Rear studs replacement

I do not see any specific helpful information on Prodemand or AllData. So I will have to go off of generalities. Generally, you will have to take the brake system off (either a caliper or a drum in this case), and hit the studs inwards (towards the car) with a hammer. These things are wedged in there really tight, and then heated and rusted into place, so it may take several direct, hard hits with the hammer to get them out.

As far as putting them in, it is best if you have a wheel stud installer (basically a press tool/C-clamp) or something similar. I have used a ball joint press on mine. You will really have to work to get them in far enough.

Good luck.

Pound the old ones out with a hammer and punch.

You may need to rotate the hub to a point where the new ones will fit through the holes. Note: that there is a shoulder right under the head that is larger in diameter than the threaded part of the stud. Stack a few washers over the stud, with holes large enough that the shoulder will not get caught on the washers. If your lug nuts have chrome caps, find a different, standard nut with the same thread pitch. Install it backward so the flat side contacts the washers. Use that to draw the stud in. It is okay to over-tighten the nut a little, but too much will peel the threads and ruin the new stud. If you can sneak a small hammer in there, tap on the head of the stud to help it fully seat.

Most import vehicles use anodized studs. Those have an electro-plating that is a lubricant. They will be a light blue, yellow, or silver color. Do not use any grease on those as that will eat the coating away.

Always use a click-type torque wrench when tightening the lug nuts. If the old studs broke because the lug nuts were loose, the mating friction surfaces on the wheel and nuts will be damaged, so the wheel and lug nuts must be replaced. If the lug nuts were over-tightened, there's a good chance the wheel is chewed up so the new lug nuts will not remain tight.

Tighten the new lug nuts to 95 foot pounds if you have steel wheels. If they are cast wheels, stick to 85 foot pounds.

After driving the vehicle for a few dozen miles, forces acting on the wheel will pull the studs in tighter which makes the lug nuts loose. Check them again with the torque wrench. The specification for your vehicle is pretty broad. It calls for 80 to 101 foot-pounds. I would stick with 95 foot-pounds.

Big round gear? Maybe you are talking about the brake drum. Does it look like the ones on this page?: https://www.google.com/search?q=brake+drum&client=firefox-b-1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiT-MeehazZAhUITt8KHUDoAKsQ_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=654

If so, then that is a brake drum, and it is definitely not holding those studs in. You just have to pound them out with a hammer.

You will have to turn the wheel to get them out. There should be a certain spot where there will be room for them to come out all the way.

Wow, that is ridiculous. I believe you will need a tool for that. I think AutoZone has it in their loan-a-tool program. It should be a tool set with the job of taking the hub apart in order to install new bearings.

Sometimes, if you go in there when they are not busy, they can help you take care of stuff like that right there.

Hi HEYMAN1104. It looks to me like they pulled the stunt GM is famous for. They want you to buy the whole assembly to get the part you need. The tool I think you referred to is for pulling the hub out of the bearing, but this pressed-on type of bearing can only be removed by destroying it. Normally there is never a reason to remove it except because it is noisy. This is the first one I have seen where a stud cannot be replaced separately.

The exception would be if that tone ring can be pushed back, out of the way, but when it is reinstalled, that air gap is critical for proper operation of the anti-lock brake system, especially at lower speeds. From what I can see in the photo, the tone ring is cast as part of the hub, so the only way to replace a stud is to destroy and replace the bearing. The better way is to just buy a new bearing assembly and pop it on.

You are probably right about that. You can get hubs pretty cheaply on Amazon. I got one for my 4x4 Blazer for $30.00. That is on tomorrow's to do list, along with the multi-function switch. Hubs are somewhere around $80.00 at AutoZone.