So i'm driving down the highway, and i hear a funny noise. It stops if i accelerate, or brake, but if i'm coasting it is horrible. Pulled over, looked to see if suspension was still there, and started going again. Once i got up to speed, it started again. Suddenly it dawned on me that this might have something to do with having two new tires on the front. I vaguely remember the guy reminding me to re-torque the lug nuts after "a while" because the rims are aluminum. I also remember that i sincerely meant to do that.
So anyways, after this second time, i pull over again. Wheel is barely attached to car. One of the wheel studs has snapped/sheared off and the other four lug nuts are about to come completely off. So after i tighten up the other four, i drive home and wonder:
What now? Although it seems fine, i am obviously not going to drive around like this... and i'm not about to pay my mechanic for something so simple that it doesn't even require a hoist.
So yeah, what am i replacing here? The rotor? What the hell do the lug nuts screw into (wheel hubs?), and how hard is it to get a new one on there?
Thanks in advance.
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I don't practice what I preach, because I'm not the kind of person I'm preaching to.
you can either replace the hub assembly, or just the studs. the Hub takes 3 bolts and you have to remove the axel nut, then it comes out. this you can do in your driveway.
Ryan1
i replaced mine fairly quick. they are just press in studs. I was able to do mine on the car without taking the hub off...just use some washers and the lugnut to pull the new ones in after you pop out the old ones.
Use a punch on the studs instead of a straight hammer. Other wise you will be there for a while (experience).
I accidentally the SHIFT LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!
The proper way of using the word seen. It is not I seen it that would be I saw it. He has seen the car is the right way to use the word. English class is Cool. By the way thats my sig
Sweet, i'll wait until it stops raining and get a better look at it.
If i recall correctly, that hub assembly would be a bit more of a PITA than my patience will be able to handle. Since those studs are just a press-fit, though, they'll probably be easier. I'll let you guys know how it goes.
If it ever stops raining.
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I don't practice what I preach, because I'm not the kind of person I'm preaching to.
Okay, there seems to be a major issue with the clearance in getting the old studs out.
So i guess that hub is coming off. Great. What size socket is that axle nut? Also, those are some big torx on there... size?
Thanks in advance for the help, i'm taking pictures so i'll see if i can't make a tutorial out of this, so no one else will have to come in here with the same silly noob questions.
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I don't practice what I preach, because I'm not the kind of person I'm preaching to.
hey there buddy... just went thru this myself on a buddys cavalier.... he just bought it and 2 studs missing and 2 more had lugs seized to them...
so had to break off the other 2... and replaced all 5....
what you need to do is the following....
get a drill or a dremel... and grind or drill out and little material from the knuckle right behind the strut... pop one stud loose, and rotate it like 30 degrees back from stright up... and you will see where it hits the knuckle... just drill or grind off like a 1/4" of material from the knuckle and the stud will slide right out...
if you want to remove the hub...
(if this is the stock hub, and an older car... especially one that has seen several salty winters... i really advise avoiding this unless manditory)
you will need a big ass hammer... a can of PB BLASTER.... a chisel... some old screwdrivers... maybe a crow bar.... oh and a heavy duty T-55 torx bit... dont get a cheapo harbor freieght one... you will bust it in a hurry and round out the head... and then your done. and if your unlucky... maybe a propane torch... if real unlucky, maybe a oxy-acetylene torch...
spray EVERYTING down REAL good and let it soak for a good long time... maybe overnight if you got the time...
you will need some freaking huge socket for the axle nuts... i think it is like 1-1/8" or so... oh and a torque wrench to re-torque them later... (too much or two litttle WILL kill your bearings in no time)
put the torx bit into the head of the bolt.... and then whack it several times with a hammer to make sure it gets thru the rust and crap and gets a good grip... trust me, you DO NOT want to round out those bolts...
use a GOOD 1/2" drive ratchet or a breaker bar... anything less you will break for sure... i think i killed 3 different 3/8" drive craftsman ratchets on mine way back when...
once you get the bolts out... then the fun begins.... the hub is almost press-fit into the knuckle.... and it is surely rusted in place....
you need to pick the tool that best fits the little "groove" they left between the hub and the knuckle.... and you want to stick it in there and just WHACK at it as hard and long as you can till it budges a lil bit.... then move to the next of the 3 sides....
once you get a hint of a gap what i suggest is move to a smaller tool... like a screwdriver... and pound that in the the gap you opened between the bolt ears and the knuckle... just keep wedging the ears with the bolt holes out a lil at a time till you can yank the whole thing out...
ken soggs wrote:hey there buddy... just went thru this myself on a buddys cavalier.... he just bought it and 2 studs missing and 2 more had lugs seized to them...
so had to break off the other 2... and replaced all 5....
what you need to do is the following....
get a drill or a dremel... and grind or drill out and little material from the knuckle right behind the strut... pop one stud loose, and rotate it like 30 degrees back from stright up... and you will see where it hits the knuckle... just drill or grind off like a 1/4" of material from the knuckle and the stud will slide right out...
Do this ^ Makes life a lot easier.
BFH is your friend and if you replace the bearing use Anit seize in the hole where the bearing presses into makes life a lot easier in the future.
Yeah... i had originally been a bit concerned about grinding or modifying anything to 'make' more clearance. But if, as they say, everyone else is doing it, then what the hell. I'll give that a shot.
/wanders off to find grindy things for drill.
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I don't practice what I preach, because I'm not the kind of person I'm preaching to.
sorry for late post, it would have been more helpful if I told you about that whole grinding thing. oops.
It's all good. It's going to be nice tomorrow, so i'll probably get around to that pictorial tutorial thing. Nothing on the subject seems to be in the library, and these are some messed up procedures just to replace some wheel studs. Hopefully, it'll be worth it.
I also picked up new lugs, just because i can. Also, it's almost rim season.
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I don't practice what I preach, because I'm not the kind of person I'm preaching to.
I believe the biggest opening is on the front side of the knuckle, They will fit through if you force them. But you will probably mess up the threads. Just grind a little bit out on the knuckle to slide them in/out. very simple and quick.
Weird. I was able to replace the lug bolts on my cavalier no problem. Just angle and pull is what I did. Took an hour or two but it worked. There is a sweet spot to it. think it was at the 2 o'clock position. Been a few years though
1997 Cavalier Z24 4Spd Auto. Magnaflow dual exhaust.
Odd that you bring this up, i just did the passenger side today.
It depends on the size of the 'heads' of the bolts. For some reason, the ones on the passenger side of mine were more than twice the diameter of the bolt itself. There's no sweet spot in that case.
I ended up grinding a little bit of material off. That seems to be the easiest way to do it.
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I don't practice what I preach, because I'm not the kind of person I'm preaching to.
hmm i have done all 20 of mine... and i didnt have to grind anything, they came out nice and easy, there is a gap to get them out of. and they just pop out with a bfh. my theory is, snap 1, replace them all. thats how i learned it and the best way to do it.
I never took a grinder to anything, loose bolts holding the hub on, you don't even have to unbolt the axle and you can pull the hub out a little bit and they fit just fine
