JMortensen Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I bought Austin's old brake system and it used stock wheel studs. I want to use wheel spacers so these have got to go. I am a bit worried about how I should get the studs out, since they are pressed in and the hub/rotor hat is one big piece of aluminum. If they were steel I would just knock them out with a 2 lb sledge. Maybe I should do the same here, but AL hubs are a new one to me so I thought I'd run it past everyone first. The issue I think is that the rotor hat part is fairly thin. My first thought is to bolt the rotor on and then press the stud out with my hydraulic press. I'm just worried that I might bend something. I suppose the other option is to mount the hub on a spindle so the BEARINGS take the hit and then pound them out with a sledge... Here are some pictures: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Definitely support it right around the stud head when you are pressing. Assuming the back side of the stud flange is flat, use a steel plate with a notch in it on the press deck. I would also heat the hub a little bit with a hair dryer, or heat gun on low or medium heat. I attached a render of the plate I would use. Slip it in between the flanges and line the stud with the notch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 9, 2009 Author Share Posted October 9, 2009 And if the back of the flange is very un-flat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan5138 Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Might try throwing the whole unit in the oven or put it near a space heater etc. Get it up to 200-300*F. I don't think this is enough heat to damage/distort the aluminum. Please chime in if I'm wrong. Use a good set of welding gloves and use a large deep socket to support the back of the stud hole. A good hit with a mediumish ball peen hammer should knock the stud right out. Heating the the Alum. should make the studs come out easier, less chance of breaking something or screwing up the holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 And if the back of the flange is very un-flat? You just might have enough room to slip some sections of tube up through the access holes. Cut the top of the tubes at an angle to match the back of the flange. Then stand it up on the tube and press the stud right down into the tube. Also, things tend to press pretty softly into aluminum, so it might take less force than you think to push the studs out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xnke Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Use the inertial energy of the hub by slamming it, studs first, against a piece of hard wood, the wood is softer than the aluminum, but should still allow you to knock the studs out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Jon, What are those hubs from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 From what Austin tells me he bought them from someone else who paid $600 to have Coleman machine make them. They are custom and are machined from one solid billet of aluminum. The hat fits a 8 x 7.625 rotor and I'll be using a 12.2 x .81. I was going to use them as Austin sold them to me, but then I figured out that I can use Wilwood calipers instead of the single piston PBRs that Austin was using. Austin had measured the weight of the hub and rotor combo at 12 lbs a couple years ago and that stunned me at the time, which is why I jumped on them when he said he was going to an AZC setup. That's lighter than the rotors I had for my JSK setup, and then you have to figure the weight of a 280Z hub on top of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Jon, Thanks for the info. Those are very nice looking parts. It looks like a great find. Post up some picks when you ahve it all mounted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrSideways Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 How much do those bad boys weigh?? Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 How much do those bad boys weigh?? Looks like the hub weighs about 4 lbs according to the bathroom scale. I can tell you that the rotor that goes on it weighs 9.2 lbs according to Wilwood and I think Austin had said the rotor and hub weighed 12.x lbs, so my bathroom scale is probably just not accurate enough to get a good measurement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waddiejohn Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Heating the hubs is a good way of going, but I'd figure a way to chill the studs before I knocked them out. Some dry ice on the head or something like that. You could place and old socket or piece of steel tube over the studs to act as a shield and heat the area around the stud with a small torch then tap it out as well. Just an idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garvice Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Loctite freeze and release will cool the stud if you need to heat the hub and cool the stud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 Also, things tend to press pretty softly into aluminum, so it might take less force than you think to push the studs out. With no personal experience whatsoever, this sentence seemed like it would be true to me, and it was. I took my hubs and studs out to the shop and just threw a hub in the press and pushed on the stud. with a SHORT handle only about 5" long and not pushing very hard I was able to push the studs out. New studs went in fine and held when I used an impact to pull them into the hub. I guess I was being overly cautious. Thanks guys for the ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 I've used map gas or a smaller torch, to heat up the area at the base of the stud and once it gets hot enough, smack the stud with a small dead blow hammer, until the stud pops out, after a few minutes you might have to re heat the hub though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.