The Definitive Wheel Stud Article...

[bigblockford]

Yeah I've had problems with mine one day I'm driving home and yes my brakes are getting alittle long in the tooth and my wheel starts making some noise you know different than usual and I find out that not one... two... but three (3) of the five wheel studs came loose and now I can't get my wheel off to fix them... after hours of trying everything from drilling to grinding to pulling ect I got a welder to drive to my house and torch them off.. k a cheap $100 dolar bill later good to go replace both front Discs n pads grease and clean hubs and lockers and vala.. the same passenger siede disc loosened off as soon as tightened it but only one... so I drove to annother welders shop and nobody wanted to torch it so we pounded the stud with a sledge to bend it and it pulled tight then just unthreaded the nut... problem solved ... luckily the second NEW disc I bought worked out ok! Cheap Junk! lol

been there had the same trouble thank god i was not far away from home ended up having to drill out 4 studs 1 bit at a time all the way up to 1/2 inch not alot of fun,but could have been alot worse i guess, but sence that i make sure i check those aluminium rims that have a habit of loosining of quite often .

 

[turbotimbo]

Wow thanks a lot Fredness!!!

I've just had to replace a stud today and after drilling out the stud to remove the wheel I wasn't sure how to get the new stud in there. If I hadn't have read this post I wouldn't have thought there was room to get the new stud in with all the parking brake bits in place.

cheers,
Tim

 

[offroadjosh]

Thank!!! Had to replace 2 studs today made it easy!


Josh

 

[CaptainComet]

Thanks for posting this ... I just upgraded to Elite Membership ... knew I would eventually, but this post saved me enough time and grief, I was glad to offer my support right now.

Just got my 98 Sport a month ago. This weekend, I was changing over to some alloy rims and tires I got. In the distant past, some butt monkey with an air wrench screwed all the wheels it waaaaaay too tight ... at least 150 ft-pounds. I am very surprised that my brake rotors seem OK. I could barely turn the lug nuts using a big breaker bar.

My right rear axle ended up looking just like the first pic posted by Fredness... two snapped studs. I live in Florida ... no road salt. In 30 years of wrenching on cars, I have never broken one ...much less done it while removing a lug ... slowly

I had to walk away from "Sporty" for a while ...

Calmed down ... found this post. What a time-saver! I was sure that I was going to be popping the axle open and taking the axle shaft to a shop to have studs pressed in. Instead, I had two new studs in there in about an hour, and wasn't rushing to do it.

I wanted to add a couple of tips ...

Got the new studs and lug nuts from NAPA ... less than $2 each and they are definitely grade 8 hardware. The local Ford dealer did not have any in stock ... (probably ran out .... )
Not sure about the markings on the original studs ... "CH" and no bars ... does that mean "case hardened" or "China"?

Bring a lug nut with you to the store ... they list two different varieties.

I don't have a stud installer ... got good results by this ...

Got the stud in place by sneaking it in there from the bottom and using a long skinny needlenose pliers to basically line it up. Could not get it directly in there, but jacked up the other rear tire (limited slip rear) and had my wife turn that just a bit, the side I was working on followed, and the stud popped into place.

Lined up the splines, and put a 1/2" stack of Grade 8 washers on the stud. Grade 8s fit tighter to the bolt and help assure that it is going into place straighter. They also won't gall like softer ones. Then, I turned the lug nug around backwards so that the flat face was on the washers, lubed it all up with PB Blaster, and started turning it all into place, using a 3/4" open end wrench.

Once the splines are about 1/2 way home, it starts getting a bit tighter, and you need more leverage. I took the washers off and scrounged an old spindle nut that I had here. It is probably a 3/4" thread and 1/2" thick. The conical end of the lug nut fit into it well, so I turned the lug around and used a breaker bar on it. Again, make sure everything is oiled... have a small puddle in the lug nut. Turning the lug around also makes use of some other thread area on the stud, hopefully not over-using the same ones you started with. This got the stud home. You can watch your progress and right as the stud gets there, it all snugged up and really did not want to turn any more.

Take your time ... if the lug nut starts feeling warm, let it cool down. Be slow and deliberate about this, and you will get-er-done.

Again ... thanks for starting this post!
I was really thinking this was going to be much more of a job than it ended up being.

 

[Fredness]

Glad to be of help!

 

[tjfly]

Fredness,

I am a bit slower than some of these guys with cars, but on my 2000 Explorer 4x4 (first American car in 30 years, Ford earned it by not taking bail out money..) the tire shop broke a rear wheel stud and didn't say anything, so I was going to replace it myself - except since it is a 4x4 it sounds like I need to remove the caliper & rotor and hub - right? These directions seem to be only for the 4x2? Appreciate any help, thanks

 

[CaptainComet]

Rear wheel studs should be the same 4x2 or 4x4, unless someone knows something I don't (got a 4x2)... It is a tight squeeze but definitely better than popping the axle out. You need to take the caliper off and rotor and maybe back the parking brake off.

