Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) How to replace broken wheel studs?

[JSmith]

The wife phoned me at home from her cell phone,she on her way to work after leaving home from lunch. She says go outside and look at that shiney thing in the street,it looks like the ones on your truck,the lugnuts. I go outside and look at my truck and on the right frontwheel one stud is broken,one lugnut is missing,and the rest are loose. In the street the lugnut I retrieved had the broken stud in it. I tightened all lugnuts(31 now). I installed custom wheels a few months ago.

I will now check my lugnuts every oilchange.



My question is do I have to remove the hub to changeout the broken stud?

 

[illflem]

No, but you have to remove the rotor, the bearing (hub) will come off with it. I usually place the rotor on two 2x4s and pound them out with a copper hammer. You can use a steel hammer and drift since you are replacing them. They are in there tight, a press is better if you have one. Use an upside-down lug nut with a bunch of washers to suck the new stud in, air wrench is nice.

Most times broken studs are the result of over-torqued lug nuts rather than loose ones. Got to watch out for the tire shop monkeys that zap them down with an air wrench. Might want to check your rotors for warp, it can be the result of uneven torqueing.

 

[JSmith]

Are there instructions on how to get rotor off?

Is a machine needed to pull rotors?

 

[WadePatton]

The torque spec is 135 foot pounds on singles, 145 on duals.



Service Manual has all the answers--well a dang lot of 'em.

 

[illflem]

If you do a search for rotors you will find much info. Even a Haynes manual has good instructions. Just look in the brake section. No special tools are usually required unless the axle is stuck to the bearing. On a 10 (being hardest) scale of mechanical ability required I'd give it a 7 if the axle is stuck or a 3 if it isn't.

 

[Rammin On]

JSmith ...



Send me you email address ... I'll shoot you some pics of the operation.



Keith