Hi All,

Recently had some intermittent grating and groaning from the right rear wheel, and have been accumulating parts to do a brake job, new rotors, and wheel bearings. This much at least I think I have under control (but not looking forward to playing with the emergency brake shoes!)

I've got at least one badly stripped lug stud, and a couple more questionable ones and have a bag full of replacments studs ready to go on. Is this something that I just have the shop do when they're pressing the bearings on the axle, or is this something that can be done at home?

Thanks in advance!

Greg

Either way will work. To do it at home you simply take the rotor off, smack the stud through with a hammer, fish it out of the parking brake assembly, fish the new one through with a little grease on the splines and then pull it back into the axle with a nut and a few washers. Make sure that the washers that you use are large enough that they will not get stuck on the shoulder of the stud as it comes through the axle. I have always used an impact gun to run these home and have never had to do one by hand. Your biggest obstacle will be to keep the wheel from moving while you run the nut down and pull the new stud in.

If you are going to pull the axles out and send them out to have the bearings replaced you could just pound the old studs out and pound the new ones back in. Use a little white grease and a good sized hammer (36 oz. or bigger) and it should be no problem.

Mark