[Shotimes] lug bolts shearing off

[Michael Piplani]

This is my first posting to the list.... I've been a subscriber lurking in
the shadows for years....
This is my problem.  Spring 2002 I put my slicers on after winter and I
tightened my lug nuts to a 'reasonable tightness'  - One that required a
little effort to undo.  I'm driving around two months later and the front
end starts to shake violently.  I pull over. and One lug bolt is completely
sheared off on either side of the front wheels.  I go to tighten the
remaining lug nuts and shear off another one on the side of the road.  I
limp home and chalk this up to having not tightened the lug nuts enough.
I thought I learned my lesson-  I bought a torque wrench at Tire Rackthis
fall with my new snow tires, and torqued all my nuts to spec.  No problems
last winter.
Well last weekend my wife is driving the car and the front starts shaking-
she
limps the last 10 miles of the NYS Thruway to our exit.  As soon as she gets
off the highway she pops the hub caps 3 bolts are sheared off on the right
front wheel.  All are tight on the left!
I used the torque wrench and torqued all those nuts down to the specs (upper
range) I got out of my Haynes manual.  I should mention I got new front
brakes- rotors, calipers, etc... in April, but I changed the wheels after
that work was done, and torqued those nuts down to spec
I've never had this problem before, I rotate my tires 2x a year minimum for
the last 15 years, 10 of those years on a plain Taurus.
Any thoughts?  (Sorry I couldn't access the archive if this has been
addressed before)

Mike Piplani
94 ATX w/ MD plates