front wheel studs issue

[ford_prefect]

I'm trying to remove the front wheel studs on my 1993 Ford Explorer (4 X 4, automatic hub). I pulled off the wheel hub assembly and was ready to drive out the studs when I noticed a gear looking object in behind the studs. I looked up the Autozone repair guide and it doesn't mention anything about removing that sort of object for stud removal. Here's a photo for reference:

The assembly exploded view is from Autozone and I don't see the unknown object in the view.

Any ideas on what the object is and how to best remove it? Thanks

Henry

 

[mechjames]

That's your ABS ring. The magnetic pickup on the wheel hub uses the ABS ring to determine if all wheels are going the same speed while braking to determine if you lose traction or not.

It is usually just pressed on there, but you might break it trying to remove it. On my rotors they seemed fairly fragile. I broke one on a new rotor by placing it on the ground too hard, and on another rotor I had one come loose and fall off.

 

[ford_prefect]

Thanks for the info. I was wondering what that was.

Henry

 

[SPORTEXP]

I would say the best way IMO would be to press all 5 studs out evenly in a hydraulic press, so they push the ring out evenly.

 

[huntman58]

What I have done is laid a board across the studs and also laid the whole thing on an old rug then I take a brass hammer and lightly tap on the board driving the studs down as even as I can all the way around the wheel. So far I have gotten away with it and never broke a tone ring yet but doing it the old way of hitting the studs one at a time I did break one