that's me). now i know
...
I am considering buying that 1/2'' Harbor Fright torque wrench, but my current socket toolset is 3/8'' only ... don't really want to buy a new set for torque wrench only...

Until I needed to replace one, I also assumed that they were a significant job to replace. I was guessing that it would take disassembly, heating with a torch and a special tool to remove the old stud, and high-strength thread locker when replacing.

Even after I read the procedure, I was expecting to need significant force to hammer the old one out. Instead it came out with the practice swing.

I still use the 3lb sledge to replace studs because it's easier to control a gentle tap with a BFH than wailing away with a tack hammer. But you could likely do it with a handyman's 16oz hammer.



The 3/8" torque wrench isn't quite big enough for wheels and brakes, yet doesn't go low enough for small fasteners. You'll be better off getting the 1/2" torque wrench, and adding the 1/4" wrench later if you need to do light work such as replacing the AT oil pan.

Buy the 1/2" torque wrench, and a 13/16" / 21mm socket for the lug nuts. Perhaps add a 14mm 6pt socket, since that's the most common size on the Camry -- it will cover almost all of the fasteners that need a specific torque. Then use a 1/2" to 3/8" adapter with the rest of your sockets.

A big advantage of a click style torque wrench over a beam style is that you can use it as a "breaker" bar without changing the calibration. The "click" is caused by a ball or roller jumping out of a groove. Once out of the groove, the load is carried by outer wall of the handle tube against the ratchet head casting, not by the torque-click mechanism.

[fenixus]

hah, you got me with those torques. i visited nearby Harbor Freight and picked up both 1/2'' and 3/8'' click-stop torque wrenches. got both of them for $30.
bigger 1/2'' for wheel nuts (the bigger the better i guess) and smaller one for spark plugs and other bolts (e.g. caliper sliding pins).

now only need a socket that fits toyota wheel nuts and 1/2'' drive. time will tell who was damaging the studs, me or the shop

[fenixus]

Originally Posted by djb2

Until I needed to replace one, I also assumed that they were a significant job to replace. I was guessing that it would take disassembly, heating with a torch and a special tool to remove the old stud, and high-strength thread locker when replacing.

Even after I read the procedure, I was expecting to need significant force to hammer the old one out. Instead it came out with the practice swing.

I still use the 3lb sledge to replace studs because it's easier to control a gentle tap with a BFH than wailing away with a tack hammer. But you could likely do it with a handyman's 16oz hammer.



The 3/8" torque wrench isn't quite big enough for wheels and brakes, yet doesn't go low enough for small fasteners. You'll be better off getting the 1/2" torque wrench, and adding the 1/4" wrench later if you need to do light work such as replacing the AT oil pan.

Buy the 1/2" torque wrench, and a 13/16" / 21mm socket for the lug nuts. Perhaps add a 14mm 6pt socket, since that's the most common size on the Camry -- it will cover almost all of the fasteners that need a specific torque. Then use a 1/2" to 3/8" adapter with the rest of your sockets.

A big advantage of a click style torque wrench over a beam style is that you can use it as a "breaker" bar without changing the calibration. The "click" is caused by a ball or roller jumping out of a groove. Once out of the groove, the load is carried by outer wall of the handle tube against the ratchet head casting, not by the torque-click mechanism.

yeah, that's what i figured with wheels, 3/8 is to small. since those wrenches were on sale in HF i bought both 1/2 and 3/8. needed more precise torque (13ft-lbs) for spark plugs and 1/2'' drive goes from 20ft-lbs and up.
so 21mm socket (1/2'' drive) will do the toyota lug nuts? good to know.

at first i thought the procedure for replacing a stud requires things like you described. now i know is not that hard. only problem would be removing the caliper bracket... it sits quite tight as far as i know.

hah 3 months ago i had zero tools (except for screwdrivers, hammer, pliers and some cheap combination wrenches). now i have a more and more car tools LOL

reason why I avoid buying tools is not much storage space in my apartment and no garage. all jobs i do take place in an empty parking lot i don't even have jack stands yet. so far was using only a scissor jack when needed.

still, this time i think i will let a local shop fix the stud (got replacement from dealer $4). they should be able to do this much faster than me. i don't feel like removing the caliper bracket myself at this very moment.

thanks for all opinions!

[Mike Gerber]

"I wish I could edit the initial one and replace "broken torque plate screw" with "a broken wheel stud"."

You can. Just click on "EDIT" in the lower right hand side of your post.

Glad you got the torque wrenches. I would try to pick up a 21MM impact deep socket to use on the lug nuts. It should be a 6 ponted socket. You may want to go back to Harbor Freight and pick up a set of 1/2 drive impact deep sockets. I have seen them on sale there for a cheap as $10. Just one other note. When you are not using the torque wrench set the torque setting back down to zero. This will keep the settings accurate when you do use it.

Mike

[djb2]

The caliper bracket is easy, especially if you remember that the front wheels turn for easier access.

You don't have to get under the car so the factory jack is OK. It's still a good idea to put the removed wheel under the car as a back-up.

[fenixus]

Originally Posted by Mike Gerber

"I wish I could edit the initial one and replace "broken torque plate screw" with "a broken wheel stud"."

You can. Just click on "EDIT" in the lower right hand side of your post.

Glad you got the torque wrenches. I would try to pick up a 21MM impact deep socket to use on the lug nuts. It should be a 6 ponted socket. You may want to go back to Harbor Freight and pick up a set of 1/2 drive impact deep sockets. I have seen them on sale there for a cheap as $10. Just one other note. When you are not using the torque wrench set the torque setting back down to zero. This will keep the settings accurate when you do use it.

Mike

ah no. i was able to edit the post, what i meant was that only mods/admin can edit the THREAD name. that users cannot edit.
I think i will pickup 21mm deep socket at AZ, it's much closer to me.

are you sure that torque wrenches should be stored at "0" setting, like with completely loose handle ?
i read it's good to store them at their minimal range setting (e.g. 5ft-lbs for 3/8'' and 20ft-lbs for 1/2'').

Originally Posted by djb2

The caliper bracket is easy, especially if you remember that the front wheels turn for easier access.

You don't have to get under the car so the factory jack is OK. It's still a good idea to put the removed wheel under the car as a back-up.

thanks man, i will just pass on it this time. would need to wait until Saturday to see the car in daylight (no garage here, working outside) and work on it. next time i will definitely be doing it myself i got almost all tools already.

[Mike Gerber]

"are you sure that torque wrenches should be stored at "0" setting, like with completely loose handle ?
i read it's good to store them at their minimal range setting (e.g. 5ft-lbs for 3/8'' and 20ft-lbs for 1/2'')."

Yes, I'm sure.

Mike