Wheel stud fitment

[David_Jennings]

I am finally replacing the front hub assembly on my 99 Sierra SLE extended cab. The local tire place estimated a half hour for the job, but it's taken me the whole weekend. Now the problem is setting the wheels studs. I replaced them for good measure, but I'm not sure how to set them. I keep cranking on them, but I can't get the play out. (This hub design will allow the front rotor to slop around if you don't set the studs.) I guess a 600 lb air wrench would work, but the best I can do is a breaker bar. How tough are these things supposed to be? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, unless they involve taking the thing apart again. Incidentally, this front hub is a pretty dopey design. (Just my impression.) Thanks.

[matt-max]

after $1000+ in damage to wheels, studs, hubs and lost lugnuts from non-seated studs in one of our trucks this summer during an 'easy' brake job, we will from now on take them to a machine shop and pay the $20 or so to have them pressed in. so much for saving money doing it ourselves.....

matt

[Dvldog 8793]

Howdy
Did it myself with my 600ft/lb air impact.
Take an old lug nut and put it on upside down with a gr8 washer, get them all as tight as you can with hand power then use the impact until she won't go any more. Try to work your way around evenly so you don't warp anything. This was 40,000 miles ago and I haven't had a problem. I think the tire shop told you the wrong price!
Have fun!
L8r
Conley

[DmaxMaverick]

Pulling the lugs through is OK in an urgent situation it replacing only 1 broken stud.

Ideally, you should press them in with an arbor press, or drive them through from the back with a BFH/punch or air hammer. The arbor press method is best. Some brake/wheel shops have an installation tool, and it's worth $20 to get them done right.

When you use a lug nut to pull the stud through, the splines may not be alligned, and you are cutting new grooves. You may not be able to get it seated completely, and it will weaken the threads. If you must do it this way, get the splines alligned. NEVER use the same nut to hold the wheel on that you used to seat the stud. Throw it away. Be sure to use at least 4 close fitting flat washers with wheel bearing grease between them, and on the threads, and use the nut upside down. It will take considerably more torque to seat the stud than install a wheel. After the stud is seated, clean the grease off the stud. If you use anti-seize or grease on the studs, reduce the torque by about 10%.

[More Power]

The GM service manual says to use 4 washers and a lug nut to suck them in.

I replaced a couple of the lugs in our new rear axle using this method. I found that lubricating the washers before hand was a huge help.

MP

[rjschoolcraft]

Ditto.

I've used this method many times with good success. If you're careful, you can align the serrations prior to pulling by "feel" as you turn the bolt while pulling up with hand pressure. I've had my rotors off several times and have used this method to re-seat the bolts every time. No problems.

[David_Jennings]

Thank you all so much for the advice. I tried tightening the hub with the wheel on and with greased lug receptacles, but this obviously didn't work. (In an abundance of caution, I took it apart to check.) Multiple washers would have worked, I'm sure, but since I had it apart in order to check whether I had succeeded, I instead took it to a shop and had them press the studs in. I don't want to spend the money on a new hub again. I would add also, for what it's worth, that the Haynes Manual once again let me down. The instructions for hub removal and installation had nothing to do with my truck. I was convinced the parts dealer had given me the wrong part until I went online and looked at the rotors and other parts for a 3/4 ton truck. Moreover, there is nothing in Haynes about pressing in the studs. Accordingly, anybody got a recommendation for a better manual on the trucks themselves? Again, thanks. You guys make it possible for 6.5 dilletantes like me to work on our trucks.

[rjschoolcraft]

Helm Incorporated (http://www.helminc.com/helm/homepage.asp?r=seo11502)... Actual GM manuals.

[tom.mcinerney]

The splines/serrations on the new set i bought from NAPA were all messed up...the knurler created what amounted to a shoulder, at either end of the serrations, with OD equal to that of the serrations.

[ttpost]

try alldata.com better than most manuals ive found and cheaper too good luck

[Peter J. Bierman]

Pulling the bolds in with the nut will overstress the bolds.
The torque put on them is way more they are designed to cope with and will stretch the bolds.
The only correct way is to press them in!

Peter