Tips for removing wheel studs

[kent olsen]

I received my new 15X7 Superlite wheels last week. After a trial installation I see that I need longer wheel studs. Currently my studs are 50mm and it looks like I'll need to replace them with 72mm studs for these wheels. Does anyone have any tricks to remove the wheel studs? The fronts look pretty easy but the rears look like more of a challenge. Can you get them out without removing the rear suspension?

Thanks Kent Olsen

[James Brown]

yes you can, it's tough but can be done. On the rear, remove one at a time, the old ones come right out but the new longer ones need a little feness to go in with out taking the parking brakes off. try to put them in at a angle then rotate the hub to align them and use a steek lug nut to pull them into the hub, repeat.

[widgeon13]

60mm are easier to get in if you can work with those as opposed to the 72's. There's a site somewhere that gives a pretty good "How to" on the job so if you do a search you might find it. I don't have it bookmarked. The how to recommends banging out the old with BFH, it's worked for me and I have done this twice, front and back w/ no harm to hubs, just don't get overanxious and they should come out fine. Use a spacer and steel lug nut to draw the new one's in.

[don gilbert]

Kent, if you have air, get an air hammer at HF for 10-20 bucks to push them out. Makes things very easy and you dont have to bang on your flange. On the 72mm, you can bend your parking brake backing flange in one spot to get the longer ones in, then just bent it back.

[tctnd]

I suggest not hammering them out; it's pretty hard on the bearings. I used a beefy c-clamp as a press with a socket in the back for clearance. I pulled the long studs in with a (steel) lug nut. You could use a socket as a spacer here but I turned one with the correct ID to fit the stud and properly squared ends to insure they were all nice and straight.
regards,
Phil

[kent olsen]

Does heat help? I have access to a torch. I don't have access to air so I might try the big C clamp method.

Thanks

[Cory M]

Take a spare open steel lugnut and thread it on the end halfway. Use an air chisel with a pointed tip and drive it out. The nut is to keep the bit on the tip, it will be junk when you are done. Works great, doesn't damage the studs, and is a lot safer than swinging a BFH. You can install the new studs with a spacer, a new nut, and an impact driver (anti-seize or lube on the threads helps too). I have replaced countless studs this way, no problems, no need to remove the trailing arms either.

Sub'd

[kent olsen]

Well tomorrow I'll try the "pull them in with a torque wrench". I hammered the first set in but they didn't go fully in and now I can't get the wheel on because of the alignment of one or some of the studs. I tried an impact hammer but that still won't fully seat them. If I can't pull them in with a torgue or long bar, I'm going to find a hyd press.


Kent