[s-cars] galvanic corrosion resulting in loose lug nuts: BS or not?

[Richard Hoffman]

Total BS.  Galvanic corrosion to that degree would require an extremely 
salty environment, high temperature, and a lot of time.  If it had been 5 
years since they rotated the tires, then sure, maybe it MIGHT be possible, 
but likely the lug bolts would be so rusted into the hub  that they wouldn't 
come out even when you most wanted them to.

At the very least, the shop should replace the bolts, he should buy a torque 
wrench and a deep 17mm socket, and then proceed to never go there again.

Richard

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Cahill" <david.cahill at alum.dartmouth.org>
To: <s-car-list at audifans.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 2:38 PM
Subject: [s-cars] galvanic corrosion resulting in loose lug nuts: BS or not?


>A buddy of mine (who is not fortunate enough to have an S-Car) has a B5 A4
> 2.8L. After a recent alignment and tire rotation, he was driving down the
> highway and noticed some serious wheel vibration. Ten seconds later, 
> voila,
> the cause is identified -- there's only ONE lug nut left in the driver's
> side front wheel.
>
> He confronted the shop about the missing lug nuts, and they had something
> interesting to say. They say that they properly installed the lug nuts and
> torqued them to spec, but the lug nuts likely fell out due to galvanic
> corrosion.
>
> Here's my question: has anyone heard of this happening? Is this total BS? 
> My
> gut instinct is that galvanic corrosion of the wheel wouldn't cause the 
> lug
> nuts to unscrew themselves. That, and I've simply never heard of this
> happening despite the fact that there are 100,000s of Avus wheels out on 
> the
> road.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> TIA,
> Dave
> _______________________________________________
> S-CAR-List mailing list
> S-CAR-List at audifans.com
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list
>