also they could be cross threading the lugs when they put them on,
I have not had any problems with the wheel studs on the van, and only 1 problem with my jeep and that was from a shop cross threading the lug with the air wrench, I do my own tire rotation, but they do remove tires for inspections, I always re-torque my lugs after a garage takes the tires off to be sure

 

I just had new tires put on my other car last weekend by a tire shop and sure enough, they had used an impact gun to put the lug nuts on. I checked when I got home and some had to have been torqued to close to 200 ft./lbs.

 

Using "Never Seize" lubricant on your lug bolt threads should minimize or even eliminate the lug bolts getting broken! This product is available in most auto parts stores, plus Lowes and stores like Lowes.

Yes I know the car manufacturers tell us never to lubricate lug bolts, probably due to liability protection for THEM!!!

I accept the liability for MY lubrication of MY VEHICLES' lug bolts! You will have to do the same and CHECK the tightness of the Lug Nuts monthly or more frequently if that makes you more comfortable. After a while you will notice if the Lug Nuts are staying tight or not and take note of the time/days/months between your checks for Lug Nut tightness.....

HOWEVER, if you live in a place where every year salt is put on the roads to combat snow and ice, you may have a problem with "stress corrosion cracking" of the base iron material the lugs are made of....

So if Never Seize does not fix the problem, you may need to replace ALL of your lug bolts AND THEN coat them with Never Seize before you allow anyone to touch your lug nuts with a Impact Wrench (I do agree that impact wrenches should not be used to "tighten" lug nuts). I accept the liability for MY lubrication of MY VEHICLES' lug bolts! You will have to do the same and CHECK the tightness of the Lug Nuts monthly or more frequently if that makes you more comfortable. After a while you will notice if the Lug Nuts are staying tight or not and take note of the time/days/months between your checks for Lug Nut tightness.....

The low tech, less probability of success method (which I have used for over 40 years) is to place a couple of drops of oil on the bare lug threads (when you have the lug nuts off) every time you have the opportunity to do so.... I lived in Ohio, West Virginia, Illinois (Chicago), Massachusetts and Indiana and never broke off a lug bolt....

 

I’ll agree that what you decide to do with your own vehicle is your choice, but that’s it.

The problem with lubricating any nut or bolt (with anything) is that it removes drag from the threads and can result in overtorquing by as much as 20%. In regards to steel wheels, this will ultimately lead to stripped or broken lugs. If aluminum or alloy rims are being used, this can actually pull the wheel nut through the rim over time (and it can happen no matter what type of wheel nut is being used).

The problem with anti-seize products, particularly on wheel nuts/bolts, is that over time it turns into a sludge of sorts (I can’t think of a better word) due to the heating and cooling cycles of braking. Depending on how much has been applied to each stud, this can result in significant variation of torque on the same wheel. Even if none of them break or fall off, this can cause warped rotors.

The correct method is to clean the studs and nuts. Period. They don’t have to be shiny but you should be able to fully thread the nuts all the way onto the studs by hand. If any lubrication is to be used, oil or spray lube is ok but it should be a light coating only.

A shortcut when cleaning is to apply lube and then repeatedly run the nut up and down the stud until it’s turning freely. Then blast the studs and nuts with compressed air to clean off the crud and excess lubricant.

After the initial torquing of the wheel, go for a short test drive then re-torque. Check and torque them again after about 50 miles.

I’ve seen far too many wheels get damaged due to the use of anti-seize compounds. I’ll use them around the knurls when installing new studs, but never on the threads.