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Wheel Studs Broke - Truck Rolled

Discussion in '1st Gen Tundras (2000-2006)' started by zech, Jun 4, 2022.

  1. Jun 4, 2022 at 3:23 PM
    #1
    zech

    zech [OP] New Member

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    Was coming home yesterday pulling a 16' trailer loaded with fiberglass insulation. Probably one of the lightest loads you could pull.


    My rear passenger side wheel came off and I fish tailed. Tried counter steering. Couldn't figure out why it wasn't really helping until learning the wheel had gone afterwards. Trucked turned sideways at 60mph and I rolled several times. Ended up climbing out of my driver's window. This was yesterday... I'm sore, but alive.

    It looked like the studs sheared clean off. Has there been any other report or recalls on for this or related?

    20220603_081019.jpg

    20220603_084337.jpg
     
  2. Jun 4, 2022 at 3:26 PM
    #2
    OV-1794

    OV-1794 New Member

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    Glad you’re alive and only sore, God knows it could’ve been much worse. Scary to think about!
     
    BMET likes this.
  3. Jun 4, 2022 at 3:28 PM
    #3
    ZappBrannigan

    ZappBrannigan The mind is willing but the flesh is weak

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    Holy crap! You’re lucky to be alive! Quick go to Vegas.
     
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  4. Jun 4, 2022 at 3:30 PM
    #4
    “J”

    “J” New Member

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    Damn! saw a guy do basically the same thing some years ago. Same results. He walked away as well. Glad it wasn’t any worse. Who’s been rotating your tires? Studs being over torqued over the years, causing metal fatigue?
     
    D4x4TRD, ColoradoTJ, Aerindel and 3 others like this.
  5. Jun 4, 2022 at 3:32 PM
    #5
    zech

    zech [OP] New Member

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    This truck is brand new to me. I bought it two months ago... as a replacement vehicle after getting my van totaled by an 18 wheeler. The tires were new and the previous owner only put 3000 miles on the tires. I suspect the tire shop just put a impact gun on them. Unfortunately, I don't have any real way to go after them. I changed insurance plans while on the road and declined the collision insurance so I could pull it up online later and decide how much/what deductible I wanted to pay... I never did.

    I have comprehensive coverage... but that doesn't seem to cover this.

    This has become a total loss for me.
     
  6. Jun 4, 2022 at 3:33 PM
    #6
    1794TX

    1794TX Should be taken in small doses

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    glad you're alive. sorry about your best-gen.
     
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  7. Jun 4, 2022 at 3:38 PM
    #7
    “J”

    “J” New Member

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    That definitely sucks! But you walked away too move on too bigger and better things…. It can be replaced…. You not so much….
     
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  8. Jun 4, 2022 at 3:45 PM
    #8
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol Brake Czar

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    So sorry to hear this. To answer your question, I haven't seen another member report this issue. We've had a lot of lower ball joint failures but this is the first time I've seen studs snap like this. Glad you're ok.
     
  9. Jun 4, 2022 at 3:49 PM
    #9
    Bowzer

    Bowzer New Member

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    My son's Civic, a 2012 beater for college, had cracked studs on every wheel after some tire shop overtightened them somewhere before buying the car. Careless and dangerous by whatever that place was.

    So sorry for the loss. But so thankful you walked away, brother.
     
  10. Jun 4, 2022 at 4:06 PM
    #10
    N84434

    N84434 In the Frozen Tundra

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    Yeah, unfortunately this has over torqued nuts written all over it. Glad to hear you weren't injured worse.
     
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  11. Jun 4, 2022 at 4:24 PM
    #11
    Jack McCarthy

    Jack McCarthy Truck repair enthusiast; Rust Aficionado

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    Sorry to hear about your loss. Glad you’re okay. There’s probably evidence of the other wheel studs having stress fractures if that helps you in seeking out those responsible. As stated from others, there’s a high probability it’s from over torquing of the wheel lugs.
     
  12. Jun 4, 2022 at 4:33 PM
    #12
    brucega7x

    brucega7x New Member

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    Jeez, glad you’re alive!

