'79 Wheel Stud Problem
I'm using the original Corvette aluminum wheels however my wheel studs (front only) are turning inside the hub, when I'm removing the wheels. What is the best way to repair this situation? Can I get new studs with the same thread specs but with a larger knurl, or do I go shopping for new hubs assemblies. What are the stock stud specs?....and thanks for any guidence you can send my way.
I'm using the original Corvette aluminum wheels however my wheel studs (front only) are turning inside the hub, when I'm removing the wheels. What is the best way to repair this situation? Can I get new studs with the same thread specs but with a larger knurl, or do I go shopping for new hubs assemblies. What are the stock stud specs?....and thanks for any guidence you can send my way.


I guess the easiest way to fix, is a spot weld to the stud head.
The front hubs are rather soft, so if your stud (hard) is spinning, then the hole is spun larger than original and the chances are high that a stock diameter stud (.47 knurl) won't work.
You can get 7/16-20 studs with a larger knurl. The actual knurl size will vary in size very slightly depending on brand. The higher quality studs will be much more consistant.
Summit has a good assortment of different sizes. Most auto parts stores don't keep the old inch sizes in stock anymore (few sales), but the better ones will carry the Dorman brand and should have different knurls up to .564. ARP makes a very high quality stud.
Buying replacement hubs would be an very expensive way to repair a somewhat simple problem.
When installing oversize studs, I slightly drill undersize and then ream the final hole to fit the shoulder diameter of the new stud. Almost all studs have a shoulder and use SAE standsards for knurl interference. It should automatically fall into the .005 range.
I use a Bridgeport mill with Anilam digital readout, but a decent drill press can be used. Don't do it with a hand drill or weld the head.
The damaged hole really shouldn't be used as a pilot, but since the Corvette rims are hub centric, that will allow for some error.
I've found that the poor quailty of some aftermarket lugnuts in combination with too much torque causes the nuts to fail, then leaving the remains in the stud thread roots to damage new nuts.
Old nut material as shown in the pic below can be removed by running a die over the existing studs and then cleaning them with a solvent. On many cars, especially with ones using the oem factory aluminums rims, every stud has these nut remants and they are almost impossible to see.
You can get 7/16-20 studs with a larger knurl. The actual knurl size will vary in size very slightly depending on brand. The higher quality studs will be much more consistant.
Summit has a good assortment of different sizes. Most auto parts stores don't keep the old inch sizes in stock anymore (few sales), but the better ones will carry the Dorman brand and should have different knurls up to .564. ARP makes a very high quality stud.
Buying replacement hubs would be an very expensive way to repair a somewhat simple problem.
When installing oversize studs, I slightly drill undersize and then ream the final hole to fit the shoulder diameter of the new stud. Almost all studs have a shoulder and use SAE standsards for knurl interference. It should automatically fall into the .005 range.
I use a Bridgeport mill with Anilam digital readout, but a decent drill press can be used. Don't do it with a hand drill or weld the head.
The damaged hole really shouldn't be used as a pilot, but since the Corvette rims are hub centric, that will allow for some error.
I've found that the poor quailty of some aftermarket lugnuts in combination with too much torque causes the nuts to fail, then leaving the remains in the stud thread roots to damage new nuts.
Old nut material as shown in the pic below can be removed by running a die over the existing studs and then cleaning them with a solvent. On many cars, especially with ones using the oem factory aluminums rims, every stud has these nut remants and they are almost impossible to see.
What's the correct length of the stock stud. I found these at Jegs but they are 2.875 long which I am not sure about. Thanks for the help people!
Indy
http://www.jegs.com/i/ARP/070/100-7701/10002/-1
Indy
http://www.jegs.com/i/ARP/070/100-7701/10002/-1
I'd use some Loctite bearing mount, as loose fitting pressed in pieces is what it's designed for and also listed for stud usage. Pretty expensive stuff, but used it for press in bearing assemblies myself, and work's very well. You'll need to push the stud's in, so you can get this stuff on the mounting surfaces.