When fitting the new stud in, I angled mine into place and had to rotate the axle a bit to get it to line up. Used a new wheel lug nut turned around backwards and a stack of large washers to pull the stud into place. Lube it up good, too.

 

[BonesDT]

Fredness,

I am a bit slower than some of these guys with cars, but on my 2000 Explorer 4x4 (first American car in 30 years, Ford earned it by not taking bail out money..) the tire shop broke a rear wheel stud and didn't say anything, so I was going to replace it myself - except since it is a 4x4 it sounds like I need to remove the caliper & rotor and hub - right? These directions seem to be only for the 4x2? Appreciate any help, thanks

At first I was thinking you should send it back to the tire shop to fix their mistake, then again, if they are that incompetent, you should do it yourself, which you should do anyone with safety components like a wheel stud.

Anyway, if you are going to install the stud w/o removing the axle shaft, then you need to PULL the stud into place. I HIGHLY recommend an impact gun and the stud-installing-bearing tool, as well as lots of lubricant and careful slow patient use with the impact wrench. Anything less would stress the new stud and compromise it's safety, which is the whole reason you are doing this. Buy 2 or 3 studs in case you stress the first 1 or 2 too much and need to start over.

The other option is to pop open and drain the differential and remove the axle shafts. Doing it this way, you can hammer the stud in through the backside of the shaft, eliminating the need for the tools and patience above, however, you have to deal with the diff fluid.

 

[RaveDigger]

My impact wrench wasn't able to torque the stud enough to pull it all the way into position. I had to use a cheater bar and a wrench to get enough torque. I also didn't use a stud installer, so maybe that was part of it. I just put a bunch of washers on the stud, then used the lug bolt to draw the stud through.

 

[tjfly]

Wheel stud - thanks

Thanks BonesDT and Rave and everyone - I really appreciate it.

I will attempt the replacement this weekend. Wish me luck!

TJ

 

[RaveDigger]

I was also fixing the parking brakes as well at the time, so that gave me a bit more room behind the hub to work. I'm not sure how much more difficult it would be without the extra space, but you might have to wrestle with it a bit.

 

[BonesDT]

My impact wrench wasn't able to torque the stud enough to pull it all the way into position. I had to use a cheater bar and a wrench to get enough torque. I also didn't use a stud installer, so maybe that was part of it. I just put a bunch of washers on the stud, then used the lug bolt to draw the stud through.

I used a Harbor Freight electric 1/2" impact wrench (probably the weakest 1/2" impact in the world). It certaintly didnt zip the studs on in one try in a second, it took many short bursts, taking cool down & re oil rests in between. Its even controversial to use an impact at all. I think this is the most force you should use. Im sure your gun was at least as powerful as mine (assuming it was a 1/2"). It waa prob the lack of the bearing tool. I tried your breaker bar & washers and i broke several lugs. I got a few on, but, after i invested in the bearing & impact wrench, i redid them because im sure the lugs stretched to some degree.

Also, buy a bunch of extra lug nuts. I threw a nut out each time i installed 1 lug. The threads on both the lugs & nuts still get chewed up a bit from the install, so a new nut will also help straighten out the lug's threads.

 

[tjfly]

Happy Ending

Well, I didn't have to replace the broken stud!

The owner of the shop that broke it called me for a customer feedback, and I told him how they broke it, wrote it on the slip and said nothing. He verified, and called me to come in - and they replaced it for free.

Glad to see there is some pride at some shops. It was a "Firestone" dealer in Oregon...

Tom

 

[freakinwacko]

New (improved?) way to pull the thread in nice

I used a huge (and I mean huge) nylon nut with the nylon facing toward the lug. The nylon protects the lug from digging into anything.

 

[nanuck]

2004 Eddie B Explorer REAR wheel stud replacement

:exp:On my explorer I removed the rear wheel/ caliper and disk. then i removed the self adjuster but left the spring and pads for parking in place. Next block truck and put truck in neutral..now you can turn the hub I had to turn hub so that broken stud is in the 7 o:clock position...there is a cut out in the metal approx in that spot..the head of the stud will not clear if not in that position....removal of broken stud should be easy in that position with needle nose or simular plyers....Now the problem is the stud is too long to install. You must punch out the quarter size access plate in the back dust shield...This part is located directly behind the adjuster.... from here you can insert the stud from behind the plate.....Most cars/trucks have an oval/pill like opening to adjust brake shoes with a rubber oval plug...the explorer has a quarter size round hole that must be punched out and good luck trying to find the quarter size rubber plug.....hope this helps...i could not find this info anywhere but it is the easiest way to change broken studs....GL

 

[tjfly]

Thanks!