    My guess is there was some over tightening or something that caused the issue before you owned it. Wheel studs don’t just sheer like that for no good reason.
     
  13. Jun 4, 2022 at 4:40 PM
    #13
    des2mtn

    des2mtn Third Member

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    Where my wheels stop rolling
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    Wow! Glad you're okay. Bummer about the truck and the coverage, but it can be replaced.
     
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  14. Jun 4, 2022 at 5:43 PM
    #14
    landphil

    landphil Fish are food, not friends!

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    I’d say that your wheel was loose leading up it’s departure. Looking closely at your picture, you can see some evidence of fretting on both the pilot and hub face of the axle flange.

    Do you know wheels are those are ? I can’t make out if if they are a newer Tacoma or 4Runner wheel, or if they’re aftermarket. I do wonder if the correct wheel nuts were used for whatever wheels they are. Might be worth investigating.

    That insurance thing is a kick to the tender bits at this point, but it’s always a good day when you can walk away from a roll-over.
     
  15. Jun 4, 2022 at 6:30 PM
    #15
    endagon

    endagon New Member

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    I wonder if someone oiled the threads at some point and that led to stud stretch. A lug from another wheel could be pulled and checked for oil if it was a recent error.
     
  16. Jun 4, 2022 at 6:39 PM
    #16
    1lowlife

    1lowlife Toxic prick and pavement princess..

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    Glad you are OK.
    Sorry about your tundra.

    Looks like aftermarket wheels..
    Do you know the wheel offset?
    Did the truck have wheel spacers on it?

    I miss my 2005...
     
  17. Jun 4, 2022 at 6:49 PM
    #17
    ScenicRoute

    ScenicRoute New Member

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    Yikes. Glad you’re ok. Bummer about the truck.

    Have you ruled out the wheel breaking off as a result of the rollover?

    poorly loaded trailer and too light tongue weight?
     
    gascap likes this.
  18. Jun 4, 2022 at 9:01 PM
    #18
    BMET

    BMET New Member

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    Glad you're ok!
     
  19. Jun 4, 2022 at 9:25 PM
    #19
    Booney

    Booney New Member

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    That just sucks. Sorry about the loss. Glad you are okay. That hits hard.

    I have a friend that had a stud break on one of his wheels last week. It broke was hardly any effort. The rest were extremely tight. He even broke a 20 year old 4 way wrench and a breaker bar trying to get the rest of his lugs off that one tire.
     
    hagrid likes this.
  20. Jun 5, 2022 at 2:40 PM
    #20
    Aerindel

    Aerindel New Member

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    I've had tire shops shear off every stud but one on my wife's car. This is probably what happened to you.
     
  21. Jun 5, 2022 at 2:46 PM
    #21
    ShreveportTSS

    ShreveportTSS Huh?

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    First thing I did when I bought my 2013 GX was replace the lug studs. Would encourage others to do the same every 10 years or less.
     
  22. Jun 5, 2022 at 2:56 PM
    #22
    WBW

    WBW Resident lurker

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    I'm happy that you're ok. That had to be one scary ride! I'm sorry about the loss of the truck and trailer for you. Financially that'll leave a mark. In the end, however, the truck and trailer can be easily replaced. You cannot be replaced at all.
    FWIW, I agree with the cause of the wheel stud failure in your case. All too common issue due to improper torque values/equipment/knowledge employed when mounting wheels.
     
  23. Jun 5, 2022 at 4:57 PM
    #23
    SAGE63

    SAGE63 Wannabe Go Fast Overlander Small Rock Crawler

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    Glad to hear you are all right...
     
  24. Jun 5, 2022 at 4:59 PM
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    dittothat

    dittothat New Member

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    Glad you made it out in one piece!!
     
  25. Jun 5, 2022 at 5:03 PM
    #25
    zech

    zech [OP] New Member

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    As much as this entire thing sucks, and while the messages of "Glad you're okay, truck can be replaced, you can't" won't bring the truck back or make the situation better, you're all absolutely right.

    A damn swell group so much that I ought to go back out and get another Gen 1 just to stay apart of this community.
     
