New Wheel Studs

Downeaster

Junior Member
My rear wheel studs threads were stripped. Removed the swedge with a 5/8" hole saw. Removed the old studs. Got the new studs. Got the swedging tool. Anybody in the Greater Boston area have a 30-40 ton hydraulic press I can use to swedge in the new studs? Thanks
 
Sanels in either Manchester or Concord will do it.I forget which one it is,but a friend just had his done.They said the equipment had not been used for 30 years or more,but the guy in the shop thought he could remember how and he did a great job.Now,the next question is,did you just cut away the rolled over part of the stud? Did you leave the tapered part of the hole in the drum?An unmodified hole saw will just cut straight down,all the way to the hub surface,taking out the important chamfer in the hole.That is unimportant to most,as the drums are usually being removed to make way for new cast ones.My friend started out the same way as you,he had bad studs with good drums.He cut out the studs using a hole saw,not realizing he had to cut a tapered hole without touching the drums.He took them to the shop where they told him he had ruined the drums.I aimed him at Mel Gross,and he bought a set of new cast drums.I have his old(ruined)drums,trying to dream up something to do with them.They all measure .130 so they are pretty nice.He actually ruined the studs from some advice he got here on the Fordbarn a couple of years ago.He torqued them to 100 foot pounds,and the studs mae wested.The threads were OK in the lugs,but where they passed through the wheel holes they got skinny,or hourglass shaped.The wheels started to chuck,ruining one and shearing off a few studs all around.
 
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If by chance you are repairing the steel drums, make sure the new studs are not too long on the shoulder. Most (if not all) studs supplied by the vendors are for the cast iron drumss and are 1/8" longer and need to be machined to fit the steel drums. Be sure to use the Grade 8 studs, not the Grade 5, as the Grade 5 are like a marshmallow. The Grade 8 will have markings on the head and the Grade 5 are plain. If you used a 5/8" hole saw, and went right through, your drums are toast. The stud should be snug in both the hub and the drum before swedging.
 
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