94 Hub Stud Removal

[x87Bliss]

I have a 1994 Camry, and the last garage I brought my car to used an impact wrench on 1 lug of each wheel, and did little more than hand tighten the rest. The ones he used an impact wrench on I can't get the lugs off, they get harder to turn the more they come off, and metal shavings start to come out behind them. I'm going to try penetrating oil, but if it comes down to needing to put a new stud in, I was wondering how you get the old ones off safely?

I can remove the caliper, and disc, and that should expose the hub. The Factory Service Manual shows a SST that looks like a windshield wiper arm puller. One person I asked said that I can use a hammer, but I'm not so sure about how safe that is for the hub. Has anyone done this before that knows a good tool to use? Or will the hammer indeed be safe.

Thanks

[ycartf]

I had to do that years ago on my wife's 1995 Camry when Sam's Club where I got tires went crazy with the impact wrench. Mine actually twisted off and broke - 2 on each front wheel. To replace them I had to remove the tire/wheel (once they broke off and I could remove it) and the brake components to get to the hub. There is an access hole you can get to by rotating the hub until each stud that needs replacing has been removed. Once I had a broken stud lined up with the access hole I just used a hammer and drift punch from the front side to drift the broken piece of stud out the back side (where your access hole should be) and had no problem. The stud is grooved parellel with the shaft of it so that when it is driven in it does not rotate. You may want to put a bit of penetrant on each of the ones you are removing to minimize the force you need. Then drift them out as described. When you go to put replacement studs in, I put a bit of high-temp grease (could use penetrant) on the new studs on the grooved portion that was going to be in the hub, then tapped them in from the back side (not using a lot of force to drive them all the way home). Then when you put the wheel back on you want to grease the threaded part of the stud to allow the lug nut to move freely - rotate tightening lugs going around several times - you will notice the new studs eventually seating themselves completely in the hub through the force the tightening lug nut is creating - nice and non-traumatic. Hope this helps!

Tracy

[Novice_cardude]

I do it the traumatic way at the shop

Nah, what I usually do is take the brakes off, put PB Blaster at the base of the stud, then use an air hammer or regular hammer to knock the stud out, rotate the hub until it drops. I also use PB blaster on the new stud before I put it in. I have a axle nut from some car that slips over the threads of the new stud without touching them, and a large washer that does the same. I put those on the business end of the stud, put a lug on the stud, and use an impact to pull the stud through. You can use a normal breaker bar/4-way, but you'd have to hold the hub still with a prybar. This ensures that the stud is pulled all the way through, so you won't have it getting loose when you're cruising down the highway.

Also, as a general rule I never use any grease or lubricant on the stud. if it's on there from Wal-Mart or something, I take a wire brush to it. The grease traps any tiny metal shavings that come off the stud and lugs from normal use, and the new concoction works as a liquid sandpaper to wear the stud down the rest of the way.

Any way you end up doing it, good luck! and make sure the new stud is exactly the same size as the old one before you try to pull it through

[nevanerviss]

I just had to do this a month or so ago... I did what everyone else did... I jacked up the car (of course), and took a BFH and bashed out the the studs, from the ones that were broken, there was still a 1/4 inch or so left, before I used the punch, and after that, they came out easily... I had to take the caliper off, but not that little dust cover thing, I just turned the hub to an open spot and they fell out. To put them on, I just put them in the holes, and turned the hub until all of them were in, and used a lug nut backwards (beveled end out) and a breaker bar with a deep well socket to get them back on. My daughter and I had to stand on the breaker bar a couple times to make sure they were fully seated in the hub. The lug was beat to hell after I was done, but it worked...

All in all, it took about an hour to do one wheel, it's an easy job, even for a girl who doesn't know anything about cars; like ME!!!