Re: Wheel studs?

["Merlyn Plotz" <MERLYNP@TC-MANKATO.SCM.TEC.MN.US>]

> Date:          Tue, 13 Feb 1996 15:55:45 -0500 (EST)
> From:          "Graydon D. Stuckey" <graydon@apollo.gmi.edu>
> To:            "G. Erickson" <erickson@teleport.com>
> Cc:            Quattro list <quattro@coimbra.ans.net>
> Subject:       Re: Wheel studs?

> On Tue, 13 Feb 1996, G. Erickson wrote:
> 
> > Graydon,
> > 
> > 	It might be worth it put up with those infernal wheel bolts.  I 
> > had it explained to me one time that the wheel _bolts_ are self-torqueing 
> > due to expansion/contraction or centifigal force or some such.
> > 
> > 	The opposite side being that the wheel _studs_ tend to loosen 
> > their nuts over time.
> > 
> > 	If this is indeed true, then I'll happily put up with the 
> > occasional nusience (sp) of dealing with the bolts if I know that I don't 
> > need to worry about them loosening and falling off.
> Gary,
> 
> 	I have never heard that before.  In fact, every race car that I 
> have ever seen that was not allowed to use a single knock-off style wheel 
> nut, has had studs not bolts.  Granted that is also done primarily for 
> convenience, but I don't think they have a tendency to loosen 
> automatically.
> 	I have replaced bolts with studs on a couple RX7s with never any
> loosening problems.  Mind you, I check them alot, because I change them
> alot at autocrosses.  Most every other car in the whole world uses studs, 
> so I don't know why VW/Audi and Mazda can't figure it out.
> 
> 	Maybe someone else has some further input?
> 
> Later,								
> Graydon D. Stuckey								
> graydon@apollo.gmi.edu								
> Flint, Michigan   USA
> '86 Audi 5000 CS Turbo Quattro, GDS Racing Stage II				
> '85 Mazda RX7 GS 12A-leaning-towards-a-13B-soon
> 
Guys

My $0.02 worth. Back a number of years ago, our family
owned a 1951 Plymouth. At that time the Chrysler engineers
made a big point of the natural losining/tightening of wheel
bolts and used right-hand threads on one side of the car and
left-hand threads on the other. Probally more of a advertising> 
gimik than anything.

Merlyn
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