Wheel Stud Replacement - Hub Rotates

[Monsterlime]

I am replacing the wheel studs on my TVR and have gotten the old ones out, but when trying to pull the new ones through, eventually the hub just rotates as the nut gets tighter on the new stud and I am struggling to pull them through fully. I am using a load of washers and an old nut to do so (as per the Internet).

Is there a knack to this? Should I grease up the washer right next to the hub? I have put a bit of grease on the spline just to try and help it through (not on the thread of the nut though).

[stevieturbo]

use a press.

using the threads to try and pull them through is never a good solution.

[rustednut]

stevieturbo said:

use a press.

using the threads to try and pull them through is never a good solution.

Agree, but depends how far they need to be pulled through.

Put a long bar between 2 bolts/studs so that it catches the ground or other immovable object to stop the hub turning.

[Monsterlime]

Ok, thanks! Unfortunately (or fortunately), I do not have a press, so will need to get one if the other suggestion doesn’t work.

I have been doing it carefully, and not trying to do it too tight.

No job is ever simple, is it? Did not really wish to remove the hub (quite a bit more time/effort), but seems unavoidable!

[SlimJim16v]

Put a wheel on?

[E-bmw]

As above pull them in with the nuts & wheel on, you may need to assist them in with a hammer & drift from behind every 1/2 turn or so of the nut.

Pretty much the only way without a press or removing the hub.

[stevieturbo]

I certainly wouldn't want to try pulling them on with a wheel I'm actually using.

Some wheels do have steel inserts for the nuts, some do not, and using excessive torque on them may harm them

[tapkaJohnD]

Have an assistant press the brake pedal as you apply torque to the stud.

[GreenV8S]

tapkaJohnD said:

Have an assistant press the brake pedal as you apply torque to the stud.

Unfortunately I think the OP is trying to replace them all at once rather than individually, so there may not be enough fitted to mounts the brake discs yet.

[Monsterlime]

Finally, it is all done!

Drivers side was much harder than the passenger side, and the side I had initially struggled on.

Turns out, the new studs I had purchased, didn’t fit properly.



That is one of the studs after I gave up and knocked it back out. Pretty obvious why it wasn’t going in. I had some other, not quite as long (but turns out to be sufficient), Eibach studs and they went in easily, pulled through and are fine.

The passenger side was a doddle, didn’t even need to take the calliper off. The old studs came out in seconds, new ones on in seconds. Total contrast to the drivers side (old ones were a massive PITA to get out as well).

Might need to do the front as well, so am going to look for some more Eibach studs since the 16 studs I do have clearly do not fit.

Thanks all!

[stevieturbo]

Studs should not go in easily, they are a press/interference fit on the splines, and the splines will get a little damaged on the way in because of it.

So not unexpected for there to be damaged for any that are removed.

[Monsterlime]

Ok, I may have overstated it a bit. Compared to the fight I had been having with the other studs, it was easy. There was still a fair bit of effort needed to get them in, but they did go in and never made the hub move.

I was making sure as they went they went in properly, didn’t spin when tightening them up etc. Did possibly help I put a bit of copper slip on them to help them in.

[GreenV8S]

Monsterlime said:

never made the hub move

I guess you're saying they didn't need enough torque to overcome whatever was preventing the hub from rotating, but you don't mention how you were restraining the hub. How much torque did they need?

[Monsterlime]

I may be misunderstanding, but when I "pulled" them in, the old wheel nut didn't stop turning until they had come all the way in. I then torqued up the normal nuts, with the wheel etc all back on to the normal amount (74-75ft lbs). I will check them regularly every drive for the next few hundred miles.

[GreenV8S]

Monsterlime said:

I may be misunderstanding

When you wrote that it "never made the hub move" do you mean that winding the studs in didn't need enough torque to turn the hub? Anything more than finger tight surely would have turned the hub, unless you stopped it somehow.

How much torque did it take to wind the studs in?

[Monsterlime]

I didn't use a torque wrench to wind the studs in, just a ratchet spanner. Until the stud was the all the way in, the old wheel nut against the washers never actually stopped turning (although it did require reasonable force to turn - but not enough to move the hub). I then torqued up the normal wheel nuts as normal.

This was at the rear, not the front, I should have made that clear. The front will be a different kettle of fish I suspect.