I noticed the brake rotor clips are still on with aftermarket wheels. If those clips are not removed when you install aftermarket wheels that will happen everytime unless there is a relief cut on the mounting surface of the wheel to accept that little clip. I have actually seen wheels fall off from not removing that clip. Most of the higher end aftermarket wheels cut that relief in the back of the wheel. Check your wheels, if there is no relief cut, you need to remove the rear wheels and take those clips off as well. Alot of tire/rim shops are not trained to remove those clips, and mail order companies dont tell you to remove them. The only purpose for that clip is during assembly to keep the rotors and drums from falling off while on the assembly line.

 

Im taking it to the dealer I purchased her from so I may make them do it.

Thank you very much for the info and I think you may want to put a sticky on this information !!

curtsy
Elle'

 

In the past I've seen where the combination of an impact wrench set too high and an idiot on the trigger will do the same thing.

Unless the shop has a "torque stick" that controls torque, never let them use an impact!!

 

Nothing wrong with an impact wrench used properly. Max line pressure should never be more than 90p.s.i. a 65 ft lb torque stick should ALWAYS be used and a final torque with a hand torque wrench and you will never have any problems. It is very important that the wheel mounting pad and the mounting surface of the rotor are free of dirt,debris,moisture, stickers, etc.... before mounting the wheel. All of those things can cause an overtorque problem and will result in stretched studs which will break. In most cases you can unscrew the lug from the broken stud.

 

This is a common problem on the Cobalts too.

 

Tireman.....

I like the way you think (or speak, or write) !!!!

 

I write better than I speak.

 

I had a stud shear off just this last week. I have the factory 17s on my 2LT. I took it in for new tires and when they went to put the wheels on they used a torque stick and then a torque wrench to finish putting on the lug nuts one stud on the drivers side front sheered off. The installer said that the torque wrench never indicated it was over torqued and that it just kept moving. I made sure that they were going to take responsibility for the necessary repairs and got it in writing on the bill.

When I got home I took off all of the wheels and checked the other studs to make sure none of the others had been damaged. I ended up going to the parts store and replacing the stud myself. $1.50 part and 20 minutes time most of which was removing and replacing the brake caliper to gain access to the back side of the stud. I noticed that when I was torquing the lug nuts down with my torque wrench it was hard to get an accurate reading. It may have something to do with the different metals, the hard lug nuts and the soft aluminum of the wheel

 

Man this is not very inspiring to hear of this trouble

When I put my new rims on a few months back used a torque wrench and applied the 100 ft pounds required....nothing sheared or moved afaik..I guess I'll find out when I rotate them in a few weeks



Goose

 

Actually the problem is those wheels are designed for use with a mag style lug nut not the factory acorn style. The wheels do not have the correct seat for the acorn milled into them. A lot of people are not award of the differences between the two types and what can happen if using the wrong type of lug nut. Please have them check for this and if it is correct then they need to replace all of the lug nuts with the proper style of lug nuts and you should not have any more problems.

You'll notice around the stud hole it is tapered for the acorn style nut.

In your pic here you'll notice they are not tapered to accept the acorn style nut you are holding in your hand. You can read in this quote I found on www.classictrucks.com talking about the types of lug nuts.
"Another common aftermarket design uses shank-style lug nuts to locate the wheel. The edges of the mounting holes are square, and while cone-style lug nuts may fit, they should never be used with this type of wheel."
You'll also can notice where the sides of the acorn nut have "chewed" into your wheel, most likely what had happened was when they bolted your wheels onto your car they actually overtorqued them to get them tight enough to keep them from moving around.