This is a very common question, so one which you will most likely hear people ask. But how do you know if in fact that the vibrations are coming from a broken stud?

Let’s quickly look at answering the question, Can A Broken Stud Cause Vibration?

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Can A Broken Stud Cause Vibration?

Yes, the vibration could be due to the missing lug nuts, depending on how they torqued the wheels in place.

Can A Missing Stud Cause Vibration?

According to a truck user:

I purchased a used 2011 Ford F-250 in November of last year. I have owned many trucks and cars before, so I am familiar with the way they sound and feel. When I purchased the truck, it was absolutely perfect. It was quiet, smooth, and felt like a brand new truck.

I did my research on the truck before purchasing it, and everything checked out and the VIN for the truck matched the parts installed on it. It has a lift kit, with 37 inch tires, wheels, exhaust system, etc… all brand new (as far as I can tell).

I started to notice that my steering wheel would shake when I accelerated from a stop or slow speed (like 0-30mph). At first it was only noticeable at very slow speeds (0-10mph) then progressively got worse until it happens even at highway speeds (once you reach 60mph and floor it).

When I took my truck in to get an alignment done, the mechanic informed me that one of my lower control arms was missing its stud (the bolt that holds the arm to the frame). He also informed me that there were traces of fresh welding around where it used to be, which made me think someone had cut off the old bolt while installing new suspension.

Is It OK To Drive With A Broken Stud?

Whether or not it’s OK to drive with a broken stud depends on the severity of the break. If it’s completely broken, then it will continue to loosen until the wheel eventually falls off. If you still have half of the stud, then you should be able to drive safely until you get your lug nuts replaced.

We would recommend that you replace both studs and lug nuts any time one breaks. This will prevent future issues and save you from having to disassemble the brake drum in order to access the stud.

What Would Cause Wheel Studs To Break Off While Driving?

It’s not common for wheel lug studs to break off. It is possible, but it takes a lot of time and neglect for that to happen. When you see a wheel stud broken off, usually the rest of them are pretty loose too.

The reason wheel studs fail is because the threads on the hub get stripped out over time. The wheel nuts aren’t tightened properly, which allows the wheel to move around on the hub. This rubbing movement eventually wears away the threads that hold the lug stud in place. It’s not long before one or more of them breaks off when you try to change a tire.

Over-tightening wheel nuts can also cause this problem, especially if they’re an aftermarket design that’s not made to OEM standards. The additional pressure is just too much for them, so they snap right off when you try to remove them.

Regardless of why it happened, it needs to be fixed. Driving around with broken wheel studs is very dangerous as well as illegal in most places. You risk having a wheel come loose from your truck at high speed – which could cause serious accidents and injuries.

Why Do My Wheel Studs Keep Breaking?

Here are someone words:

I have a 2002 Chrysler Town and Country that seems to have an issue with wheel studs. I’ve had this happen probably 6 times now, and it seems like every time I try to replace them, the same thing happens again. Here’s what happens:

I drive along, parked my car for a few days, and then when I come back out and try to drive away, one of the wheels won’t turn (or at least, it doesn’t move the car). It appears that the wheel is just spinning freely on the studs. When I look under the vehicle (with a flashlight), I can see that there’s still a wheel nut on there, but the wheel stud has broken off inside the nut. Note that this only happens on ONE of the wheels. This has happened so many times now that I’m starting to think that maybe it’s not user error; maybe something is wrong with my car. But what?

I understand that if you over-torque your wheel nuts, you can break the wheel studs. What I don’t understand is why this would cause one stud to break while all the others are fine. In addition, when I go to replace them, they seem really hard to get out of their holes in each brake rotor.

How Do You Know If Your Wheel Stud Is Broken?

You know that feeling when you see a car in the distance and you’re sure it’s broken down, but it keeps going? It’s that feeling that you’re about to get a flat tire. It’s annoying, but there isn’t much you can do about it.

How about when you’re on the road and suddenly hear a grinding sound under your truck? That grinding isn’t an indicator of bad wheels or tires. It’s the sound of broken wheel studs.

Tire failure is a common cause of grinding noises under a truck. And if left unattended for too long, the only solution is to replace the entire axle assembly.

If a wheel stud breaks, you can pull it out and insert a new one. But if a wheel hub is cracked, you have to remove the wheel and get it replaced. Even if all you need to do is tighten a lug nut, you’re in for some serious work.

It’s easy for a wheel hub to snap, but what about the fasteners holding on that lug nut? Those are usually more reliable. If your lug nut doesn’t appear broken, give it a spin by hand and see if it spins freely. If it doesn’t spin at all, don’t force it because you could strip the threads of your bolt or worse yet break something inside the car.