Well, I do appreciate the sympathy, but at this point, you should just laugh at my misfortune, since it was so many years ago... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Don't be scared either -- remember that the whole reason this happened is because I never retorqued the lugs -- in fact, there's a good chance I never even put a wrench on them and instead drove about 150 miles with them just finger-tight. What you should do is this, though... Anytime you finish working at 3:00am, go back and check the important stuff in the morning, like tightening your lug nuts. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

-Chris

Wow. What a rough day....sounds a bit like Michael Douglas in that one movie I can't think of <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

Hmm...however, some stories are good learning tools, and make you wanna go kiss your family and tell them how much you love them.

But tonight, I think I'll go outside and torque my lug nutz!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Yeah,, it does sound like a piece from that movie, which is called Falling Down. Great movie.
I must say, that was a good story, pretty funny, but I am sure it wasn't funny for you at the time.

yeah, that's an understatement!

but it makes for one hell of a story

This weekend I went looking for parts. The studs weren't too bad at ~$2 a piece. So I figured I would get new lug nuts too. I want to keep the centercap, but the price of OEM equivalent lug nuts at napa was $8 each!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

So I called St. Charles, and they were still ~$7 each. I thought it would be a good idea to replace them all but that's almost $175 just to get new nuts.... I guess I'll try the old ones.

Anyone have a good source for cheap lugnuts?

Should be able to pick them up at just about any auto parts store. I was in AutoZone the other day looking at the sets of 6 for around $10 each. My 98 Rodeo has 3 different sizes between the 4 wheels, they're all the same on the inside, but outside diam's differ so I need 3 different wrenches to get 'em all... Still, I didn't really want to spend $40 on a full set, so I didn't get them, but that's a helluva lot cheaper than $175...

-Chris

Having just done all six of the driver's side front yesterday, I found stock matching studs and nuts (spring washers and all) at both Advance and AutoZone for about $2.80/ea for nuts and $.98 for the studs.

Thanks guys. Autozone was the one place I didn't have time to check. I plan on stopping by tonight.

Are these hardened ones (or at least harder than stock) that will make it so you don't have to worry about a tire place using an impact wrench?

When I did my manual hub conversion, I noticed the lug nuts could not be turned by hand, I assume this means they've been messed up at some point and need to be replaced.

Jay

I think they're probably the same hardness as stock bolts, but I couldn't swear to it. Fact is, I was swearing at everything else by the time I got around to putting them in and it was getting dark, so I didn't check the markings that closely. I put a small dab of anti-sieze on the lugs, and I'll just make it a point to tell the tire guys up front if they get their hands on the truck that I'll have it right back to them if I find a lug over 75lb/ft.

James