Broken lug nut stud

[richsams1]

Hi everyone. Just joined the board today.

While trailering our 83' M25 back from Lake Mead this weekend, I noticed that one of the lug nut studs snapped on the trailer when I went to cover up the tires for storage.

I haven't had the knocked out the broken stud yet, but was wondering if anyone knew off hand what size replacement I will need. I found this page here...

http://www.trailerpartsdepot.com/items. ... =0&Tp=&Bc=

...however I'm not sure which stud to order.

I have the original 1983 MacGregor trailer with surge brakes. If anyone has any idea it would be greatly appreciated. I'm planning on replacing the bearings while I have the wheels off, so I'd like to have all the parts ready before getting down and dirty!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[kmclemore]

You're not going to like my suggestion, but I'd press out ALL the studs on that axle, since if one went they all are very likely to break as well. A shop with a press can quickly press out the old ones and press in new ones - it's literally a 10-minute job. Plus, once you press out a 'whole' stud you can then properly match it with a replacement. You don't need to order special trailer parts - any NAPA or other car parts shop will have them, as they're a common size. Same with the bearings and seals.

[K9Kampers]

From the archives ... my experience with this issue:

K9Kampers » Sat Jun 03, 2006 8:58 pm

At least I'm not alone with this problem...

Today I wanted to check my trailer bearings, and ended up shearing five of the ten wheel studs when taking the wheels off. Buying new bearings was easy, finding the studs was not.

All in all, it was at the 15th stop that I was able finally find a source to special order from. I had visited 8 marinas / boat dealers, 1 RV dealer, 2 trailer shops, 1 tire / wheel shop, & 3 auto parts stores. Fay's Boat Yard in Gilford NH has a catalog of trailer parts & matched my stud by specific dimensions. Two of the auto parts stores came close, as they had catalog pictures of just about every type of wheel stud - except mine. Everyone else just shrugged and said good luck, if they didn't have it on their shelf.

The drum manufacturer (Dexter) and drum part # didn't mean anything, except maybe for talking to Dexter.

I've ordered 10 new studs & nuts, and will keep the five good old ones as spares, so hopefully I'll be back on the road by next weekend. I'm just happy this happened in my yard & not during a roadside breakdown.

[richsams1]

Thanks guys. Hopefully the studs are not too difficult to find. We have all the equipment needed to take care of them ourselves.

[Ormonddude]

Check the Axel bearing as well something caused that stud to break and could have been wheel wobble plus you will want to pull the hub for the stud anyway so may as well

[richsams1]

Repaired everything last night. Was able to match up the studs at Auto Zone with ones that closely resembled the originals. While we were at it, we replaced the tires with some fresh rubber, changed out the bearings on each side and added Bearing Buddies.

My sailing partner and I are seriously wondering if someone tried to steal the wheel off of our trailer while we were out last weekend. All five lug nuts were loosened. The fact we never noticed it until we got home is amazing to me. We drove approximately 25 miles from the marina and didn't notice any wobble until pulling up at home. We've had the same wheels on this trailer for ten years without any previous issues.

[kmclemore]

Was able to match up the studs at Auto Zone with ones that closely resembled the originals.

Excellent. Yeah, just as I thought, they're not a very hard stud to find at most parts stores. Glad it worked out for you.

Remember to re-torque the wheels at every 100 miles for the first 500 miles, then check them before leaving on each long trip.

[richsams1]

Remember to re-torque the wheels at every 100 miles for the first 500 miles, then check them before leaving on each long trip.

Already packed a torque wrench in the Jeep. Won't ever be making that mistake again!

[finding41]

I wouldn't be surprised with... "My sailing partner and I are seriously wondering if someone tried to steal the wheel off of our trailer while we were out last weekend. All five lug nuts were loosened. The fact we never noticed it until we got home is amazing to me. We drove approximately 25 miles from the marina and didn't notice any wobble until pulling up at home. We've had the same wheels on this trailer for ten years without any previous issues."(from Richsam1)
Someone stole the flat 4 prong light plug off mine this summer while in a storage area in our conservation area. I think the only reason the tires didn't disappear was because I backed the trailer into a bunch of raspberry bushes. This was the first year our club has been storing trailers inside the club property. There trailers were untouched. There wasn't enough room for mine as it was a first come first store deal. I'm going to be first in line once club fees are accepted!

[Catigale]

Remember to re-torque the wheels at every 100 miles for the first 500 miles, then check and lubricate them before leaving on each long trip

[kmclemore]

Remember to re-torque the wheels at every 100 miles for the first 500 miles, then check and lubricate them before leaving on each long trip

I see what you did there. Cute.