wheel studs

Hi,

I have a 1998 ford windstar and recently I change the snow tires to all seasons. One of the wheel studs broke. I was wondering if it is possible to just replace the wheel stud and not the whole spindle. Does anyone know?

Thanks,

Carl

Reply to
carlbernardi
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Should be able to just replace a stud, was it front or rear, did the wheel have a disk or drum brake? Stud should pop out with some force but a little heat from a propane torch helps too. Pop it out with a punch and take what is left of it to an auto store to match it up.

Reply to
sleepdog

Thanks for the speedy reply. It's the front and it's a disc brake. Do I need to take of the disc at all?

Thanks,

Carl

Reply to
carlbernardi

Also, do I have to replace the wheel stud or can I get away with only having four?

Thanks,

Carl

Reply to
carlbernardi

Remove the brake caliper and secure it with an old coat hanger or something so it doesn't hang from the flexible brake line. Remove the rotor from the spindle. At this point you should be able to knock the old stud out with a hammer and a punch. As far as getting a new stud back in you might find yourself with little if any space to pound the back of the stud into the spindle with a hammper, so you'll need to get creative. I can't say if tightening the lug nut on the new stud would be enough to pull the stud into place on the spindle, might be one way to do it. Or maybe a large c-clamp? Maybe a small hammer if some space presents itself?

I would recommend only driving with four lugs on the wheel to an auto repair facility, period.

Reply to
sleepdog

Whoa!!!!! let's give our heads a shake....

Your wheel is designed to be attached by five EVENLY spaced wheel studs and nuts.... Also, because of the GVW and loading possibilities, the manufacturer has done the necessary math and has deemed that five wheel studs and nuts are required to carry the dynamic loads placed on the wheel.

My own recommendation.... yes, you can operate the van on only four wheel studs BUT this should only be done at reduced speeds and loads and only to get you to a repair facility.

If you had your very own road to drive on, I'd say feel free to let your car gets just as unsafe as you possibly can..... But you are sharing a road with many other people and it is your responsibilty to keep your vehicle in safe operating condition.

FWIW.... part of my duties include inspecting motor vehicles involved in fatality MVAs for safety defects. Friday, I performed such an inspection on a Windstar. While some subsystems were in need of service, no unsafe conditions were noted in my report. The driver failed to obey a stop sign and was hit broadside by a tanker truck - and now this young mother has two less children.... a burden I don't think any of us would want to shoulder. Whether it is through failure to drive safely or through failure to keep our vehicles in top condition regarding safety... it only takes a single heartbeat for our lives to change dramatically...

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Reply to
Jim Warman

I agree, I wouldn't put my family in it... now i'd do it in a pinch to get me through, but i'd be checking the torque of the remaining 4 frequently to ensure i wouldn't lose the whole thing. i've seen and known too many people who run 3/4 or 4/5 and end up losing the wheel

Reply to
Picasso

Buy a handfull of washers to fit the new stud. Grease them up (antiseize works best, and pull the stud in with the nut untill it is firmly seated. DEFINITELY get it replaced ASAP.

Reply to
clare at snyder.on.ca

Yes. You need to replace it immediately for safety reasons, as Jim Warman stated, structural integrity of the vehicle. Also, brake rotors/ discs warp when lugs are unevenly torqued or missing, causing premature brake wear.

You will need to remove the wheel, brake caliper, pads and disc. It may be possible to access the stud at this point but if clearance does not allow access, you will need loosen the CV axle nut from the wheel bearing and then unbolt the wheel bearing from the spindle (usually 3 or 4 torx fasteners). You should have sufficient access to the stud unless the spindle casing is in the way. If so, you may be able to remove the wheel bearing from the spindle and CV axle then replace the stud without further disassembly (but you might have to remove the spindle from the lower ball joint and slide the spindle off of CV axle, leaving the axle in the transmission). Make sure you look for any metal alignment shims between the wheel bearing and spindle. If there are shim plates, be sure to replace them exactly as they were installed. (It may be a good idea to have the alignment checked.)

Simply tap out the old stud with a pin or punch tool and hammer. Install the new one using the same tools. Get the stud as far in as possible. After everything is put back together and the vehicle is on the ground, torque and loosen the stud several times. You will feel it "Stretch" into place the first or second time you torque it. Continue to re-torque it until this stretch stops. Check torque again after

30-50 miles.

Or... most tire shops are famous for over tightening lugs, causing the stud to snap when removing the lug. They are used to replacing them because of this, so they can do it for you quickly at little or no cost (maybe you could blame the tire shop that put your tires on for the failure and have them replace it for free).

Regards

Reply to
adupyours

Fix it right or let me know where you live so I can steer clear of the area....

Reply to
GMach3

I fixed my wheel stud by:

1) removed wheel, caliper, and rotor 2) hammered until the old one felt out. 3) put the new one and tightened with the lug nut as far as it would go 4) put the rotor, caliper, wheel on 5) tighten all five wheel suds 6) went for a test ride where GMach3 lives but he was MIA.

Thanks for everyone's input,

Carl

3 days
Reply to
carlbernardi

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