86_RedRider

while driving home from work today, i noticed that the rear driver's side wheel was making some noise and the car was shuddering. i got off the express way to see if i had a flat or if the tire pressure was low. when i looked at the lug nuts, i noticed one was missing. ahh, but it was more then the lug nut, the bolt from the wheel hub was missing also and the rest were all lose! i started tightening the rest and didn't even start to torque it down and another broke off. i barely tightened the 3 that were left and took all side streets to get home. nothing worse then your car breaking down in the middle of detroit with my cell phone battery dead.

so far the best price i could find for a rear wheel hub assembly is $260 (AC delco) from ecklers and $160 from midamerica, anyone else have some suggestions. should i replace all 4?


[Modified by 86_RedRider, 6:03 PM 10/16/2003]

RED-85-Z51

Sounds like you ran on loose lugs for a while and wore down the studs. Id pull the wheel and check the holes for damage. Cant you punch the broken studs out and press in new ones? Its what I would do, if at all possible.

86_RedRider

i don't know, never had this problem before. anyone else ever done this?

redwing76

If you can't punch them out a shop can do it.

86_RedRider

will a local parts shop carry the studs, anyone know the sizes off hand. do i need any special tools?

thanks again!

Siveck

Get some studs from NAPA as well as a couple of flat washers to fit the stud. Hammer the old ones out and pull the new ones in with an open end lug nut over the flat washers. I did this on the rear of my '89 with no problems.

85red_vette

[QUOTE]Cant you punch the broken studs out and press in new ones?
:iagree:
I did this on a car once and it wasn't all that hard a job.

86_RedRider

thanks everyone. i got the hub out. it only took a trip to sears to buy a 36mm socket, a T55 torx bit, and some long extensions to make it past the halfshaft. then i couldn't find my 18 mm wrench to get the mounting bolts off of the caliper, another trip to meijer for that. let me tell you, i didn't use the best practice when losening those bolts, but my hammer and foot came in very handy. hopefully i can get the studs tomorrow and get the car back on the street. need to make the cruise through hell on sunday!

Dark-Knight

Wow, could have been real bad....