Beat Wheel studs out?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: St Louis MO
Beat Wheel studs out?
The shop I had my state safety inspection done at stripped two of my wheel studs. They said they'll replace them, but I'm afraid they want to beat them out. The GM manual says to remove the hubs and use this little c-clamp kinda tool to remove the rear wheel studs on my '91.
Is it ok to beat them out?
Has anyone here ever replaced wheel studs without removing the hub?
Is it ok to beat them out?
Has anyone here ever replaced wheel studs without removing the hub?
Elite Torch Red Member
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From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by Pete K
A bfh works fine. Whack them out.
Team Owner
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From: Former NCM Drag Racing coordinator, National director Corvette Challenge Spring Hill, Tennessee: Whiting, New Jersey
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Originally Posted by Mr Mojo
Elite Torch Red Member
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 Vet
CI-II Burnout & Drag Champ
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by Blown Vette
Don't beat them out. Use a big C clamp with a socket on the back of the stud to allow it to travel out. To simple a job to risk damage to the bearing hub.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,472
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From: Toronto ONTARIO
I tried using a clamp setup on my 93 a few years back.. took me hours and hours to do one wheel. i started to whack them out.. and it was instant 
i was putting in drm longer studs because i had spacers on to fit the y2ks better. I ended up putting gm wheel bearings back on all 4 wheels last week because i needed short studs and guess what.. 3/4 bearings had play in them. i can't say it was from the wacking.. but its always been on my mind since i did it.
i was putting in drm longer studs because i had spacers on to fit the y2ks better. I ended up putting gm wheel bearings back on all 4 wheels last week because i needed short studs and guess what.. 3/4 bearings had play in them. i can't say it was from the wacking.. but its always been on my mind since i did it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: The Motor City
Originally Posted by Mr Mojo
One whack with a hammer and it's out lickety split, no damage so far.
yep, and since no one addressed install, put new one in, put washer on it and a lug nut, tighten till all the way seated (as viewed from back side). Remove nut and washer and install tire. I know there is a stud tool or press also, that I think is unnessesary simply because you would probably have to remove the rotor at that point.
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Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
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From: Mexico Beach FL
Even though it works, I don't like beating on anything associated with my wheel bearings.
For my wheel studs, I use the ball joint separator on the left in this link:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...Ntt=ball+joint
Edit: Works every time in seconds, but you do have to remove the rotor.
Tom Piper
For my wheel studs, I use the ball joint separator on the left in this link:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...Ntt=ball+joint
Edit: Works every time in seconds, but you do have to remove the rotor.
Tom Piper
Last edited by Tom Piper; Apr 21, 2006 at 08:14 AM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: St Louis MO
Originally Posted by mseven
yep, and since no one addressed install, put new one in, put washer on it and a lug nut, tighten till all the way seated (as viewed from back side). Remove nut and washer and install tire. I know there is a stud tool or press also, that I think is unnessesary simply because you would probably have to remove the rotor at that point.Thanks for the replies, everyone.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,753
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From: backwoods upstate ny
i don't like the harley wrench method (bfh) either...i put lug nut on the stud if i can, put a socket on the back side (socket size large enough for the stud to slide into)..put a big c-clamp on the whole mess and tighten the clamp as much as i dare..then just give the end of the c-clamp a little whack with a small hammer and pow--the clamp and the socket fall on the floor (i lay cardboard on the floor first-save the floor) and the lug/nut is loose in the hub
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
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Cruise-In II Veteran
The BFH trick works great...also,on reinstall,I use a bearing race to put over the stud and tighten the lug nut down against the race with a big 1/2 inch drive ratchet/socket.It pulls the studs through hub with ease.The inside hole of the bearing race should be large enough to allow the stud to pass through,but small enough to keep the lug nut from pushing inside.
Elite Torch Red Member
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 Vet
CI-II Burnout & Drag Champ
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by mseven
yep, and since no one addressed install, put new one in, put washer on it and a lug nut, tighten till all the way seated (as viewed from back side). Remove nut and washer and install tire. I know there is a stud tool or press also, that I think is unnessesary simply because you would probably have to remove the rotor at that point.
Elite Torch Red Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 57,805
Likes: 23
From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 Vet
CI-II Burnout & Drag Champ
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by DieL
I tried using a clamp setup on my 93 a few years back.. took me hours and hours to do one wheel. i started to whack them out.. and it was instant i was putting in drm longer studs because i had spacers on to fit the y2ks better. I ended up putting gm wheel bearings back on all 4 wheels last week because i needed short studs and guess what.. 3/4 bearings had play in them. i can't say it was from the wacking.. but its always been on my mind since i did it.
i was putting in drm longer studs because i had spacers on to fit the y2ks better. I ended up putting gm wheel bearings back on all 4 wheels last week because i needed short studs and guess what.. 3/4 bearings had play in them. i can't say it was from the wacking.. but its always been on my mind since i did it.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
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From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
If it was my mistake I wouldn't mind beating them out. But since it's their mistake, make them do it the right way and press em out with a clamp or press.
Beating on them will affect the wheel bearings (how much I don't know) but if one goes out on you in 2 months after their hammering, you'll hate yourself.
Beating on them will affect the wheel bearings (how much I don't know) but if one goes out on you in 2 months after their hammering, you'll hate yourself.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
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Originally Posted by Mr Mojo
Well from experience, the studs I beat out, the hubs are fine, the car I never took studs off of have bad bearings, so whacking with a hammer isn't going to affect them.
Yup. I probably smacked out a couple hundred with the Harley wrench. Never had an issue. If anyone feels the need to press them out, have at it. On paper, it certainly is the better way to go.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
The studs were pressed in and should be pressed out. Beating on pressed in items usually ruins the item by mushrooming it and preventing the mushroomed end from going through the hole AND beating on bearings is the perfect way to ruin them, not to mention distorting the hole or the body that the stud is pressed into.
Elite Torch Red Member
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 Vet
CI-II Burnout & Drag Champ
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by jfb
The studs were pressed in and should be pressed out. Beating on pressed in items usually ruins the item by mushrooming it and preventing the mushroomed end from going through the hole AND beating on bearings is the perfect way to ruin them, not to mention distorting the hole or the body that the stud is pressed into.
In the pics above, those studs were beat out and pressed in three times so far, if they are mushroomed, I certainly don't see it.
Remember, it's one whack and it's over, it isn't like we're beating on each stud for 5 minutes.
The one thing that worries me about the constant removal and installation is the grooves in the flange wearing down and losing their grip.