Striped lug nut, what to do?

[scottmandue]

So I fitted the coil-overs on the Miata... adjust, adjust, adjust.

Remove wheels and install coil-overs.

First try was too low, remove wheels and tires to unbolt and adjust ride height.

Second try almost right, back still a little low, go to pull the rear wheels and one lug nut seems to have too much resistance. Closer examination the lug nut doesn't seem to be perfectly straight.

Called place where I bought wheels and tires (America's tire) they said you usually can back a cross threaded nut out and case it back on to straighten it out.

Called the place where I bought the new disk brakes "those are floating disks the studs are in the hubs."

Going to attack the problem this weekend, any advice/experience?

Thanks

[rusnak]

You should be able to get the lugnut off. I'd replace it for sure. I don't think I'd try to straighten it before backing it off. You want to get it to loosen and back out. Forget about saving the lugnut.

[VincentVega]

Hammer out the bad stud, put in the new stud, tighten. Use new lug nut(s).

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by VincentVega

Hammer out the bad stud, put in the new stud, tighten. Use new lug nut(s).

Yup. If you try to reuse it, eventually you will regret that decision. A small sledge comes in really handy to drive the old stud out, and you can typically pull the new stud into place by tightening a nut onto it to suck it tight against the hub.

[aschen]

yeah make sure the hub is in a position where it is clear behind it and hit it with the biggest hammer you got (BFH).

It is helpfull to have some big washers to seat the new lug, you just pull it in place with the lug nut. Use the washers for spacers.

[JD159]

Got this idea from the classic thread address book.

So, Dont buy a VW - Honda-Tech

Similar situation to yours. He suggests cutting off the entire wheel

In all seriousness, I hope you can get it off. The last page of the above thread had a suggestion that may help. Weld a washer onto the nut, and then weld a nut on the washer.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by JD159

Got this idea from the classic thread address book.

So, Dont buy a VW - Honda-Tech

Similar situation to yours. He suggests cutting off the entire wheel

In all seriousness, I hope you can get it off. The last page of the above thread had a suggestion that may help. Weld a washer onto the nut, and then weld a nut on the washer.

I just knew someone would bring up the sawzall option!

Flip flopping one wether to try to get it off myself to take it to the tire shop and see if they can get it off (at the very least I will need a new lug nut),

The head of the nut is still good and I can get a good grab on it with a lug wrench.

I wonder if I jack the car up and loosen the other lug-nuts that will give me some more wiggle room? Also not sure where to source a new stud, I suppose a Mazda dealership is an option.

I don't have a welder nor am I a welder, but at this point I don't need to go to that extreme.

And before you ask... I do have a sawzall

[MotoSook]

No sure why you think it's anything but the stud and nuts. It's not unually to cross thread or get some debris in the threads that then causes them to go bad. A new stud is probably $3 and the replacement lug nut is another $3.

Us a hammer to bang the stud out, then draw the new stud into the hub. Us the wheel to start the stud so it is straight, then remove wheel and use a deep socket and an impact wrench or just plain muscle.

[scottmandue]

Stock picture of the hub just for reference:

Originally Posted by MotoSook

No sure why you think it's anything but the stud and nuts. It's not unually to cross thread or get some debris in the threads that then causes them to go bad. A new stud is probably $3 and the replacement lug nut is another $3.

Thanks, sounds like just more of a PITA than anything

[aschen]

oh I didnt realize the nut and wheel were still on the car. Id just get a breaker bar or a t handle lug wrench, If you apply max torque back and fourth a few times the stud will fatigue and break. Gotta man up a bit on the wrench but they arnt as tough as you might think.

Then hammer out and replace as described earlier. In the internet age I imagine sorceing a new stud for a miata is not a difficult afair

[masraum]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Stock picture of the hub just for reference:





Thanks, sounds like just more of a PITA than anything

If the problem is what to do after you get the wheel off, then it's as the others have described.

Yeah, you just beat the stud out of the hub (It's essentially a bolt that has a neck that press-fits into the hub). In the pic, you can just see the head behind the hub. Then you take the new stud (that you should be able to get at most decent parts stores like O'Reilly or Napa or Autozone) slip it in from the back, and then use an open ended lugnut or a regular nut with some washers to space it out to pull the stud into the hub. Tighten the lugnut and it should pull the stud into position. I've done it on the bakc of my miata. I think theres no problem pounding the stud out. There may be a way that you line up the hub with a hole to avoid stuff behind the stud. The process was exactly the same on my first car, a 1965 Chevy Impala, and a few cars in between.

