I can't tell you what it is. But I am willing to bet the studs are not defective either.

If there was an issue we would have seen this before as they make these parts by the millions. Besides how did they all end up only on your HHR.

Has someone other than you ever changed the studs before like a tire store. One guy there could have over tighten them and damaged them enough to fail later fter being changed by you. THey are just now reaching the stress point. Bolt stretch is not a auto fail on the first try.

Changing them should help but I suspect it is not just the stud there has to be something else doing this as no one here or any other reports of Chevys losing studs.

 

good point.
since i've owned it (3 years now), with the exception of having the new wheels put on, i've been the only one to do the swapping. no rotating of the tires by service calls.

so maybe i just have to check them more often?
but i wouldn't think i'd have to after the initial "100 mile check" after a wheel swap.
oy

 

Are you sure the new wheels have the correct bolt pattern - 5 X 110MM?

Are the studs the only thing holding the wheels on or do your new wheels have a tight hub like the stock steel wheels?

 

I'm guessing you have aftermarket wheels.....

How do they fit, when you install and remove them? Can they put undue stress on the studs because of poor fit/alignment. Maybe even the 'steelies" are not fitting correctly.

Could your torque wrench be WAY off......10-15 lbs probably wouldn't hurt, but anything more....?????? Then add in you extra umph and you may be 50-60 lbs. over.

 

also check nut "wobble" on the stud..if you can shake the nut then Id change it all...(nut and stud) ..also check the angle of the nut seat on the wheel, it may not match the lug angle in which case theres not a whole lot of contact.. take a sharpie and color the lug face, contact will wear off the sharpie and you'll see the contact surface....

 

the aftermarkets i bought were fitted for an HHR, so the fit is spot on, hub and all.
since this is the second time and opposite wheel, it MUST be something that I'm not doing.
i'll admit, during the sub arctic weather i don't take the time to take off the hubcaps and check the lugs periodically, but i would think that twice in the onset of winter they should be ok.

 

thanks woody, i'll do that IF i swap to the "summer" wheels.

 

Ahh..sub temps....could be a material thing where the wheels are prone to cold shrink allowing the lugs to move slightly..so when they heat up with brakes they expand and cool down and retract,,,,a few cycles of this and they loosen up..tq em when really cold and see...

 

X 2, Then add in sub temps = shrinkage aka overtightened.

 

ah yes, the ever dangerous "shrinkage".

i'm wondering if my periodic "bat turns" () could have something to do with it.