WHEEL LUG '95 Century
chuck0
06-21-2007, 09:35 PM
The front wheel lug snapped off probably while driving the car. Looks like a press fit into the wheel hub. Is this a correct assumption? How difficult is it to remove & replace? Will the rotor warp if only (4) of the lug nuts are torqued tight?
GM Line Rat
06-21-2007, 11:46 PM
I just changed one of these out 2 days ago. 1st, the wheel lugs are pressed into the wheel hub, but they can be removed. Unless GM Has redesigned the hub with a clearence area on the 1995 model (My car is a 91 Century) the problem is not getting the old broken stud out, but enough clearence between the spindle and the hub to get the new stud back into the hole. Get a NEW wheel stud for your year of car, and a new lugnut also and check the clearence when you pull the rotor off the car? If there's NOT enough clearence to get the new stud back in.......Proceed here:
the Tools you'll need for the project:
1. Large (Long) 1/2 drive ratchet or breaker bar
2. 34mm Axle nut socket (Can rent for free from autozone)
3. T-50 or T55 Torx bit socket
4 3/8" Allen wrench or socket
5. Other misc tools (Sledge hammer , 3/8 ratchet).
Steps to replace the stud:
1. Remove hub cap, then break the axle nut loose with the breaker bar and 34mm Socket, loosen the nut about 6 full turns. Nut is on tight, it will take decent effort to break it loose.
2. Break the lug nuts loose, put the emergency brake on and chock both back wheels. Jack the car up on the side with the broken stud, put a jackstand under the car. Remove the lugnuts and wheel.
3. loosen the caliper pins with the 3/8 Allen wrench, lift the caliper off the spindle and hang it on the strut with a piece of wire etc..Remove the brake rotor.
4. Now take a hand held sledge hammer and give the broken wheel stud a few good hits and pop it out of the hub. If you have a hand held torch, heat the stud up 1st. There should be enough of the stud left sticking out to hit it and pop it out.
5. Now stick the rotor back on the hub, Put 2 lugnuts on and hand tighten them down to hold the rotor in place, set the caliper back onto the rotor in it's proper position. Put the car in Neutral (You have to push the brake pedal to do this, that's why you set the rotor and caliper back on so the caliper piston doesn't move out while pressing the brake pedal).
6. Lift caliper back off and hang it, remove the rotor. Notice that there are 3 Holes in the Wheel hub. 1 hole is larger than the other 2. Spin the hub until you get the Large hole lined up with 1 of the Torx bolts that hold the hub/Bearing onto the spindle. Use the T50/55 Torx bit and remove the torx bolt. Repeat the process until all 3 Torx bolts are removed thru the Large hole in the hub.
7. Now pull out on the hub and it will give you enough clearence to insert the new stud into the hub. Notice that the stud has teeth on it to lock it in. Try and line the teeth up with the old teeth slots in the hub hole. Now put at least 2 of the torx bolts back into the hub and tighten them down decent (You may not be able to get all 3 bolts back in because the new wheel stud is not fully seated into the hub yet and it will hit 1 of the Torx bolts while spinning the hub). If you can get all 3 Torx bolts back in.....Good!
8. Take a lug nut and hand tighten it on the new stud to hold it into place and keep it straight. Then take a wrench or socket and tighten down the lug nut and pull the new wheel stud into the hub. If it's hard to tighten the lug nut without the hub spinning, put 2 more lugnuts on to 2 studs that are next to each other, then use a large screwdriver or bar to hold the hub in place while you tighten the lug nut on the new stud. (Lugnuts are put on to prevent threads from getting stripped while holding the hub).
9. Once you have the new wheel stud all/close to all the way in, (If needed) spin the hub and put in the 3rd Torx bolt back in and tighten ALL the Torx bolts down it down nice and tight. Remove the 3 lugnuts. (New wheel stud lugnut 1st).
10. Put the rotor back on, put the caliper back on the rotor, tighten caliper bolts good. Put the car back in park. Put the wheel/Lugnuts back on the car and tighten them down enough to hold the wheel on decent (Dont torque the lugnuts yet)
11. Raise the car, remove jackstand, lower the car on the ground. Now tighten the axle nut back down to approx 100 Ft lbs (Good and tight).
