How to remove rear wheel hub bolts ?

[badbrakes]

96 Corolla, no ABS. The rear hub bolts are worn to the point where wheel lug nuts are hard to install and remove. Also probably unsafe. I want to replace the hub bolts. How to pull them out ? Do you 'tap them out' from the hub ?

Do I have to remove the hub and bearing assembly from the real axle carrier and then 'disconnect' the bearing from the rear axle hub in order to get to the hub bolts ?

I'm hoping they can just somehow be tapped out without dismantling bearing assembly... if you've replaced these let me know how.

Thks,

[GSS123]

This is a simple repair. Have car safely on a car stand. Rotate hub so you have clearance behind bolt lug (hub bolt) and smack it with heavy hammer. One good firm blow with the hammer should drive the lug bolt out.

On installing new lug bolts....insert new bolt and add some washers and then lug nut....... tighten lug nut to draw the lug bolt firmly into the wheel hub. Don't try to draw the lugs into the hub by installing the tire/wheel and then tightening. If you do this the lug bolts will cut right through the steel wheel or make your bolt holes over sized on the wheel.

After you have the lugs drawn firmly into the wheel hub, install wheel and torque to specification.

[badbrakes]

Thanks for your response GSS123. I did indeed replace them yesterday after your post. - went fairly well. Good advice on the pulling the lug bolts via washers and not the wheel. - just a bit tricky holding in place though as needs a fair amount of torque.

After doing that job yesterday I put my winter wheels on and realize that a couple lug bolts at the front also have to be replaced. I'm asssuming they're replaced the same as rear but calipers and rotors have to come out first ? - am I right ?

[GSS123]

In the office today so I can't check my car to see if this is correct or not. Look for a space behind the hub for the loosened lug to fall out. If there isn't one then you have not choice but to remove the caliper. Do one side at a time using the side not worked on as a model for how things should go back together.

You may have to expand (open) the disc pads out so they slip back on. Use a "C" clamp to squeeze the brake piston down. I usually loosen the brake fluid reservoir lid to allow for brake fluid to backup into the reservoir more easily.

Just curious as to how so many lugs became damaged on your car. I've had just two damaged lug in 40 years of car ownership and both times were the results of some air wrench jockey not being careful after a flat tire repair.

Thanks for posting back your results on the rear lug repair.

[badbrakes]

Also in office today - but a little web browsing can't hurt anyone I suppose !!!

Thanks for advice, I'll likely have to fix them next time I take my winter wheels off.

I've been scratching my head as to why these lug nuts are misbehaving on me !? Front and rear but only on passenger side !? The only thing I can think of is 1) car has 'lived' in Montreal and Toronto since 96 - tons of salt, snow and bad weather. 2) on the corolla, the original lug bolts seem to be galvanized but the lug nuts are raw metal, no coating of any sorts... they've rusted and over the years of winter wheels on and off have damaged the lug bolts as they became harder to screw on and off. - I can't come up with any explanation on why passenger side other than pure coincidence.

I've always been very careful to torque them to exact spec though....

who knows !... just a minor annoyance in an otherwise beyond reliable vehicle ! - I owned a much more recent Odyssey and still prefer my corolla. For my next car, I'll go back to toyota - likely camry hybrid. --- anyways I digress. thanks for your help and feedback.

[altinator]

This may not pertain to you at all but I thought I would share. I have a 95 Corolla with 226,000 miles. Early in its life I started noticing that some of the lug nuts were getting hard to turn. As if the threads were half-stripped. I didn't really see a problem with the studs and I felt that if I kept forcing the nuts on I would eventually damage the stud. So I bought a few new lug nuts, just to try it, and they spun right on. Over the years I have just kept a few new lug nuts on hand and when I find that one is getting hard to turn I just replace it with a new one. So far, I 've never had to replace a stud.

[Brian R.]

Put a drop of motor oil on each lug before you install the nuts. Torque is meant to be applied to lubricated threads. Also, it will prevent them from rusting to some degree.

[altinator]

Originally Posted by Brian R.

Put a drop of motor oil on each lug before you install the nuts. Torque is meant to be applied to lubricated threads. Also, it will prevent them from rusting to some degree.

I always appreciate any advice I can get. So thanks! I have always lubricated wheel studs before spinning the lug nut on. But this is the only vehicle I've ever had this type of problem with.

[Brian R.]

My comment wasn't addressed to just you, but glad you noticed. Most people don't lube the lugs.

[rockwood84]

an impact wrench that most tire dealers use are hard on lug bolts and most places do not lube the lug nuts before they put them back on.

[badbrakes]

what are your thoughts on applying anti seize compound on the lug nuts and bolts ? I've been using that on my spark plugs and don't think it could harm anything on lug bolts and nuts but just checking.

[rockwood84]

i guess it would work just a small amount

[altinator]

I stopped using motor oil because it gets so thick and sticky on the stud. Then the nut gets hard to turn, especially in cold weather. I just spray a little WD40 on the studs now. Seems to work great.

[badbrakes]

About a month ago I replaced all lug bolts on the front passenger side. Really easy to do on this car. You do need to take out the caliper and rotor though. Not too bad though as you do not need to touch the pads or caliper cylinder.... When that's done, it takes about 10 minutes replacing all 4 bolts. Coupled with the rear passenger bolts I had previously replaced, I can now take on and off all wheels easily. I still haven't figured why only the bolts on the passenger side all went while driver side are almost like new... more head scratching to do on that. I also applied anti seize coumpounds on all bolts before torquing to spec.... everything looks fine.

[famlycar]

Speaking of lug torque, does anyone know if aluminum alloy wheels get the same amount of torque as the regular factory steel wheels? I've been giving them 76 foot lbs. after lubing them with WD-40.