So I installed spacers with longer wheel studs on my car - Install went successful as far as I know.

The thing is the spacer company sent me a defective 15mm front spacer (It measured 10mm and it did not sit flush against the hub. I installed it anyways.

I decided to take off my wheels and lower my car even more today BUT upon removing the front lug nuts, the nuts just kept turning and would not come off. I took a closer look - The studs were spinning! (4 of them).

I jacked up the front of the car and took a look behind the brakes - all of the studs were flush in the hub but were STILL spinning.


My dilemma is that I cannot take off the front wheel due to spinning studs and I can't figure out why its spinning. - I know for a fact that the metal of the studs is much softer than the metal of the hub (which is cast iron i believe).


Maybe the studs are stripped from within the hub? I hope the hub isn't stripped because thats expensive (knock on wood).


Help needed!

 

Maybe I can use alligator shaped vices and clamp them down from behind the wheel and then try to remove the lug nuts.

 

That's what I would try first. Good luck.

 

i had that same issue on one of my studs recently... unfortunately it will probly not work. you're going to have to drill though the lug nuts and studs to break them off. but if you can get at it that way, i would do it.

good luck

 

dang thats serious!

 

so you were able to actually torque the lugs down? when you first started to loosen the lugs, was it tight to start?

sounds like the studs are too small for the hub

did you have to hammer the studs in? or did they go in with your hands?

 

I was able to torque them down. When I started to loosen them, it was TIGHT, I felt like if I turned it more I would snap the stud in half.

I have to make sure they're 14mm knurl.

 

^^^I had to hammer them in a little bit.

Now that I think about it - the defective spacer might have caused my studs to bend since it didn't sit flush on the hub, but that wouldn't have much to do with this stripped issue.

 

Besides for the fact that you shouldn't have put them on in the first place if they weren't the correct thickness, I would imagine that you would be able to cut off the heads of the studs from the back of the hub with a grinder, or another idea that just came to mind, (not sure if this is the correct procedure) but I would imagine that you might be able to tack weld the heads of the studs to the hub and use a breaker bar to loosen them (not an impact gun, as it might break the weld, because remember, theres not much weld there). After you loosen the lugs (if it works) you can grind off the tack welds and send them back at the company who makes them.

I would first try clamping them down.

Good luck. Maybe some pictures will help me analize the hub and studs.

 

Good idea!

The company is actually offering me free replacements.


I know I shouldn't have installed that defect.

 

good luck, studs to me are a PITA

 

If my idea does work, please take pictures.

Hopefully my engineering degree will pay off for someone.

 

well if your studs turn INSIDE the hub, thats a no no. prolly the teeth inside the hub are worn out OR the stud shoulders are too thin. was it VERY easy to pull the new studs into the hub or rather hard? i dont understand how u were able to view the studs rotate if the wheel was still on. this is a serious problem, your lugs can easily spin off the studs on the freeway. either way you need proper studs or new hub.

 

The vice grip trick doesn't work.

Perhaps I have to tack weld it from the back. That will suck when I have to break the welds.

 

use a torch and cut them off

 

haha see that's the thing, the brakes are in the way since the wheels are still on - makes things a little more complicated.

I'm kinda scared to torch because:
1) might damage another part.
2) wheels are still on with the tires.

 

true true can you take some pictures and post them up

 

I sure can, but you can't tell they're spinning - they look just like they're normal. Unless I make a video clip of it but I'm sure you get the idea already.

 

ya i understand what you are saying

so the longer studs are spinning in the spacers? they didnt grip in there and since they are spinning the lugnuts are also spinning and there is no easy way to get them off

drilling them might be the only way

 

*sigh* I dread that.

 

Does anyone know how hard it is to break tack weld beads? I might consider tack welding the studs in the back.

 

ya if you can get in there behind the wheel and tack weld it that might work. and to break it you'll need to grind it to get it off.

 

if the studs are spinning already how is drilling them gunna help anything...

spinning drill bit + spinning stud = no solution???????

 

I think what he means is to drill out the lug nuts and then break them.

 

My local Mech tells me he will vice grip it from the back and drill and break the lug nuts. My hub could potentially be damaged.

Well. New lugnuts time!

 

If you tack weld the stud from the back side you can usually remove the tack weld with a long cold cut(chisel) and a hammer. I would recommend using a impact gun since it isn't a steady strain on the weld instead in is a lot of small hits.

 

My mech said it would immediately ruin the hub, it will never be the same again. I'd rather give up lug nuts than my hub.

 

how is he going to use a vise grip in there?

 

I fit one in there. A small one.

 

A small tack of welding from a mig won't hurt anything. The thing is a SMALL tack, don't try for deep penetration just a small surface tack. Use a impact gun for best results, many hits per second is better than a strain from a ratchet. If you try drilling and the drill slips you will go into your wheel.

 

what does the vise grip hold on to?

 

Another idea: Reverse tap a screw from the back, and use it to hold onto with a wrench while someone else uses a breaker bar from the lug side.

Just my $.02

 

The hat of the stud from behind the hub.

 

That description didn't click with me, elaborate a little bit?

 

First off this thread was started at least a week agoand you are still riding on the wheel = potential bad day.

My idea. From behind the hub, drill and tap the back of the stud with a reverse threaded tap. Then screw a reverse threaded bolt into the newly made hole and hold it (or secure it) and use a breaker bar on the lug side.

This is just my idea, and i'm not sure if it's correct, safe, or practical...Judge the sitsuation, and do what has to be done. I TAKE NO RESPONSABILITY FOR ANY OF MY IDEAS.

 

Acutally he doesn't drive that car at the moment. He has another car to drive around.

 

werd