Wheels studs...

[mgm1979]

So, I get everything together in my car...
Slicks - check, Jack - check, air pump - check, accu-tire gauge - check, pulleys - check, tools - check, laptop - check, HPT cable - check, cameras - check........money - CHECK!

Drive my happy little ass the hr+15 to the track...supposed to be the coolest (temp-wise) Test N Tune at the 1/4 mile since Spring - I'm STOKED! (No Driver Mod instructor though, I was on my own tonight...)

I get to the track, wait an hour for them to open the damn gates - who knows WTF they were doing... - and pick out my "pit spot" - look in the tool bag for my Gorrilla Lug Key, oops...didn't bring the correct 1/2" drive socket for the key! - Ok, I'll use the 3/8" and some FOOT POWA!...yeah, two lugs later, I broke my Craftsman Ratchet (Sears, here I come!).

So, I mosey on over to my "pit neighbor"...
"hey, you don't happen to have a breaker bar or something, d'ya?"
"No, but I got my tire iron..."
"Yeah, that might work!"
Wouldn't yeah know - it's the right size! So, back over to the car and break off the rest of the lugs, take my 'lop off, tighten it up, head over to the other side...
<sigh>
Well, I'm 2 lugs into the other side, first lug starts fighting me...I loosen it, but it locks up - I move on...next one fights me, SAME THING! After about 10 minutes of thought, I figured it was better to leave the 'lops on, rather than FORCE the lugs off and risk damaging shit - possibly throw a wheel on a launch or something and make friends with a wall...Re-tighten everything up, load the car back up, make the hr+15 trip home.

The POINT to that story...what's it take to replace the probably damaged studs? Am I better off bringing her into a Saturn tomorrow, or ANY tire/wheel store?

HOW does such a thing happen? The last person to put the lugs on was a tire shop, when I swapped my stock lugs for the gorillas - they used an air gun...

[06_ion2]

i broke 3 off them off on my car.. there easily pounded out and in... theres a little grove that they will slide out from but u need to grind a little lip off the mettal gasket.. takes a easy 20 min to replace

[MrCleanY0]

Replacing studs is a pain in the ass. I remember a time when I was changing my brakes on my 95 Grand Am GT and 6 of the 10 on the front wheels broke. First time I had the wheels off of that car too. Bad part was that I was driving to South Carolina the next morning.

[Sp00ner]

Impact gun sounds like the culprit to me...

[socalsilverRL]

I replaced the stud in my drivers side after Fontana last time. I had the hardest time finding a lug nut to go in there, they dont carry lugs for the Ion. I used a Cobalt lug, same size lug just different nut...works just fine. hammer it out, then hammer the new one back in. You dont have to take the hub off...I just used the impact wrench to wrench it in all the way.

[mgm1979]

Originally Posted by Sp00ner

Impact gun sounds like the culprit to me...

That's kinda what I was thinking...like he didn't get it threaded right and "forced it" (which explains the initial "break" and then locking up again) or he just plain over-torqued the bitch!

I don't think I could "prove" any of that, so I'm just gonna bite the bullet on this one...

Saturn or "other" tire shop?

[Sp00ner]

Originally Posted by mgm1979

That's kinda what I was thinking...like he didn't get it threaded right and "forced it" (which explains the initial "break" and then locking up again) or he just plain over-torqued the bitch!

I don't think I could "prove" any of that, so I'm just gonna bite the bullet on this one...

Saturn or "other" tire shop?

If it's under warrnty, and the guys are nice, I'd go Saturn. It's such a cheap easy fix they might not even think twice about it.

[mgm1979]

Originally Posted by Sp00ner

If it's under warrnty, and the guys are nice, I'd go Saturn. It's such a cheap easy fix they might not even think twice about it.

Some of the guys are cool up there...but, with the Gorilla lugs??? (that's my only concern...)

[Schizzo97SC2]

if you're bringing it down the road to PR they won't bitch at you for that. I've had my car serviced there before, nuff said.

[mgm1979]

Originally Posted by Schizzo97SC2

if you're bringing it down the road to PR they won't bitch at you for that. I've had my car serviced there before, nuff said.

Actually, George's FIRST comment was - aftermarket wheels/lugs...I shit you not!
After he quoted me $160 for parts/labor to replace the two studs, I called up Tire Kingdom and brought them in on the SKITCHUATION and they said bring it in to any shop and it'd be taken care of...so, that's what I did and a couple hours later, I'm good as new!

Although, they asked who had the wheels off after THEY touched it, but I swear to god I, nor anyone else, touched those wheels since - only about a month.