28 replies to this topic

[Hughes]

Im not being funny but they should not snap like that. Surely over the years more than enough mini wheel studs have been over tightened by grease monkeys with air ratchets without issue?

Problem here is the problem that effects everything these days. Consumers demand cheaper prices, retailers demand cheaper prices to stay competitive, manufacturers use cheaper materials to stay competitive, consumers get sheite products.

I've never understood why everything to do with Mini's is so budget anyway. Im not saying we should be ripped off, but quality should come first.

[Burnard]

As some people on here know i do not own an air compressor therefore have no access to an air ratchet, and i also cannot square the price of an impact rench. and after this i dont think i will get one at all.

I thought they were quality, i had had a look at studs at MITP and didnt think any of them were any good, i bought the ones from minispeed after looking at them and they apeared to be better, and i assumed that because they were £1 per stud, not 50p they were made from a better quality material.


Chris

[Burnard]

From what i have seen, the minispares studs are different, the cap that stops it pulling through apears to be much thicker than on the minispeed ones, so i would say they are different manufactures.

I have never seen the minisport ones, or looked for them, but know my dad used to use them back in the day without fail.

so there is no evidence to show that either of these companies studs are from the same manufacture.

And to prove that, i will order some minispares ones tonight when my dads home with the credit card

[Ethel]

It's hard to believe no one at Minispeed is aware of their responsibilities under the Sale of Goods Act. If they were sued as a result of someone's wheels falling off it would cost them much more than a couple of studs. Ask for a manager's email address to you can send them the photos or get in touch with their local trading standards and let them deal with it.

[Rosslin Racing]

Burnard what sort of wheels do you have on your mini? do you have wheel spacers? how long are the studs?. wheel studs that break are no good at all you need all 4 wheels on the road! I sell mini parts that are supplied to me by Minispeed, I can say that I have never seen something like you have and i have sold a fair few, I even have them on my one of my race car.
there must be a reason for that breakage and over doing the torque is the most commen cause, or having spacers fitted that are rubbish this allows the wheel to pull on the stud in the corners.

[vaux_mike]

I would like to add that I'm the guy at minispeed you spoke to, and we said that we would inspect the studs and go from there as we obviously need to closely investigate this matter.

We have used these studs for more than ten years now without a single problem. We fit them ourselves to customers cars and have not had any issues. This includes the use on high horse power race cars. I think we are dealing with the matter fairly in asking you to let us have a look before we refund you. When we see them we will have a better idea of what the problem is.

You were never told that we would not issue a refund.

Please let's be fair.

Regards,

Mike.

[oldskoolracer]

someone's telling porkys,
i have these studs...no worries...
you MUST have over tightened them,

[Dan]

I think this thread should be closed until Mini Speed have had a chance to inspect the studs and determine what's happened. For now this is a matter between Burnard and Mini Speed. A warning has been posted that people should check their studs and that's fine but at the moment that's all that should be done. None of you can possibly know that any studs you have bought are the same as the studs in question, this could be a problem with a specific batch or even a few examples from a batch. I think for now I will ask that someone lock this thread, hide any posts that aren't relevant to the warning and the response directly from Mini Speed and pin it at the top. If there is a problem as it appears then it's important the warning remain in place, with the information currently available there is no need for any other comment here at all.

[Burnard]

UPDATE:

I have had a phone call from minispeed today, they have tested the studs and some from their stock, and will be giving me a full refund.

He did tell me the exact resuslts of the testing but i couldnt hear him properly, but i will find out and let you know properly when i go and collect my money on tuesday.


Chris

[1380rich]

or you could buy genuine wheel studs and not have this problem


rich

[Burnard]

Which is exactly what i have done now.

[Burnard]

I got a full refund yesterday, and they admitted there was a problem. i have not got the exact issue as the person who i spoke to on the phone wasnt there.

I still wouldnt not by wheel studs from minispeed at all.