That's assuming you get the lug nut and wheel off.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by aschen

oh I didnt realize the nut and wheel were still on the car. Id just get a breaker bar or a t handle lug wrench, If you apply max torque back and fourth a few times the stud will fatigue and break. Gotta man up a bit on the wrench but they arnt as tough as you might think.

Then hammer out and replace as described earlier. In the internet age I imagine sorceing a new stud for a miata is not a difficult afair

Yeah, the fun will start if you cant get the lugnut off. Hopefully it backs off or you can break it.

[John Rogers]

The guys giving you advice must really hate Miatas since beating on the damaged stud is probably the worst thing you should do. I would suggest doing this as shop would do it and first buy a new stud, the same as the original ones. Next would be to pull the hub off being careful to not damage the wheel bearings and then cover that area with clean cloths to keep dirt out. Next use a press and remove the damaged stud being careful not to warp the hub in any way. Next press in a new stud being careful not to warp anything and make sure it is seated fully. Then put the hub, brakes, etc all back together CAREFULLY.

Note, if the nut is jammed on the existing stud and you try a moderate amount of force, cut the stud off and that will prevent possibly ripping the hole the stud is pressed into and then ruining the hub!

If you do not have a press, now is the time to get one and I have had a Harbor Freight, bright orange monster that goes to 25 tons pressure (uses a jack) since 1998 or so and it gets used several times a year or more!

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by john rogers

The guys giving you advice must really hate Miatas since beating on the damaged stud is probably the worst thing you should do.

Um, my Miata has 100K miles, what if I find a low miles new hub at a junk yard?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Um, my Miata has 100K miles, what if I find a low miles new hub at a junk yard?

Getting the old stud out of the hub only takes a few good whack with the hammer. The stud is not as tight in the hub as a wheel bearing race or anything like that. Popping the stud out with a hammer may not be the best way to do it, but it works and has worked for I would guess hundreds of thousands of studs over the years. I'd also be REALLY surprised if most shops went through all of the trouble of pulling the hub and using a press, essentailly turning a 5-10 minute job with a couple of hour job.

The hub is pretty sturdy, it does support the wieght of the vehicle as well as major pounding when you're tooling along at 60mph. I wouldn't be worried about a couple of whacks fro a hammer.

[GWN7]

If you can't get the nut off the stud use a dremel tool with a cut off disc to split the nut. Tape up the wheel to protect it from damage from the sparks.

The small saws all solution

[E38Driver]

If you have access to an impact, air or electric use that. It should snap the stud off allowing you to get the wheel off and then replace the stud.

Dave

[onewhippedpuppy]

Quote de scottmandue

Um, my Miata has 100K miles, what if I find a low miles new hub at a junk yard?

Getting the old stud out of the hub only takes a few good whack with the hammer. The stud is not as tight in the hub as a wheel bearing race or anything like that. Popping the stud out with a hammer may not be the best way to do it, but it works and has worked for I would guess hundreds of thousands of studs over the years. I'd also be REALLY surprised if most shops went through all of the trouble of pulling the hub and using a press, essentailly turning a 5-10 minute job with a couple of hour job.



The hub is pretty sturdy, it does support the wieght of the vehicle as well as major pounding when you're tooling along at 60mph. I wouldn't be worried about a couple of whacks fro a hammer.

Agreed.

[VincentVega]

Dont overthink this. A good whack or 2 and the old stud is on the ground.

[masraum]

From miata.net

Originally Posted by 97montego

Take off the wheel, take off the brake caliper (be carefull not to step on the brake pedal while the caliper is off the disk)... rotate the stud till it's over the place where the backing plate is smallest, then take a BFH and wack it out. you'll probably have to bend the sheet metal backing plate slightly to get the stud out, but no big deal.

Put the new stud in from the back (past the spot where you previously bent the sheet metal) and use the wheel nut to "set" the stud. Get all your new studs on the hub, put the caliper back on, put the wheel on, use the wheel nuts to draw the studs into place.

Drive away.

This works for the front or rear, and I don't think it's ever taken me more than 5 min.

Originally Posted by Katanya Miata

the whole knock the stud out by the opening doesn't work for NA miatas made before June of 1993 (as i found out the hard way) Prior to this the head of the stud is full and round and you end up making a frankenstein out of the heat shield. On later models they indented the stud head.

Apparently, on the old models, the head of the stud is round, which prevents being able to get it out easily without removing the hub. Since your car is of the later NA variety, you shouldn't have a problem.

Not a miata, but once you get the wheel off, your process should be pretty similar