Re: GTV-6, broken lugs, advice needed

[James Montebello <jamesm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 11 Apr 2003, Richard Welty wrote:

> On Fri, 11 Apr 2003 16:51:27 -0400 Joe Elliott <jee@domain.elided> wrote:
> > My questions are:
> > 1) Why on earth did this happen?  (A Miata-owning aquaintance wasn't
> > surprised and said he's seen this happen before, but I can't see what
> > they cause could possibly be.)
>
> what brand are the rotors, and have you been careful torquing the lug nuts?
>
> > 2) How dangerous is it to drive (conservatively) with two of five
> > lugs broken off on a hub-centric wheel?
> >
> > 3) Even if the answer to #2 is "pretty safe," what are the odds of
> > additional lugs randomly breaking off over the next 500 miles?
>
> if due to a manufacturing defect, pretty good.
>
> i'd swap that rotor out pretty quick if i were you.

Am I mis-remembering, or aren't the lugs attached to the hub, not the
rotor?  I can't see how the rotor could be the cause.  Over-torquing rusty
lugs, I can see.   As I recall, the lugs simply go through the rotor.
Now, if the rotor where it touches the lugs is so thick it contacts the
threads and not just the shoulder of the lugs...

As for safety, you're safer if the broken lugs aren't right next to
each other.  However, the likelyhood of the other three lugs failing
obviously goes up dramatically.  I would drive the car the absolute
minimum distance to get new lugs (all 5) in the hub.

jamesm
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