The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline '50, 3100 Rear Wheel Studs

Bad news...was driving around the other night after my first car show and started hearing a rythmic growling noise coming from the rear of the truck. I pulled over in the first parking lot I came to and got out. I pulled off the center cap on the left rear tire and 2 of the lugnuts came off with it. The 4 remaining were about to come off too. Save your, "well who was the dumba$$ who left 'em loose?!" questions/comments. I tightened everything w/ an impact, AND a torque bar, but I digress.

Now, I have a ruined wheel (no biggie because I have a spare and I'm getting all new anyway) and 6 ruined lug bolts (posts).

How do I replace these lug bolts? I have looked in the shop manual and can't find anything. I've never had to do this before and could use some direction.

If I am pulling the hub to replace the lug bolts anyway, what other things do I need to inspect, repair, replace or give attention to while I'm in there?

If I'm doing one side, should I do the other side at the same time?

Chime in with your direction and advice.
Thanks,
KINGLONESTAR

Two possibilities- - - -pull the rear axle and use a hydraulic press to install new lug studs, or if there's room between the axle flange and the backing plate, use a big C clamp and a deep socket, and press the new studs in without removing the axle from the housing.

DO NOT TRY TO PULL NEW STUDS IN WITH A NUT! You'll strip, or at least stretch the threads and end up in the same situation. How much torque did you use on the original studs? Most stovebolt lug studs are 7/16" diameter, and only need around 65 ft.-lbs. of torque. Most people seriously overtighten lug nuts and destroy the strength of the studs. The nuts loosen up after a few miles of driving because the stud continues to stretch.
Jerry

The lug bolts are pressed into the axle flange. And yes you can get them at your local FLAPS. And, yes you can press them in or have a shop press them in for you. If you pull the axle then you have a good time to look at Drums, Brake shoes, Seals, Bearings, and Ring, pinion, and spider gears. Most common reason those lugs fail? Improper torque. Too little and too much. You might not be the person that over-torqued them but you will be the one to fix them. I would pull both axles just to save doing it again later. I think they are 7/16 NF but match them up any way. Get some new lug nuts at the same time.

I had always heard 85-90 ft/lbs for steel rims?? John

Here's my adventure

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=981466&page=2

3rd to the last post gives the dorman number for the correct stud

I use 75/80 fit lbs on the 7/16 from info on this forum

This seems to be a good reference.
http://www.portlandbolt.com/technicalinformation/bolt-torque-chart.html
Now, all I have to do is figure out if the lug bolts are grade 5 or grade 8 or ...something else...according to this it would be 70 foot LBS if I got the grade right.

Your live in a big town and a large percentage of those getting these trucks on the road ditch the torque tube for a donor rear end. Scavenging a couple axles could potentially be cheaper and easier and shouldn't be too hard in your area.

Thx for all the input so far...what would make a good rear end donor?

The problem with going to an open driveline rear end is that a transmission change is also needed. Curt is talking about finding someone who has done the transmission/rear end swap and getting the axles out of his old rear end. Some folks will give the whole thing away just to get it moved! Jerry

***UPDATE***
I went to my FLAPS and bought the 7/16x20 wheel studs that I THOUGHT I needed. Everywhere I looked, and everyone I asked said the same thing. Found the Dorman 610-025 and it looked to be right...LOOKED to be.

I pulled my axle. Using my caliper/micrometer, I eyeballed the diameter of the knurled/serrated shoulder of the wheel studs in my axle and it showed to be about .600-.620 ish... Then I measured my brand new ones and the measured .556 at the shoulder. Trolled thru about three more FLAPS's and can NOT find the proper wheel stud with the 5/8-ish serrated shoulder.

*scratching head*

What to do now? Question #1 is, Why do all the different 'authorities' tell me that I need one particular bolt, when mine is completely different. I guess there is some possibility that a previous owner swapped axles on my old truck, but knowing what I know about the truck, and the meticulous records that have travelled with the truck, and been handed down to me, I think it is highly unlikely that the axles were changed.

So do y'all have any input/ideas on this situation? One thought is that I could change all the studs on both sides of the truck.

Will get actuall existing stud measurements tomorrow once I get them pressed out...

***UPDATE #2***

disregard previous update. All's well. Pressed out the old ones and the 610-025's were the right size after all. The visual 'guesstimation' by me and my father-in-law was a bit deficient apparently.

...carry on