Wheel stud removal?

[TomW]

I ended up with one mangled wheel stud while repacking the wheel bearings on my '67 Overlander. It appears the hub/brake drum is a pressed together assembly.

Can the local Mega-Tire store replace the mangled wheel stud?

Thanks,
Tom

[BobbyW]

I use a local independent Brake shop in my hometown. They tend to have more dedicated employee's. I had both of my drums serviced by them. Got to stand there while they machined them.

You might want to take the magnet pad off yourself and see if you can knock out the stud. I have done this on my boat trailer wheels before and got a replacment at the Auto Parts house.

[TomW]

Originally Posted by BobbyW

...You might want to take the magnet pad off yourself and see if you can knock out the stud. I have done this on my boat trailer wheels before and got a replacment at the Auto Parts house.

I wondered if I would see the back side of the stud with the magnet pad removed. The problem is that the magnet pad is held in place by three giant rivets. Can it be reinstalled with nuts & bolts?

Tom

[Inland RV Center, In]

The armature plate (magnet pad) is replaceable, therefore removeable. Some were installed with rivets, some were installed with bolts.

Reinstall it with grade 8 flush head 1/4 inch bolts with lock washers.

Been there done that hundreds of times.

Andy

[TomW]

Thanks Andy!

So I guess this means I can get to the head of the mangled stud by removing the armature plate?

Tom

[Inland RV Center, In]

Sure can.

Andy

[TomW]

Okay, I drilled the rivets to get the armature plate off to get to the bad stud.

I took the stud down to the local auto parts store, and they turned white explaining their computer matches to cars, not trailers. There were no parts out on the floor to choose from.

So now, with no Airstream dealers in town, and all the trailer parts store selling primarily Dexter axle parts, I need to find a part for my Kelsey-Hayes hub.

I have never needed to replace a bad stud before, and do not know how they are identifed. I assume it is based on stud diameter, stud length, grip length, and threads per inch on the threaded portion.

Does anyone know for sure?

Thanks,
Tom

[Inland RV Center, In]

Tom.

We have the studs.

Measure the OD of the spline, just to make sure.

Andy

[TomW]

Well, I hit two RV places, one trailer place, and two more automotive parts places before acquiring the new stud & lug nut at a third automotive parts place.

The kicker, is what Andy mentioned in the post above : OD of the splined area. While the threads are 1/2-20, which is still standard today, the splined, or knurled diameter had everyone pulling out the old paper catalogs.

A chain store called O'Reilly's was finally able to sell me a stud with my 0.612" knurl diameter.

Be warned that it was not an exact match: It had more "clean" diameter adjacent to the knurl that looked like it may interfere with my lug nut screwing on deep enough. So, I machined about 1/8" more thread onto it.

It would have been easier to order it from Andy, but one stud does not quite meet the minimum order

Tom

[59toaster]

Originally Posted by tcwilliams

Well, I hit two RV places, one trailer place, and two more automotive parts places before acquiring the new stud & lug nut at a third automotive parts place.

The kicker, is what Andy mentioned in the post above : OD of the splined area. While the threads are 1/2-20, which is still standard today, the splined, or knurled diameter had everyone pulling out the old paper catalogs.

A chain store called O'Reilly's was finally able to sell me a stud with my 0.612" knurl diameter.

Be warned that it was not an exact match: It had more "clean" diameter adjacent to the knurl that looked like it may interfere with my lug nut screwing on deep enough. So, I machined about 1/8" more thread onto it.

It would have been easier to order it from Andy, but one stud does not quite meet the minimum order

Tom

You sure it's a 1/2 and not a 7/16? Mine is 7/16 on a 59. It was the same stud that would spec for a REAR axle on a 1979 4x4 Chevy blazer. Specify rear the front on that truck has a longer knurled area.
Got a Autozone? They have a whole assortment of wheel studs behind the counter. They just set it on the counter and let me look to see if I can find a match.

[TomW]

Originally Posted by 59toaster

You sure it's a 1/2 and not a 7/16? Mine is 7/16 on a 59. It was the same stud that would spec for a REAR axle on a 1979 4x4 Chevy blazer. Specify rear the front on that truck has a longer knurled area.
Got a Autozone? They have a whole assortment of wheel studs behind the counter. They just set it on the counter and let me look to see if I can find a match.

Yep, I just went out and spun one of the good lug nuts on the new stud.

Autozone was the very first place I stopped at that told me we only do autos, and did not share their inventory with me. I was surprised, but moved on.

Good points though - Different Airstream owners will have both different situations, and different levels of vendor helpfulness.

Tom

[59toaster]

Yeah at that point you grab them by the shirt collar and go show me the studs.

I know my junk. I built every thing I own and when I say I built it I do all my own repairs including rebuilding transmissions. I love messing with their computers and see if I can make them choke. I really love messing with young punks heads. They actually do have books there but nobody under 25 knows how to make treeware work it seems.

Best so far is asking for a 297 U-joint used on all GM full size 4x4s from 1974-1987. I tell the kid I want a 297 U-joint. That's too easy so I have to go through the whole year, engine, color BS.

Kid proceeded to tell me it's a dealer only part. Yeah right! I had only bought about 10 of thses already from that very store. I spun the monitor around too see what this joker looked up. Some how this kid managied to look up a 1975 GMC S10 blazer. They didn't make S anything in 1975 and a S10 is a Chevy not a GMC. GMC is S15 Jimmy.

Manager knows me and is standing there one monitor over laughing at the hard time I'm giving the kid. I asked the Kid "Bet you drive a Honda" The kid says yep how did you know. Cause you don't know anything about the most comon truck built in the past 30 years.

I could see the part I wanted from the counter. I pointed at it and told him get the box that has 297 and the last three digits. Even that was too hard. Jim the manager finaly grabed it on his way past and tossed it to me.

[TomW]

Yeah, I know what you mean Eric. If their computer doesn't show it, it obviously doesn't exist.

I gave up after the kids that man the counter thought their 4-cylinders sounded good with a loud muffler. It's sad; They don't even know what a V-8 is.

[bake315]

Originally Posted by tcwilliams

It's sad; They don't even know what a V-8 is.

Yeah, they probably think it's vegetable juice or something!