[Davey1000]

Hello!  I'm new to this forum but I'm an old bloke who used to be a Machine-Load-Control-and-Automation-Systems-Technician at British Leyland Longbridge, the home of the Mini.

 

Wheel studs should have their heads stamped with the manufacturers trade mark and the tensile strength of the steel.  For the classic Mini, the steel properties should be 10.9 which should also be stamped on the head of the stud.  These days I don't have a Mini but I still use the rear hubs for trailers.

 

Avonride suspensions for the classic Mini rear hubs only go as high as 550 kilos per axle.  Other makes go as high as 750 kilos. Empirical results show that at above about 600 kilos per axle the wheel nuts on the left hand side tend to work loose.  Trying to defeat the unscrewing by over-tightening the wheel nuts will just strip the threads unless the studs and nuts are top class and brand new.  I did consider making left handed studs for the left hand side but this is a lot of hassle.  Instead Loctite thread-lock will get you home but a better way is to put lock nuts on top of the wheel nuts.

 

I have never had studs or wheel bearings fail.  The failures have always been nut loosening on the left hand side,  collapse of rusted hollow-arm suspension units and there has been the odd puncture.  Nowadays I prefer solid-arm suspension units but the hollow arm type is OK if the arm is filled with cement or something to keep the weather out of places that cannot be painted.

 

I would suspect that the dud studs are counterfeits that are made from 8.8 grade steel or lower as they are unmarked.  (usually bolts that do not have any markings as to their strength must be considered to be made of 4.4 strength steel (mild steel))  Such bolts are OK for bolting wooden fence panels together but not for holding on car wheels!

 

This could be a Trading Standards issue as the wheel studs do not appear to be of merchantable quality.  There is also the safety aspect as to what might happen if a pothole was hit at 60 mph.  Pattern parts that don't work like the originals are a real curse.  

 

Good luck with your litigation!

[Davey1000]

Hello!  I'm new to this forum but I'm an old bloke who used to be a Machine-Load-Control-and-Automation-Systems-Technician at British Leyland Longbridge, the home of the Mini.

 

Wheel studs should have their heads stamped with the manufacturers trade mark and the tensile strength of the steel.  For the classic Mini, the steel properties should be 10.9 which should also be stamped on the head of the stud.  These days I don't have a Mini but I still use the rear hubs for trailers.

 

Avonride suspensions for the classic Mini rear hubs only go as high as 550 kilos per axle.  Other makes go as high as 750 kilos. Empirical results show that at above about 600 kilos per axle the wheel nuts on the left hand side tend to work loose.  Trying to defeat the unscrewing by over-tightening the wheel nuts will just strip the threads unless the studs and nuts are top class and brand new.  I did consider making left handed studs for the left hand side but this is a lot of hassle.  Instead Loctite thread-lock will get you home but a better way is to put lock nuts on top of the wheel nuts.

 

I have never had studs or wheel bearings fail.  The failures have always been nut loosening on the left hand side,  collapse of rusted hollow-arm suspension units and there has been the odd puncture.  Nowadays I prefer solid-arm suspension units but the hollow arm type is OK if the arm is filled with cement or something to keep the weather out of places that cannot be painted.

 

I would suspect that the dud studs are counterfeits that are made from 8.8 grade steel or lower as they are unmarked.  (usually bolts that do not have any markings as to their strength must be considered to be made of 4.4 strength steel (mild steel))  Such bolts are OK for bolting wooden fence panels together but not for holding on car wheels!

 

This could be a Trading Standards issue as the wheel studs do not appear to be of merchantable quality.  There is also the safety aspect as to what might happen if a pothole was hit at 60 mph.  Pattern parts that don't work like the originals are a real curse.  There have even been cases of fake Metric bolts with the heads stamped "8.8" when they were actually made from mild steel. Unfortunately policing against fakes is an uphill struggle as there are so many of them. 

 

Good luck with your litigation!

Edited by Davey1000, 27 December 2013 - 01:41 AM.