Wheel bolts broken

My wife was driving our Windstar and she said it was shaking as she was driving and a noise was coming from the right front tire. I pulled the cap off the wheel and three lug nuts fell out. It seems that four of the five bolts had broken. I've gotten new bolt and nuts, have the caliper, and rotor off. Now I'm stuck. I can't seem to get the last hub off to get the bolts out and get the new ones in. I went a bought a 1-1/4" deep socket, but the center bolt does not want to come off. Am I missing something here?

Well, I guess I just needed a little more muscle... and a bigger wrench. Got the bolt off, but getting the housing for the bolts off the axle far enough to get the old bolts off was a pain. Of course getting it back in was another head-ache. Thankfully, the new bolts had cropped heads so the axle didn't get in the way of installing them. Pulled the bolts all the way through using the lug nuts, and the wheel for support. We'll see how well it holds on my 800+ mile trip this weekend. :)

That's a pretty dangerous situation you're dealing with there. What were the circumstances leading up to this mishap? Had the wheels been removed and put back lately? If so, who/where? The lug nuts are supposed to be torqued at 100 ft lbs and no more. I know some of the tire places and garages just put the impacts on and hammer until it won't turn any longer. Give us some input if you could.

As far as leading up to the mishap; my wife drove to the store, and on the way back noticed the steering wheel shaking. She says she didn't hit or run over anything. The drive was about 3-5 miles. My father-in-law had the rotors and calipers changed for my wife while I was away for school. The work was done at a 76 station near his house (about 400 miles away from mine). Since 9,500 miles had been put on the van sice they did the work, they denied being at fualt stating something would have happened within the first 1,000 miles if they had over/under tighened the lug nuts. I'll be checking the torque on the lug nuts often as I'm driving.

I had exactly the same situation last fall. Couple hundred kilometers after I had had winter tires changed, right front wheel had only one bolt left! Carage repaired it for free, but still I'm more than curious (and little bit afraid) what did really cause the situation. Since that I have always checked myself the right tension, just in case.

I recently removed the front drivers side wheel to check the source of
squealing scraping brakes,(brakes are fine)? I found two of my lug nuts so loose I could turn them with my fingers.
The rotor seems to be sloppy on the studs also. One lug stud is broken
off.

I wonder if this isn't some kind of faulty design in the whole unit on the 98 series? I don't care for the short bolts holding the calipers.

Coincidently, about two months ago I had my front tires replaced.
Ron

No it's not faulty deisgn, it's IDIOT "mechanics" using air wrenches to install tires.

When ever I need to take my vehicle in for tire work (I am a mechanic by trade, but don't have tire tools), I MAKE them write on the service order "USE NOT AIR TOOLS", if they balk or refuse, I go to another shop.