Yeah, I remember a few cars that had them besides VW's. I always thought they were retarded.

and some are right hand threads one side, left hand threads the other side

Porsche did the Boxster like that to go back to their 914 roots:p

Just rotated the wheels on my TDI doing the 40k service today. Wheel bolts - what a PITA! I came here to see if the board had any past wisdom on the reason for bolts over studs. It is what I thought ...

I want to continue to run this car on a budget, meaning maintenance and repairs only, no mods, but a stud conversion is high on the list now. :)

G

changed from lug bolts to studs on my old fiat spyder long ago when I changed to custom wheels. had a flat one night 100 miles out of town, changed it and about 50 miles closer to home that wheel passed me up doing 70 on an unlit 2 lane blacktop, jumped a canal and ended up in the swamp. 3 of the studs had stripped out when the wheels were installed with an impact wrench at the tire shop. had to drive it home with about 1/2" of rear rotor ground flat from the road and 1 lug nut tight and 1 hand tight. rotor made some pretty sparks before I finally stopped.

I read an article in a Mercedes publication that said in their research showed bolts were more reliable and stronger. They said studs sometimes get a crack and the user will never see it until it breaks. I don't remember all the details but Mercedes thinks they are a better solution to holding on the wheels.

Lotus has them, I dont mint them a bit because the wheels ar hubcentric and small/light. I think my opinon would change if it had 19/335

Try using bolts when you have spacers, as I have on my 996. Three sets of holes to align. I just picked up a threaded stud to minimize the cursing.

Wasn't there one in the toolkit?

22" rims on my last audi.....they provide you with a little plastic thread in dowel that broke the first time I used it.....It was pretty cold out that day but come on couldn't you at lest make it outta steel????

Studs use two points of attachment(m/f threads), versus one for bolts.

No, studs are pressed into the hub.

Thank you.
john70t <-----fail
(and yes I've replaced them many times. mind was elsewhere)

I can't see how they are "stronger", but I do think the crack story does make sense.

I'll get a stud in the right thread size to make it easier next time. It is the fronts that suck most, the rears have more of a hub the wheel grabs onto.

G