Installing wheel spacers and longer bolts

[Decolliber]

I am wondering how to install longer wheel studs for wheel spacers. After removing a rear wheel and the brake rotor, I thought I could just push the wheel studs out of the hub and push in the new longer ones from behind. But there is not enough room to do this because the parking brake assembly is in the way. It looks like the wheel hub needs to come off. Bentley seems to be saying (420-19) that the only way to remove the rear wheel hub is to first remove the axle and push out the hub from the inside "using Porsche special tool P297." Oh great, is there not an easier way? Do I need a special tool to drive out the wheel hub.?
Front looks easier, as it appears that that the hub and rotor come off together (Bentley 401-13).

[Rot 911]

It is doable. John Walker described it in a thread. A search should bring it up.

[Zeke]

The 914 article is the closest thing to the job you are talking about, if the Carrera is pretty much the same. The biggest difference is the E-brake. JW uses 2 pry bars and some courage on the hub flange. Once you get the hub out, make sure you get the studs in straight. The lug nuts themselves will pull them home, but if they aren't good, you can't get the wheel on without marring up the holes. This is where a steel wheel and steel lug nuts are useful.

I would take the hubs, front and back to a machine shop and have them press them in. I used a friend's press and it went well. No banging or weirdness.

[Decolliber]

Originally posted by Kurt V
It is doable. John Walker described it in a thread. A search should bring it up.

Kurt - I could not find JW's thread, but did find yours, where you have picture of "BFH" special tool. But I do not understand how removing the e-brake cable gives you space to hammer out the old studs. And can you really hammer out the studs without bending the flange of the hub? I am confused.

[Decolliber]

Is this the thread you mean Kurt?
Replacing Wheel Studs
I think I understand now. Hammer out old studs and pass new studs through e-brake cable hole from the inside. I still worry about damaging the hub by hammering on it though.

[A Quiet Boom]

I removed my the halfshafts and tapped the hubs out with a large socket and a dead blow hammer, then used a press to push the studs in and out. If you don't have a press you can use a piece of pipe to catch the studs and a large vise. Or take the hubs to a garage, many of them have presses.

[Decolliber]

But if you tap the hubs out, don't you have to replace the bearings?

[A Quiet Boom]

Originally posted by Decolliber
But if you tap the hubs out, don't you have to replace the bearings?

I read JW's post and he did mention that removing the hubs destroys the bearings, I'll defer to his wisdom on that as well as his method. However I did NOT replace the bearings in my '66 and I've put over 15K miles on the car since then with no trouble, perhaps the early cars where different?

[911-32]

I did this summer 2003 with advice from Rennlist. You do not need to remove the hub. Once the rotor and caliper are off you can remove the e-brake adjuster OR the e-brake cable. Hammering out the old studs does not take too many blows and pulling the new ones thru with steel lugs is pretty easy. IIRC I used 76mm studs which are kind of big (OE is 45mm?) and I could only just get them thru from the back. The studs I have would allow the use of a 25-30mm spacer. The moral being, choose your stud length carefully and get the smallest ones you need for the intended spacer otherwise you will find it difficult to fit.

While you are in there, remove the stone gurds (aka brake heaters) for slightly cooler brakes (if you have not already done so).

Richard

[Rot 911]

Originally posted by Decolliber
Is this the thread you mean Kurt?
Replacing Wheel Studs
I think I understand now. Hammer out old studs and pass new studs through e-brake cable hole from the inside. I still worry about damaging the hub by hammering on it though.

Yes that is the one. You are really not hammering on the hub, but on the stud which will move with each hammer blow which results in little transfer of enegy to the hub.

[Superman]

Yep, removing the hub destroys the bearing, or at least it's supposed to. And yes, you can change studs without removing it.

[Chuck Moreland]

I don't like hammering out the studs due to the force it puts on the bearing. Use an air hammer / air chisel and some penetrating oil.

You can also loosen them up by heating the hub around the stud with a propane torch.

I find you can install up to 76mm studs (good for 28mm spacers) using the ebrake cable hole. But I don't think you can do 100mm studs (for 2 inch spacers) this way.

[Decolliber]

Well, the BFH technique (KurtV and JW) works, but it took me the whole day just to do the back wheels. Hammering out the old studs and putting in the new ones was the easy part. Pulling out the e-brake cable and putting it all back together was what took so much time. In order to get enough space to insert the new studs I had to remove the e-brake cable and the two folding braces, and putting it back together was what was really hard. Like a Porsche version of a Rubic's cube. I ended up having to completely dismantle the e-brake system, springs, pads and all. Had to experiment with different sequences for putting it all back together.
By the end of tomorrow I should have my new RUF wheels on (purchased from Lindy). If I had known what a headache it would be getting those studs in I might have had second thoughts.

[Johan.s]

I'm in the middle of installing longer wheel studs and just completed the rear which I thought would be the hard part.

Is there any way to install longer wheel studs in the front without disassembling the wheel hub?

[75 911s]

Dang 20 year bump. Might be a new record for Pelican. :-)

You have to take the hub off. It's easy though. Take the caliper loose but keep it conntected to the flex hydrualic line so you don't have to rebleed the brakes. Carefully tap the grease cover off with a 1X3 and a small sledge. Angle the 1X3 under the lip by resting it against the hub and rotate and tap.
Remove the spindle lock thing (forgot the name) and big washer, slide the hub off, separate the rotor from the hub. Use a press to remove the studs (don't hammer them out, you'll damage the aluminum hub. )
Take this opportunity to at least re grease the front bearings, if not replace them completely. Follow the proper torque procedures and reassembly instructions to ensure you can move the washer slightly with a screwdriver when you put the threaded nut thingy back on. :-)

[Johan.s]

I figured I better search before posting a new thread

Taking the hub off wasn't too bad after reading the instructions.