12. Tighten lugnuts to spec, the new wheel stud will pull all the way in now if it was not fully seated before.....Put hubcap back on.......Your Done!
the Tools you'll need for the project:
1. Large (Long) 1/2 drive ratchet or breaker bar
2. 34mm Axle nut socket (Can rent for free from autozone)
3. T-50 or T55 Torx bit socket
4 3/8" Allen wrench or socket
5. Other misc tools (Sledge hammer , 3/8 ratchet).
Steps to replace the stud:
1. Remove hub cap, then break the axle nut loose with the breaker bar and 34mm Socket, loosen the nut about 6 full turns. Nut is on tight, it will take decent effort to break it loose.
2. Break the lug nuts loose, put the emergency brake on and chock both back wheels. Jack the car up on the side with the broken stud, put a jackstand under the car. Remove the lugnuts and wheel.
3. loosen the caliper pins with the 3/8 Allen wrench, lift the caliper off the spindle and hang it on the strut with a piece of wire etc..Remove the brake rotor.
4. Now take a hand held sledge hammer and give the broken wheel stud a few good hits and pop it out of the hub. If you have a hand held torch, heat the stud up 1st. There should be enough of the stud left sticking out to hit it and pop it out.
5. Now stick the rotor back on the hub, Put 2 lugnuts on and hand tighten them down to hold the rotor in place, set the caliper back onto the rotor in it's proper position. Put the car in Neutral (You have to push the brake pedal to do this, that's why you set the rotor and caliper back on so the caliper piston doesn't move out while pressing the brake pedal).
6. Lift caliper back off and hang it, remove the rotor. Notice that there are 3 Holes in the Wheel hub. 1 hole is larger than the other 2. Spin the hub until you get the Large hole lined up with 1 of the Torx bolts that hold the hub/Bearing onto the spindle. Use the T50/55 Torx bit and remove the torx bolt. Repeat the process until all 3 Torx bolts are removed thru the Large hole in the hub.
7. Now pull out on the hub and it will give you enough clearence to insert the new stud into the hub. Notice that the stud has teeth on it to lock it in. Try and line the teeth up with the old teeth slots in the hub hole. Now put at least 2 of the torx bolts back into the hub and tighten them down decent (You may not be able to get all 3 bolts back in because the new wheel stud is not fully seated into the hub yet and it will hit 1 of the Torx bolts while spinning the hub). If you can get all 3 Torx bolts back in.....Good!
8. Take a lug nut and hand tighten it on the new stud to hold it into place and keep it straight. Then take a wrench or socket and tighten down the lug nut and pull the new wheel stud into the hub. If it's hard to tighten the lug nut without the hub spinning, put 2 more lugnuts on to 2 studs that are next to each other, then use a large screwdriver or bar to hold the hub in place while you tighten the lug nut on the new stud. (Lugnuts are put on to prevent threads from getting stripped while holding the hub).
9. Once you have the new wheel stud all/close to all the way in, (If needed) spin the hub and put in the 3rd Torx bolt back in and tighten ALL the Torx bolts down it down nice and tight. Remove the 3 lugnuts. (New wheel stud lugnut 1st).
10. Put the rotor back on, put the caliper back on the rotor, tighten caliper bolts good. Put the car back in park. Put the wheel/Lugnuts back on the car and tighten them down enough to hold the wheel on decent (Dont torque the lugnuts yet)
11. Raise the car, remove jackstand, lower the car on the ground. Now tighten the axle nut back down to approx 100 Ft lbs (Good and tight).
12. Tighten lugnuts to spec, the new wheel stud will pull all the way in now if it was not fully seated before.....Put hubcap back on.......Your Done!
chuck0
06-22-2007, 09:00 AM
Line rat, thanks for your detailed input, very much appreciated. But, the statement for #4 I believe should be to heat the Hub (to expand the hole for the stud) not the Stud.
GM Line Rat
06-22-2007, 03:49 PM
Line rat, thanks for your detailed input, very much appreciated. But, the statement for #4 I believe should be to heat the Hub (to expand the hole for the stud) not the Stud.
That's the General idea.....But you'll be there forever trying to heat just the hub itself up ....Longer with a hand held butane torch (I use Map Gas)......I've done these stud R&R both ways, torch or not (I replaced all 10 Front studs on our last Century without heating them).....Stick the torch flame where the stud goes thru the hub, then spray some PB-Blaster on that spot to loosen any rust up around it....a couple of wacks with the sledge and out they go.......:wink:
That's the General idea.....But you'll be there forever trying to heat just the hub itself up ....Longer with a hand held butane torch (I use Map Gas)......I've done these stud R&R both ways, torch or not (I replaced all 10 Front studs on our last Century without heating them).....Stick the torch flame where the stud goes thru the hub, then spray some PB-Blaster on that spot to loosen any rust up around it....a couple of wacks with the sledge and out they go.......:wink:
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