i got this 99 ram 1500 4x4 sport for $80. seriously $80. it had been sitting for 2 years. ive had it for almost a year now and just recently started having problems. about a month or so ago i came out from work and had a flat tire courtesy of my exhusband. i put a new tire on. no big deal. about 2 weeks ago i started hearing a loud knocking noise. sounded like it was coming from down by the front driver side tire. sure enough 2 days later while i was doing 55mph all 5 of the studs broke in half.

we had the truck flat bedded. couldnt see anything really wrong. assumed it was bad studs from sitting for 2 years in indiana weather. we replaced the studs and it ran fine for 2 days....then the knocking noise came back while i was 30 miles from home. it will also vibrate really bad in the steering wheel. this time i was a mile from home when the studs all snapped off. had it flat bedded and now it sits. wtf.

 

Lug nuts coming loose could be causing that... If they were to tight I would think they would just snap.. Them being loose would cause the knocking and bumping you describe as they are coming off...

 

You sure youe ex is not still messing with you buy loosening your lug nuts?

 

Ouch. kudos on the price. Bummer on the follow on experience. Not cool.

Since you put on a 2nd set of lug nuts and I'll assume they were secured to the appropriate torque and they snapped again, then I'd offer there is a need to look at the condition of the balljoints and unit wheel bearing. This is based on you stating the vehicle has sat idle for 2 years and the vibration in the steering wheel. My first thought would be the unit bearing.

Jack up the front to get tires off the ground. Hands at 3/9 o'clock position, push and pull to feel for any play/knocking. Do the same in 12/6 o'clock position. For the 3/9 o'clock position you may need someone to hold the steering wheel to isolate those components from the check.

Report back your findings for both front wheels. This suggestion isn't meant to resolve your problem, but to at least get you down a path to assess your truck's condition and how it will relate to broken studs.

 

when i jacked it up and tried to turn the wheel i didnt hear any knocking. it was just hard as hell to get it to turn.

 

but im going to assume the knocking was from the studs coming loose because the second time they snapped off one at a time and after each on the knocking would stop and if i tightened the lugs it would stop. we have actually replaced them 3 times now because the 2nd time i couldnt do it myself because i have a 10 month old that had an ear infection and would let no one hold him but me. so i let a friend do it. when i finally got to look at it the lug nutz were threaded wrong and stripped. we had to break them off. im not sure how the hell he managed that one! the 3rd time my step dad did it.

btw im no expert but i do know a little and still learning. however the guy that teaches me now lives an hour away and i have no way to get the truck to him to see if anything else is wrong. so if it could just be the studs not done right that would be great!

 

As suggested Hub bearing or brake caliper is seized or check the oil level in the front diff. If the side and spider gears are starting to pack it in then that might shear off wheel studs.