does anyone here have a hub bolt press and can help me replace the studs on my front wheels? I could not get the studs off myself and I don't want to hammer them out since it might damage the bearing.

 

just whack those guys out

 

yes
ive done front and rears.

not that difficult, just check scoobymods.
rears are a little more involved but not too shabby.
just be willing to spend an afternoon on it depending on how many

 

the fronts are really easy, just smack them with a sledge hammer, they pop right off.

then tap them back in and as you tighten the nut on the stud it will finish pulling it back in, prevents whacking it too hard in and bending something

 

whoa are you guys serious?!? whacking the stud with a hammer? wouldn't that ruin the bearing or other things?

I only need to replace 5 studs on the front passenger as the others are starting to get worse while only one is really bad

 

Yea I just hit mine with a hammer, I didn't go psycho or anything but I just hit it hard enough to loosen it.

 

hammer or malet, doesnt matter.
no other way to get them out unless you are strong enough to push the studs out with your index finger ha ha

 

can you use a big c-clamp too, as a poor man's press?

 

c-clamps don't work and i broke another small press haha.. i believe there is supposed to be a hydraulic press to take these out properly w/o going with the hammer route, but i have yet to find one or know anyone with one

 

Just a tip, use a lugnut you dont care about to put on the stud youre taking out. Prevents the end from mushrooming. If you go at it like a badass with one or two hits per stud though this shouldnt be a problem.

 

another tip:

Spray the bolts with WD40. Leave for an hour, then whack away.

There is a proper tool that looks a bit like a c-clamp but with a fork at one end to go over the back of the hub. It looks more substantial than a c-clamp though. I tried the clamp approach first and it did two things:

1) bent the clamp
2) started to bend the bolt because you can't put the clamp directly in-line with the bolt (otherwise you are pushing on both ends of it).

On replacing the bolts:

Get an extra nut that you can dispose of. Put the bolt through the hole. Put the nut on the thread with a bunch of washers as spacers. You then tighten the nut to pull the bolt into the hub. I kept the 'puller' nut ready for next time.

 

Yes.

they are not pressed in there as hard as you seem to think they are, you dont need to use a sledge hammer, any medium sized hammer will have them out in a hit or two, I have never heard of anyone damging their wheel bearings taking out wheel studs. Potholes put much more pressure on your wheel bearings then taking out wheel studs

 

+1

Yup, a couple of medium hits with a regular hammer .

 

hmm.. i will have to see what I can do this weekend then

 

daios

Man, you num nut, go to the shop and I will take it off your car. Cant believe you forgot us already. $10 bucks for you since you forgot about us. Coffee money !!! Bring the new ones too.

see you soon

gino