Front wheel studs broken off!

[mmasire88]

I was in the process of putting new tires on my explorer today, and what a wonderful surprise! 3/5 wheel studs broke off the front driver's side without much more than a small tug when trying to remove the lug nuts. Immediately went down and picked up all new studs and lug nuts. However, I'm wondering if the studs can be replaced w/o removing the hub/bearing and what not. The spindle nut on the end of the half-shaft looks like it would make one hell of an interesting day trying to get it off. It's so rusted it's flaking apart. Yes, yes, I know I need to replace the nut but my acetylene torch is out of gas, and I'd rather hold off on that until I can heat it to oblivion.

 

[Number4]

If it can be done off the car it can be done on the car. Just disconnect the battery.
Ideally you'd want to press them out. See if you can rent some kind of press that'll fit.
Otherwise, you can try pounding them out (rotate the hub so the bolt can come out,) but this may actually destroy the bearing. At the very least shorten it's life.
To put the new ones in just poke them through and use the lug nut to set them. You may need washers to take up space if the threads don't go all the way to the hub.

I wouldn't remove the hub unless you plan on putting a new one on.

I've never heard of these breaking in these rigs, let alone three. Unless someone had seriously over tightened them prior.

 

[Gadget X]

If it was me, I'd play I safe and just buy both new front rotors. They're not too expensive, and then you'll have new rotors and new lugs!

 

[gtbutler]

You can do all of the work without removing the hub. You have to rotate the hub to "knock out" the broken studs. There is an indentation (basically a keyed area) on the back side of the hub that allows for stud removal insertion. If I remember correctly it is when the stud is at 2:00 position (don't hold me to that), but it is very easily sen with the tire off.
Buy yourself a couple of extra lug nuts and a few class 5/7 washers to press the new studs in. Insert the stud, put a washer, or two on, and place the flat side of the lug nut against the washer. Tighten the lug nut and you've pressed the new stud in.
I wouldn't worry too much about the broken studs. There can be a lot of momentary stress put on lug nuts by tire shops with pneumatic tools these days. Nasty weather and extreme temperatures (from brakes) are always present. Much less if someone has ever put any type of oil or penetrating substance on them (from then on you'll be overtorquing), which can lead to premature failure.
Good luck!

 

[mmasire88]

Thanks guys for the help! Got all new studs installed today. Had to take the caliper/bracket/rotor off, couple small taps with a hammer and the old studs popped right out. The new studs went in quite a bit harder than the old ones came out. Picked up a standard lug, threaded it backwards ontop of some washers and the new studs went in. I wasn't able to get the new studs completely flush with the hub, in the back, in fear of the studs breaking again, but they are very very close.