Urgent Help - Broken Wheel Stud

[ArizonaGoat]

I am an idiot, but that's a subject for another time...

anyway, i was putting on my new wheels with new, locking lugnuts, and the knurled part of the wheel stud stripped. Now the lugnut is on the stud (and the wheel is on the car) and it just spins. I can't get it off! Is there any trick or tool I can get to get it off? It's on the front, if that makes a difference.

[sccaGTO]

I am an idiot, but that's a subject for another time...

anyway, i was putting on my new wheels with new, locking lugnuts, and the knurled part of the wheel stud stripped. Now the lugnut is on the stud (and the wheel is on the car) and it just spins. I can't get it off! Is there any trick or tool I can get to get it off? It's on the front, if that makes a difference.

Oh shit. You have new wheels on? Pretty expensive I bet. Unfortunately, you will have to find a way to strip all of the threads off of the lug nut or the wheels stud. Most of the time when I have to fix a stud like that, it requires big pull bars & angling the socket/lug/bar in a way that gets close to the sides of the lug nut hole. The only thing I can think of is to use some kind of soft tape (brown packing tape perhaps) that you can use to cover the hole around the lug nut. Then, try the trick I stated. Instead of a pull bar with a socket, you could try a 4-way lug wrench. But, be prepared. Once the lug or stud pops off, your momentum may make you drop your tool into the wheel. And, don't be stingy with the tape. Adhesive is easier to clean that having to have a wheel repolished or refinished.

Edit: I just reread the post. You said the knurl of the stud is stripped. That is the part that holds the stud to the hub. There might be another way. If you can access any area behind the hub, you might be able to grind the back side of the stud off. But, I haven't looked at the back side of my hub, so I don't know what kind of room there is.

[ArizonaGoat]

I can see about 1/2 of the stud from the back - I could probably grind it off, but with what? I can't get a cutting wheel in there...

[sccaGTO]

Do you have access to a plasma cutter torch? That's the only thing I can think of that can cut precisely without melting everything within a 5 foot radius.

[ArizonaGoat]

I think i can get the entire hub off - I see 3 allen bolts holding the hub and 2 bolts for the caliper bracket - anything else I don't see?

[ArizonaGoat]

Sawz-all FTW! I had just enough space between the wheel and the hub to cut the stud. Now taking this "opportunity" to buy new ARP wheel studs...

[housewolf]

I think i can get the entire hub off - I see 3 allen bolts holding the hub and 2 bolts for the caliper bracket - anything else I don't see?

IIRC, There should be four allen bolts.

[Dbluegoat]

I have a spare front stud too if you need a replacement and cant find one quickly....just pm me

[ArizonaGoat]

Thanks for the offer, but I can wait. I'm ordering the ARP replacements for both sides. More work than I was planning, but what else do I have to do? lol :banghead:

[Jon01]

Dremel tool with a few fiber cutoff wheels should get in there and be controllable so you don't f-up your wheel.
Had the same problem with my Charger way back when it had unilug Cragars on it. I used a dremel with a grinding stone on it to take all the edges off of the lug nut then pulled the wheel out over it.
Good luck, it was an sob when I did it!

[Sun Dog]

Tried an air impact wrench?

Sometimes that vibration will shake it loose. Oh, and Heat the hell out of the lugnut with a small torch or even a hair drier to expand it.

[Imrayzor666]

With the entire stud spinning, I would try to use a set of locking pliers on the back of the stud to hold it in place, position the locking pliers against something solid, and then try to remove the nut like you would normally. This will be easier if the nut is not completely tightened down to the wheel, as this will give you a little more room to grip with the locking pliers. If that does not work, then cutting the back off seems to be the best bet.

[Sun Dog]

Since you have to replace the hub anyway, if you have a mig or stick welder maybe try spot welding the stud to the hub on the back side.

[Sun Dog]

Sawz-all FTW! I had just enough space between the wheel and the hub to cut the stud. Now taking this "opportunity" to buy new ARP wheel studs...

Never mind last posts. I see problem solved.

If you don't mind how did you strip those splines off??? Just by overtightening??

Just curious so no one else will do the same.

[ArizonaGoat]

Not exactly sure why it stripped. I might have cross-threaded the lug, but I'm pretty sure I didn't. I was just turning and *snap* - the lug kept spinning.

Would it have killed GM to put some anti-sieze on the rotors before installation? I can't get the rotor off for the life of me. Any tricks? I've hit it with a mallet and regular hammer, and I tried the 2 c-clamps and a wrench trick, almost broke a craftsman wrench. Any ideas?

[Sun Dog]

You should start a new thread on the rotors I'm sure someone will have a good answer.

I haven't had the rotors off yet but I wonder do they have a bolt holding them to the hub? Can you get them to wiggle at all? Is the screwed up stud interfering?

Heat is always the first thing that I try when something is frozen from corrosion. If you have a torch heat them up a little. Hell even some PB Blaster or Zep Twister might help cut the rust a little.

[sliver]

For a rotor that won't come off... I've used a puller in that application... you put the centerpoint in the middle of the hub and the fingers distributed around the rotor. Use a 3 finger puller.

I unfortunately only had a 2 finger puller when I did the job and put a nice 1 inch dent in the front of my steel toe boot when that puller finger slipped off. Tip, use a 3 finger and don't stand in front of the puller when you're torquing on it hard.

[Dan_E]

I had same problem with a lug spinning, ended up prying on the wheel and jamming the stud back in to the hub enough to loosen the lug. It took about an hour prying and loosening, but it worked.

[Summerwolf]

rotors DO NOT have anything holding them in place....big hammer around the hub is what it took for mine to come off, I sprayed a ton of penetrating lube around the hub......hardest rotors I've ever had on a vehicle...and this is a 04!! come on!!

[ArizonaGoat]

I ended up taking the hub off with the rotor still attached and beat the hub out with a hammer and a block of wood. It still took me 10 minutes to break the rotor loose... :cursin:

The driver's side wasn't as bad, but I just took the whole rotor/hub assembly out anyway and separated them. Studs should be here tomorrow, so hopefully I don't run into anymore problems.... :banghead: