Front wheel studs on an X. I need to replace a broken one, but maybe I'll put longer ones in if it's not a big deal. Anybody done it?

 

GRAVY, pound it ut with a hammer, stick the new one thru and use a air gun to suck it in... JUST MAKE SURE to put a big washer or big nut between the hub and whatever you are tightening it with to keep from damaging the hub

 

Indeed. Also, there should be an open spot on the hub where you can pound the stud out the back without it getting obstructed.

 

^ you should have no problem if the follow thepast two posts

 

Great. Will the new one stick far enough out I can get a lugnut on it with the wheel in place, or should I maybe try to find a regular hex nut to do the job with the wheel off? Lube the splines or do it dry?

 

I always just use a lug nut and some washers. Any M12x1.5 nut will work as well. I never lube wheel studs, there's really no need to if you always torque your wheels properly. That, and you can break a stud if the threads are lubed and you still torque to 85 lb-ft.

 

Thanx guys, project's done. I was a little concerned because the aftermarket studs had a coarser spline than OEM. But I checked with the mechanic types at a couple tire shops and they said no problem. What they talked me into: Anti-seize on splines and thread. Two washers with anti-seize between. And an open lug nut installed backwards to pull it in. And a half-inch impact. No problems at all.

 

Good deal

 

Where is everyone finding the studs at? I am loathe to go to my DSM dealer.

1) recently closed/re-opened under new mgmt
2) the oem was junk enough to get soft and broke with 90 ft-lbs of hand-torque
3) don't want the dealer to see my mods til I'm really out of warranty due to mileage, not to mention getting grief about r-comp rubber in my wheels stating the obvious place I've been driving it.

 

Yeah, my neighbor, a former Ford mechanic, acknowledges hundreds of broken studs -- air tool caused. Me, in over 30 years of changing tires, never broken one so it's a new experience to me. (I always use hand tools, so disappointed in myself for not babying the cross threads started by tire guys in town who mounted for me last winter)

Unethikl, have you had anyone pass along the specs for the Evo X's studs? Seems to be plenty around for the 8/9's but not sure if they're the same as the X.

 

Whenever I need to go to shop and wheel has to come off. Always tell them to use hand tools. Air tools over torque them... and a good number of times cross thread them.

 

1. I got my studs from a local autoparts. They're from Dorman, and very common. I was a little worried because they had fewer splines than OE, but everyone assured me that it wasn't an issue. Indeed, the holes in the hub have no grooves, so I didn't have to worry about the splines not lining up.

2. I totally disagree about avoiding power tools. Everyone I know as well as the local tire shops use them properly. Start the nuts by hand, impact slightly tight with two turns of a star pattern. Then finish the job with a torque wrench. No overtightening involved. However, I generally do something a little different on removal. I break the nuts loose by hand and then finish the job with an impact. Only because I find that too much hammering with an impact screws up the chrome plating.

BTW one of you mentioned 90 ft-lbs hand torque. My FSM says 75 ft-lbs. So much for not overtorquing your lugs. Oh, and the local tire shop wanted to use 100 ft-lbs...good thing I asked first.

 

If replacing the studs my only recommendation above what has already been said is to use a separate lug nut from your good set you use to hold your wheel on. I had to drill out a cross threaded lug with the wheel still on very big PITA. Use a few thick washers and lug nut to drag it in to the hub.

 

Thx Evolutionary1.

as an aside, I know that a too powerful and fast impact wrench can heat up the threads (via friction) enough to soften them, even a little, that initiates the cross threading. So even in removal, you can hurt them. Given that I broke a stud with less than 100 ft-lbs for the OEM quality metal makes me think the metal quality is close to pot-metal junk ;-)

Oh, I use 90-95 lbs, a bit more than spec (80 is top end) but well within heat and stress tolerance designs for any metal -- being a Mech Engr who went to grad school for engineering materials, well within quality control tolerances. Problems arise at higher temps and torques. But for anyone who knows the track, as the tires and metal get hot from a few laps, metal expands, causing the lugs to loosen up. I just start closer to where I know I'll end up. After a few laps, I notice my torque is btwn 80 and 85 ft-lbs, nuff to make me happy.

 

I almost saw a wreck a few months ago at the track. The driver said he worried it was a wheel bearing. Whoops, wrong answer, it was two out of his 4 lugs on the right-front wheels being loose. Not a good thing. So as long as you don't make them unevenly torqued (rotor warp) or way in excess of spec, you should be ok. I understand from track-heads that over-torqued problems are that they can begin to soften and "pop" as the temps and longitudinal forces increase.

When I was a kid, I used to go to 120ft-lbs on family trucks. Never popped, stripped or damaged one, many many years and miles under my supervision. Now I need to go find that good metal again. :-D