I'm wonder if anyone knows how 4 out of 5 lug nuts could have possibly sheared right off while driving?.... rotor and all....

 

Only thing I could think of is that they were over torqued. Did you or anybody else have that wheel off recently? Hopefully nobody was injured when it happened!

 

Loose lug nuts will do that, allowing the wheel to move & start shearing lugs. Once one lug goes, that means more force on what it left. I'd actually be surprised to see the 5th one hang one without shearing off too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyMDNzhfwn0

 

I agree with Stephen. I have seen it several times. Even had it happen to me once. Loose lug nuts allow the rim to rock back and forth on the lug nuts. You probably didnt even notice it. Then the studs get fatigued, worn, and hot (from wear) then usually shear off unexpectedly.

 

the rotor came off too? or did that happen when the car hit the ground after the wheel came off?

 

haha umm... the whole axle is ****ed. apparently the guy i bought the car from had the wrong size lugnuts on the rims.

 

The rotor didn't come off, the studs that go through the rotor which are connected to the axle sheared off... I didn't know how else to word it

 

so theres one stud left the right?

 

Sounds exactly how I pictured it & shown in the video of the Mazda I linked to above.

 

i was actually thinking this was a front wheel for some reason, but since it appears to he a rear wheels, then yes, the rotors are slide on and can come off, but the calipers would have the be broken off too.

oooo what a mess.

 

just watched that, i laughed, all 4 wheels.... at least he was consistent with his torque specs, or lack thereof .

 

yeah... the 5th lug came off when the tow truck lowered it down lol. I just picked up a rear out of an 88 today and 4 iroc rims. So now I just gotta figure out if it would be too much work to convert the brakes from drum to disc...cause I currently have drum...but the rear I bought is set up for disc. Hopefully I could just swap the lines and master cylinder..