| Steves46 | -- 09-15-2011 @ 8:58 AM |
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Two of the lugnuts on the same rear wheel of my 46 coupe will not tighten down. This may explain why I was recently experiencing some vibration that I think is coming from the rear between 60-65 mph (the diamondback radial tires are new & balanced). Anyhow, I was thinking about placing a washer or two on the stud and see if I can get the nut to tighten down. Good or bad idea? I see that all the parts houses carry wheel studs; are they easy to replace or do I need to take it to a shop with special tools? Appreciate any advice.
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| CharlieStephens | -- 09-15-2011 @ 9:09 AM |
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I am not sure I completely understand what you are describing. Is there any chance the holes in your rim are oversize and that is the problem? Do you have the wrong lug nuts? As far as replacing the studs you/they will need to pull the hub/drum. Do you/they have the puller? The old ones need to be removed and the new ones pressed in by someone that knows what they are doing and has the right equipment. If your location was in your profile or the text of your post someone might recommend a good shop. Charlie Stephens This message was edited by CharlieStephens on 9-15-11 @ 9:12 AM
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| supereal | -- 09-15-2011 @ 9:35 AM |
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The lug nut studs have a flat on one side of the head inside the drum. The knurling is supposed to hold the stud in place so it is locked to the drum, but rust and time often reduce their hold. If you are lucky, you will be able to get the lug nuts off the usual way. More often they turn in the drum, making the job much more difficult. Then, you will need to remove the drum, wheel and tire as a unit to access the head of the stud, and grasp it with a ViseGrips or other tool. The only safe way to be sure that the studs stay in place and don't turn is to spot weld them to the inside of the hub. When we replace studs, we always tack them down as a precaution. If you have a flat tire on the road, and any stud turns, the only way to get home is to call a flatbed. If it happens, almost always it is night and, likely, raining. Don't try to cinch the lug nut with a washer, as the convex part of the nut fits the dished hole in the rim and must be seated to be centered. Otherwise, you run the risk of the rim coming loose if more than one stud isn't locked.
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| Steves46 | -- 09-15-2011 @ 9:57 AM |
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My apologies for not being clear. Actually, the nuts will unscrew off and screw on without any problem. It is when I go to tighten them down-they will not tighten. The stud is staying stationary and not turning which is good. The wheels are stock and to the best of my knowledge, the nuts are as well.
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| CharlieStephens | -- 09-15-2011 @ 10:06 AM |
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Steve, When you say they will not tighten do you mean they bottom out (?) before hitting the rim or that they spin? Are you using nuts from a Model A Ford that are acorn and not deep enough? What about some pictures? I still don't think I understand the problem. Where, in general, are you located? Charlie Stephens
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| supereal | -- 09-15-2011 @ 10:09 AM |
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Either the threads on the studs are compromised, the threads in the lug nuts are stripped, or the stud is, if fact, moving. More than a few times a vehicle shows up at our shop after some tire shop idiot used an air wrench set too high for the application. Last year, we had a Mercedes come in with only two studs that would tighten after being stripped following a tire repair. That was an extra expensive fix, as the Benz uses bolts threaded into the axle flange, rather than studs. The offending shop tried to rethread the flange, but succeeded in making axle replacement the only safe solution. An air wrench should only be used to run the nut up to the wheel, not until it stops. Good practice, particularly with today's alloy wheels, is to torque the fasteners in the pattern and degree shown in the owner's manual. Insist on this if you have any shop remove a rim for any purpose.
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| Steves46 | -- 09-15-2011 @ 10:27 AM |
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Charlie, I will try to post a photo this evening. The nut goes all the way to the rim like the others and although it acts like it will snug down, it becomes loose again. I tried this same nut on another stud and it worked fine so I think what I am dealing with is what supereal indicated as compromised stud threads.
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| supereal | -- 09-15-2011 @ 2:02 PM |
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We used to see that on Model A's. It was known as "wallering", and there were shim washers to correct it. It happened when lug nuts worked loose and "wallered" the holes. If any of your rims show evidence of this phenomenen, they will need to be replaced to be safe. This is also a problem of idiots and air wrenches.
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| Steves46 | -- 09-15-2011 @ 2:52 PM |
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Thanks Super. The bad thing about this is that the 2 studs are side-by-side so I suspect only having 3 snug lug nuts makes this unsafe and may explain why I had the vibration at higher speeds? I wish there was some kind of home remedy I could use to fix this but it looks like a trip to a specialist may be in order. Hopefully this won't burn too large of a hole in my wallet.
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| alanwoodieman | -- 09-15-2011 @ 3:18 PM |
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look into your lug nuts, some have a "short" set of threads and will do what you are talking about. Have you tried another lug nut on the stud? You can get the cupped washers from various Ford parts people. I would try this if the studs show no signs of being damaged by the loose nuts
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| Steves46 | -- 09-15-2011 @ 3:49 PM |
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Thanks Alan. The studs do not appear damaged however , I will remove a tight lug nut from the wheel and give it a try or maybe go down to Auto Zone and see if what they have.
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| Steves46 | -- 09-17-2011 @ 7:14 AM |
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UPDATE......Problem resolved! I have learned (once again) that sometimes you can't trust your eyes for what appeared as good lug nuts, were not. As a last ditch effort, I purchased a set of lug nuts from NAPA and they fit like a glove! What a relief. Thanks to all that provided their suggestions. Steve
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