dlq04

Personally I would not drive it in that condition. But if I had to, I'd drive it as slow as I possibly could; certainly not at 55 mph!

Bill's suggestion to buy the proper thread chaser is the answer. You might try contacting the dealership to see what they recommend (it doesn't cost anything to ask) and also ask them for the specs on the stud to ensure you get the proper size and thread pitch. I would not put that much trust in a Sears employee; no way.

MsPerky

The idea of driving at that speed with only three lugnuts sounds scary to me, but I don't know the technical details. I think I'd have to agree with others and say get it fixed, then drive!

tof

No one has asked if the vehicle in question uses hub-centric wheels. If they are not then there is NO WAY I would drive any distance with three lug nuts.

WhiteS2k

Thanks for all the input. I've looked into the "thread chaser" a little and it seems there are many different kinds of chasers. The price range from $10 to $200+. There are "universal" chasers and then there are chasers for specific thread sizes. There are also thread chasers that can work on both the nut and the bolt, but I don't think those will work on wheel studs because they are so long.

So what else should I know about thread chasers before I go down to Sears and pick one up?

dlq04

I am going to repeat myself...............

1. First, I would contact the service department at the dealership and ask them if they might have a proper thread chaser. If so, would there be any charge to bring the car in? It would only take them about two minutes if they have one.

2. If not, ask them if they can provide you with the specs on the stud to ensure you get the proper size and thread pitch.

3. As a last resort, take a wheel nut into Sears to see if they can match it up with a thread chaser for the stud.

WhiteS2k

Thanks.

I called my local dealer service department and spoke to them. The dealer service advisor told me that with my model car, to replace the ($5) stud would require replacing the whole wheel hub assembly (a 3 hour job, plus parts). So the total estimate would be more than $300.

So I guess I will be looking for a chaser this weekend.

Legal Bill

$200 for a single thread chaser? What is it for, the space shuttle? Bring the lug nut with you to the local hardware store. Tell them what it is for and tell them you need a thread chaser or die for the stud that fits this lug nut.

All that said, if you are not really clear on the concept, then I say stop and let a local garage do this for you.

RC - Ryder

I've done one stud and one hub replacement in the last 6 months. The hub was rear on a 1999 Accord. The hub had a bad bearing and replacement was about 80 bucks at Pep Boys. Need to remove rear caliper and use a impact driver to get the rotor off. Then, that big wheel nut has to come off and it's torqued circa 140 pounds. Chisel out the crimp and remove nut. Replace hub directly and reassemble. Took about an hour.
The stud was a front 95 Accord. It was broken off courtesy of Sam's Club, during a tire replacement. Remove caliper. Must remove wheel nut first by same method. The torque on this must be near 200 pounds. Rotor on this model is a floater and removal exposes the hub. I rotated hub below dust shield and pounded broken stud end out with a couple licks from a 3 pound hammer. Reinstalled new 4 dollar pep boys stud, which would not fully seat because rear access is hard without removing hub fully. Reinstall everything and use wheel lug to seat it as well as possible by this method. Stud seated tight, not perfect, but clear of obstructions. Biggest issue is getting those 30 or 32mm wheel nuts off. Latter also took near two hours, mostly because of the first time discovery and getting that front wheel nut off without a large breaker bar. If you don't have the tools or airgun to get big wheel nuts off, don't bother trying.
I wouldn't go to a dealer, most any mechanic likely would do it for half or less the quoted price.

Kyras

dlq04

I wasn't recommending he take it to the dealership unless they offered to clean up the threads with the proper thread chaser. Where's the money in that ...... none, but some dealerships do offer good customer service; whereas others only know how to charge top dollar for total replacements.