The other day I took my car to the mechanic to get rear breaks changed, and new, longer stems put on, so that spacers would fit.

the next day while driving (first time after getting the car back from mechanics) my wheel almost falls off on the highway. I feel a lot of wobbling, so I pull over right away, to find three of five stems/lugs sheered right off, and the other two nuts very loose.

My question to you is, what happened here? nuts not tightened? or do the stems really carry so much of the cars weight that the "poor quality" of the stems i provided the mechanic with, cause the sheering? (he said that the weight is held on them, and they broke because bad)

Thanks guys

My guess is the spacers were not adequately torqued to your hub. They do NOT hold the weight, they merely hold the wheel in place. The axle then takes all of the weight of the car. Not the lug nuts.


I was a moron and did this once. Exact same situation. Shake progressed quickly to violently shaking. Pull over. Pull on the wheel in question - out pop two of my factory lugs sheered off from not being torqued properly.

Research 'hubcentric' and you'll answer your second question.


Someone was forgetful.

This post was edited by OldAndyAndTheSea on Jun 12 2015 03:24pm

Okay, so I see the hubcentric decrease the length of the stems by being attached directly from the spacers.

So from what he said, saying it wasn't his fault because the stems I provided weren't strong enough to hold the weight of the car, is that true or not? Just asking because my brothers a lawyer, and hes pissed as shit (for some reason)

I see where you are going with this and it would be nearly impossible to prove he did anything wrong.

^^ agreed.


Personally, I'd not be a retuning customer with that mechanic.


I'd bet money on him not tightening the bolts, just based off his (hopefully) bullshit "the lugs cant take the weight" response, though.

Who knows? Maybe he actually thinks that's how wheels work. I'm never surprised.


But as FMX said, and I agree, this is a fight not worth starting...At least on a legal playing field.

Feel free to call him out on the inferior lug comment, however.

This post was edited by OldAndyAndTheSea on Jun 12 2015 03:38pm

alrighty Just thought id get some insight as to how exactly the weight is distributed before calling bullshit on his pathetic workmanship