  26. Jun 5, 2022 at 5:14 PM
    #26
    PermaFrostTRD

    PermaFrostTRD Tumescent Member

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    Dang man. Glad you’re ok. Could’ve been a lot worse.

    pretty ringing endorsement for another Yota to jackknife/ roll like that and walk away from it.
     
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  27. Jun 5, 2022 at 6:51 PM
    #27
    landphil

    landphil Fish are food, not friends!

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    You don’t have to ignore the 2nd, 2.5th, or 3rd gens to get that. :boink: Well, maybe it is too soon to know for the 3rd gens. ;) :crapstorm:
     
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  28. Jun 5, 2022 at 9:05 PM
    #28
    Cruzer

    Cruzer Wheeling Full Size

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    Glad you survived.

    I highly doubt that the studs all broke at once. I had replaced my wheel studs in place for longer ones. The front axles I used a large wrench to hand tighten the nuts in order to seat the studs. It was a bitch to do it by hand so I decided I’ll use my impact gun. It made quick work of the rear axles, although I knew that I overtightened the passenger rear wheel. I then drive to Moab to go wheeling. On the way home from Moab I noticed the truck was driving weird on the highway. I pull over and find out that 4 of the 5 studs had snapped off. I'm sure the studs broke off one at a time while I was wheeling. If the 5th one snapped I believe I would've had the same accident as you.

    upload_2022-6-5_21-4-24.jpg
     
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  29. Jun 5, 2022 at 9:54 PM
    #29
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    Holy crap man! Glad you made it. In reality that’s the only thing that matters.

    Hard to say what happened. @landphil has a good theory and looks to have some credibility after looking at the picture again.

    A buddy and I had this happen while pulling his livestock trailer in his 1997 F-350. Rear driver sheared the lug nuts off from over torque. Ass end dropped down and a hella very bad no Bueno noises were coming from under the truck. He just pushed in the clutch and shifted to neutral and coasted to a stop. We never got out of control which was a good thing considering what we had in tow.

    I’m not going to lie to you. My recent (4-5 years) experiences with tire shops have been less than stellar. For some reason it’s a 50/50 if they get my Lexus IS350 wheels on the right axles. In one day they messed it up twice. On the third I had the manager do some training with his fellas while I watched. They have been pretty good at getting my truck lug nuts torqued correctly (140 ft #). Now my trailers…good lord. My HD 8k axle trailer has 9/16” studs and requires 175 ft #. Hell, they had to look around for a socket big enough for those lug nuts. Most I’ve seen them put on was 140. Both of my bumper pull trailers I sold had several studs replaced due to improper air gun use. The one that took the cake was a guy that cross threaded the lug nut and it wouldn’t go on all the way. The manager came out and said “sometimes these air guns get weak” and proceeded to get a bigger air gun and drove it home. I went to my truck, pulled out the adjustable breaker bar and handed it to the manager and asked him to take that one lug nut off. He asked why? I said it’s cross threaded and if I have a flat, how am I going to get this off? Yeah, he couldn’t get it off with my tire breaker bar. Got a voucher to a trailer repair facility. They did it to 3 other lug nuts as well.


    Know how I solved this problem?

    1) Purchased Centramatics. I checked, most 1/2 tons can’t run them (Including the Tundra). Trailers you can and I highly recommend them. You can barely see them inside my wheel. 3B5B0EE4-52FB-480D-B9E1-72E1FFAAEF64.jpg

    2) Purchased one of these.

    6F39DAD3-2758-40E4-898D-216183539B84.jpg

    3) Jack stands
    4) Verity of torque wrenches, but a good one that goes up to 250 ft# is probably all you will ever need.
    5) Adult beverage(s).

    I rotate my own tires now since I have continuous balancing. I also don’t pay for that with tires either. :thumbsup:
     
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  30. Jun 6, 2022 at 4:45 PM
    #30
    Aerindel

    Aerindel New Member

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    I've taken to MOUNTING my own tires, with tire irons. Won't go to a shop for anything but an alignment.
     

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