So yesterday I drive my car to work as usual. I notice this faint whirring noise from the front end, sounds like brakes or maybe a wheel bearing starting to go. It's pretty quiet and the car feels fine tho so I don't think much of it. On the way home, it starts to get louder. I slow down and open the window to listen - sounds like a wheel bearing, maybe a CV joint? Regardless, I had a 7:30 meeting and didn't have time to stop and look at it. Pulling in to the meeting, I hear a couple of clunks. By now I'm starting to get worried. After the meeting is over I pull out heading home, about 2.5 miles away, driving very cautiously since I don't know what's going on. Turning left at the first light I hear a loud SNAP and my steering wheel starts wobbling back and forth. I call some friends who are right in front of me and tell them, something is seriously wrong and I'm pulling over. Turn into a parking lot and SLAM - wheel falls off and rolls into the grass.
All four studs were snapped clean.
Now before anyone says, "you idiot why didn't you tighten your lug nuts" - the wheels were put on over 4 weeks ago, torqued properly, and I've put over 1500 miles on the car since then - including 600 miles on a trip up north last weekend, w/o noticing ANY noise or vibrations to indicating a loose stud or lug nut. Its possible something started to loosen over the weekend but I didn't hear or notice anything indicating a problem until yesterday morning.
What sucks is that this happens the same month I drop $2400 on an HMS gearbox and header install. My car is turning into a freaking money vampire.
Nice 40 foot skid on the front end ...
