any tricks to get wheel studs all the way in?

[muddybuddy]

i just put on my new rotors on my d60, and i cant seem to get them quite all the way on. there is still a tiny bit of play in them, is that alright?

im using a bfh and a punch, and sometimes extension with 11/16 socket on the end. this method got my 14b discs all the way on, but these wont get that last tiny bit.

 

[1987Chevy]

A decent impact gun if you got access to one.

 

[muddybuddy]

yea i wish i had one of them :-/ so since i cant get the very last lil bit, should i take it somewhere and have them finish it off?

 

[mofugly13]

You never want to 'pull' the studs in by torquing a nut on the other side. They aren't made to take the kind of tension without compromising some integrity. I always install studs using a ball peen hammer as a punch. Put the ball end on the stud and then smack the flat face with a BFH. Three or four whacks should do it. This method works for removing studs as well.

 

[roadnotca]

There's cardinal rules against smacking hammers, but we break rules all the time, just wear goggles/plastic glasses or welders helmet just in case you do find the reject.
What I've done is use a deep socket, on the cement and slip the threaded side down into the socket, ie the socket is longer than the recess.

 

[muddybuddy]

well ive got them all punched out, and now im reinstalling them. i was hoping to have it running tonight, looks like itll have to wait til tomorrow

 

[rlhenry]

It's not so much that one of the hammers might be a reject, it's more related to the hardness of each hammer. If I'm not mistaken, the closer the hammers are in hardness, the more likely one or both with shatter. At the end of the day, it's never advisable. I don't mean to be a 'safety-geek' but I've seen some pretty bad injuries from this.

 

[mofugly13]

Hmm, never thought of that. I'd have to think that a BFH and a ball peen, in a bit lesser sense, are made for whaling away on tough materials. Well, i guess the purpose of the ball peen is for 'peening' softer materials. I would think that a good forged hammer, properly heat treated and tempered, would be just fine. Punches are hardened, and it's cool to whack at them with a hammer, why no hammer-on -hammer action? When driving in wheel studs, the impact is being transferred to the stud, the energy going into seating it further. You can tell when it's seated, as your BFH will 'bounce' back with a different feel than when the stud still has room to move. I wouldnt whale on the ball peen after the stud is seated.

rlhenry, what were the circumstances surrounding the injuries you witnessed?

 

[Citizen Rider]

On my 10b i used a big sledge looking hammer on a wide round punch. The sound of them fully seated is a different sound. It may take some good hits. But in time it should go all the way in.

Oh, and is there a possibility that there is a lip that is catching right before the head of the stud that is keeping it from seating?

 

[darenofears]

IF you have an old rear hub with the same bolt pattern just the brake drum you can slip the studs through and hit the stud with a hammer

 

[hack500]

I've used a snap-on airhammer when possible otherwise a small 3lb mini-sledge with a large punch has always worked. if all else fails find a shop with a press.... I'm sure it'd only be a fistful of dollars to get it done.

 

[rlhenry]

rlhenry, what were the circumstances surrounding the injuries you witnessed?

Two of the instances were from safety training classes I attended for my company. One of those was from hammers being used as described in this post, the other was from a guy screwing around and hitting two hammers together for the hell of it. The third one I am aware of was presented by my company's hand-tool vendor. His example was a guy on a railroad track gang driving spikes and hit the hammer on the rail. According to the vendor, the hammer head completely fractured. The manufactuer claimed it was due to the hardness factors of both the hammer and the rail. I'll see if I can get the info from the vendor and post it.

 

[daleearnhardt01]

there is still a tiny bit of play in them, is that alright?

Now Im not trying to be mean here but are you serious? Sometimes I wonder about you..

That being said you should be able to use the punch and hammer but if you cant take it to a shop and have them press it in, shouldnt cost too much...