I was very close to having a very bad day but luckily I caught it--I was doing my spark plugs this past weekend and while I had the torque wrench out I decided to re-torque any lug nuts that were loose. I got to the right rear rim and two lug nuts were just gone. Of the other three, one was very loose and the other two were just a little loose. I have no idea how this happened but obviously I didn't torque them down well enough on this rim. Not a mistake I'm going to make again.

On to my related question: I have no way of knowing how long it's been missing the lugs. I put the rims on about three weeks ago, so anytime from then to now I could've lost those two. I'm guessing there was extra stress placed on the wheel studs/lugs themselves with only three present. I already ordered a new set of lugs and I'm going to change them all out, but should I be replacing the wheel hub too?

 

I would def do the lugs and studs.

 

Went ahead and ordered a new wheel hub and bearing. Now I have to find out how much labor it's going to be...

I think it would eventually drive me crazy not having it replaced even if the studs are perfectly fine. That "ticking time bomb" factor doesn't sit well with me.

 

if you dont do it yourself expect to pay around the 200 dollar area or less if you find a good installer that wont over inflate easy work.

where did you get your new hubs at?

im probbably gonna do my bearings when i go to put on my extended studs.

 

I got the hub and bearing from rockauto.com -- I've used them for quite a few things lately and it's been all good experiences so far.

 

Do them ASAP, I had one lug go loose on one of my old lexus SC's, and while driving it, it eventually worked its way free, started to cause some movement inbetween the remaining 4, and snapped 2 of the 5 and stripped out the rest, forunatly they were repaving the road I live off of and it was all dirt at the time. No damage to the car or wheel.

 

Did you use conical lug nuts with conical wheel seats (the OEM wheels and lug nuts are spherical)?

 

I used the proper lugs, conical with aftermarket wheels. I must have just forgotten to torque them on that wheel.

I got all the parts in the other day and replaced the lugs (I had borrowed a couple from a friend so I have been driving on 5/5 since finding out anyways...just wanted new ones in case the old ones had been stressed/fatigued). I still haven't had the hub replaced because all the shops I've called save for one will not put on provided parts. This is all new to me--I've never had a shop turn down business just because the parts were brought in by the customer. Waiting to hear back on a quote from the last place. So far it's been fine though, no catastrophic wheel falling off because of fatigued studs.