Is it safe to be riding on 3 lug nuts on 4-lug wheels?

My mechanic says one of the lug nuts stripped when he removed it so I am riding on 3 lug nuts on the rear driver's side wheel. I have been riding like that for a few months now.





I was wondering if this is safe and if it is bad for the car?
Is it safe to be riding on 3 lug nuts on 4-lug wheels?
Not safe, bad for the car.





A lug bolt costs about $1, and takes 5 minutes to install. Your mechanic is a total loser. I'd never go back to him.
Is it safe to be riding on 3 lug nuts on 4-lug wheels?
Sooner or later the wheel will fall off.
Reply:THIS IS A REALLY BAD IDEA. Think about it, the structure is not well supported. The wheel can now bend against the hub. Failure of another stud is highly likely leading to loss of control of the car/death! ITtis especially dangerous when you corner or apply side loads to the vehicles wheels.





Fix it today!





Astrobuf
Reply:as long as the other 3 are tight you are safe. the stripped one should be replaced as soon as possible mainly because it was designed for four. but you can drive on in. if the mechanic stripped it he should fix it for free, if it was previously stripped and he was the lucky one to find it they areonly a couple of dollars and generally do not take long to replace.
Reply:Not safe to drive like this. The wheel will vibrate and possibly untorque the other lugs. Buy a new hub or see if a mechanic can use a dye to rethread the bolt.
Reply:I've done it for a few days at the time. But to just leave it off for months is insane. The engineer took everything involving stress into account when he designed the car. Ride with three long enough and its going to bite you.
Reply:The wheel cannot be properly torqued. If your mechanic stripped it, he should have replaced it then and there. It isn't a time consuming or expensive procedure.
Reply:Sure, it's perfectly safe. And when one headlight burns out, that's okay, too.
Reply:only safe for emergencies only get it fixed asap its not expensive to replace the stud with a new one
Reply:these people are talking out of their asses. you're fine