nuts!

I have a question. How involved will it be to replace the studs for the wheel lug nuts?

A couple of my studs' threads are suspiciously round and occasionaly I throw a lug nut off while driving.

I guess the question is how much do I need to disassemble to replace the studs? WHat exactly do you replace? And if it is not too difficult should I replace them all and start fresh?

Any advice on the subject would be greatly appreciated!

 

They are pressed in the hubs. It can be a bear if your drums are seized, or studs are swaged to the drums. Or, your hub is seized to the axle shaft.

If you are going this far, you should consider refreshing your brakes and wheel bearings. It involves the same amount of work.

New studs are cheap insurance (~$25 total)

You will likely need a hub puller. An impact wrench would come in handy (or 3/4" drive socket set) for the axle nuts on the rear, maybe a slide hammer for the axle shafts if you do the bearings.

 

I replaced the studs on the rear and I didn't need a hub puller. Just pull the drums.

 

I pounded them out with a hammer. Then I pulled the new ones back in with some washers and a lug nut. I did use and impact driver because it was faster then the lug wrench.

 

I think the consensus before was that you run a greater risk of damaging stuff (bearings/warping the hub/damaging the knurl (sp?) area) if you pound them out rather than pressing them out like they were pressed in. IYKWIM, YMMV, etc.

 

Thank you. That gives me an idea of what's involved. Retapping with a die seems like a good stop gap until I can do the full fix.

Are there advantages or disabvantages to re-pressing the new studs all with clockwise-to-tighten threading?

 

if the stud has a concave end on it you can use an air hammer and suitable bit to remove and install them.

 

pound them out with a hammer and pull them in with some washers and a lugnut on back wards. use new nuts it is cheep and you know the threads are good.

 

I replaced five of them on a friends Ford van one time at a campsite in a state park in Oklahoma. Used the same "beat 'em out and install the new with nuts and washers" method. Didn't take as long as I figured.

 

Disadvantages to RH studs?

Yeah - then you can never give your best friend your left nut....

Me, I just like to preserve the original character of a vehicle, after all, aren't all us jeepers characters? But theres no technical advantage to left threads, or else wheels would be falling off vehicles all over the country.

Pete