The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Need help getting new wheel studs back in?

Help! I hammered out the old rear wheel studs out of my 57 hub, but now I'm having a real hard time getting the new ones in. Do I have to take off the whole hub to hammer them back in?

You should be able to place some washers are maybe cut a small piece of pipe that has an inside diameter a little larger than your stud and cut it a little shorter than the stud. Start the stud in the hole, put short pipe on stud then washer, then start lug nut and tighten to draw stud into place.

That's what I was gonna do, but I cant get the new studs in far enough to do that? Am I gonna have to take off the hub and hammer them in? Someone said don't hammer them in?

Are the new studs longer than the old ones that came out? If they are the same length as the old ones that came out, then the new ones should go back in. If not then you will need to pull the hub.

Don't the wheel studs stick out of the drum? I've always just pulled the drum off, heated the studs up with a propane torch and hammered 'em out.

Then sprayed the stud holes with some wd40 and scrubbed 'em out with a small wire brush, then put the new studs in. Most times a gentle tap on them get 'em seated nice and tight.. altho if they don't sink in flush with a few light taps, i'll bolt an old rim to the drum to pull 'em into place.

Then just put the drum back on and down the road you go.

Measure the Knurled Diameter of the old stud and compare it with the new ones, there is a large variety of diameters and maybe the new ones are of a larger dia.

Do you have the old studs? Are the new ones the same diameter and length? Don't mean to insult you with that question but have to ask. If they are good then can you get in behind with and air hammer to drive them in? If not, can you use a thick piece of steel bar to lever on them and hit that with an air hammer? A little lubrication couldn't hurt while you're at it...

If you measure the old ones at the knurled diameter and the new ones at the same place I would expect to see the old ones be a bit smaller, even if they are the exact same studs from the same batch / lot.
The process of installing and removing them in a tight fitting hole should have squished the knurling down perhaps 8 or 12 thousandths on the diameter.
Just so you don't think you have the wrong thing if they are at all different, as they should be a tad different from new to used.

I had a similar problem on a 65 f350 We had a long time ago. I was driving up the interstate when 5 of the 6 studs holding the left rear wheels on sheared off. I got it stopped and then on a trailer without the wheels falling off. I found what were supposed to be the right studs, but could not get them to fit. Being in a pinch, and needing to get the truck back on the road, I ground some of the knurled portion down so I could at least drive them in with a big hammer. If they are just to tight I see no problem with turning them down a few thouthandths so they will press in. Just don't go so far that they won't lock in the hub and stay stationary when you tighten the lug nuts.

Grigg

I used a vise and a 3/4" socket to press mine back in. The vise probably hates me now but it worked.