S13 Wheel Stud Replacement

General discussion forum about the 240sx, and a great place to introduce yourself to the board!
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positron1
Posts: 3610
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:29 am
Car: Project: 1993 Nissan 240SX Coupe SR
Daily: 2010 Honda Civic Coupe
Location: Starkville, MS.

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I finally got off my duff and replaced that wheel stud that I broke a couple of months ago.

Tools needed:Jack JackstandsSocket wrench17mm socket14mm socket3lb. hammerWashersLug wrench

I've been riding around for a couple of months now with one missing lug nut on my rear drivers side...it ends today!First, jack the car up, place your jackstands in the appropriate places and remove the wheels. In order to gain access to the hub so that you can remove the broken wheel stud, you need to remove the brake caliper and the brake rotor.In order to get the rotors on and off you'll need to remove the brake caliper. You start by removing the torque member bolt with a 17mm socket. There are two bolts on the torque member, top and bottom. This is the top bolt.This is the bottom torque member bolt.Torque member bolt-top.If you can't wriggle the caliper off then you may need to slightly loosen the pin bolts. There are two pin bolts. This is the top pin bolt.This is the bottom pin bolt.Here's the caliper.Here's the torque member that it bolts to.You don't want the caliper hanging by the brake line, which could damage the line, so you use something to hold the caliper with while keeping stress off the brake line. I didn't have any metal coat hangers so I used a small bungee cord. Put one end on the top of your springs and hang the other on the caliper.RotorThe rear rotor is slip-fit so it just comes off when you pull it.Exposed hub.You'll probably find that the wheel stud is rusted so hit it with some PB Blaster and let it sit for 10 minutes.After the PB does it's thing, you're ready to knock out the wheel stud. Grab your trusty hammer like the Mighty Thor and raise it toward the heavens...uh, the Mighty Thor isn't black and he doesn't wear a wrist watch either.Here's the stud that needs to be swapped out and the new stud...shiny!!!To remove the stud, you need to knock it out with a hammer, I used a 3lb. hammer. I started off by hitting it from my left, I hit the stud probably 20 times and it didn't budge.I got a little angry that it wouldn't move so I switched to my right side and manned-up. The first blow that I hit it with knocked it loose.After knocking it loose, I used a small hammer and a flathead screwdriver to hammer and chisel the stud the rest of the way out of the hub.Finally got it out!The busted stud and the new one...again.Take the new stud...and insert it into the hub. Put some anti-seize on it before inserting to keep it from rusting in the future.This is where the washers come into use. You'll need to place a couple of them on the wheel stud to keep the lug nut that you're going to use from bottoming out.Take a lug nut and place it on the new stud.Lug wrench.Tighten the lug nut as far as you can, doing this will pull the new wheel stud into the hub.You'll only be able to turn the lug wrench so far because of something you did earlier. By taking off the caliper and disconnecting the e-brake, the wheel now spins freely making it a pain to hold still and turn the lug wrench.This is when you need to put your brake rotor and caliper back on so that you can use the e-brake to keep the wheel immobile. After you get everything back together, place a spacer or two on the wheel stud again.Now that the wheel doesn't move you can tighten that wheel stud as far as you can get it in order to seat it into the hub.Finished! Put your wheels back on, drop the car and you're ready to go.
Modified by positronone at 10:20 AM 5/2/2007


tjmhillz
Posts: 1696
Joined: Thu May 12, 2005 4:13 am
Car: 2001 Turbo Lexus IS300

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nice write up..i have 2 that i have to replace lol.. i got the studs just have to replace them now.. thank

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hannibal
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Car: Red Line to Glenmont
Location: Washington DC

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Good write up!

Article!

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srpowered240sx
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Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 1:17 pm
Car: 90 240sx-sr, 92 F-150, 00 bmw 323ci, 1991 s13 coupe, 99 F250 Dsl

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positronone wrote:Grab your trusty hammer like the Mighty Thor and raise it toward the heavens...uh, the Mighty Thor isn't black and he doesn't wear a wrist watch either.
this had me lol for some reason. good write up. will make it easy for folks to search and find it.

Tib to 240
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:53 am
Car: 1990 240 SX

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This is relevant to my interests. Thank you.

I have to replace all 16. The idiot who sold me the car had 3-4 threads holding the wheels on. New (LONGER) studs enroute.

leveloneae86
Posts: 238
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:43 am

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thanks! the pics give me more confidence in replacing the missing stud that i have to put in.

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adrianfromthecastle
Posts: 19209
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:36 am
Car: 1992 Nissan 240sx
Location: California

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good write-up...

although I do suggest finding a way to hammer that stud in rather than just torquing it in...

I did the same thing, except I used a impact wrench... and when I was changing my wheel one day, one stud became loose from the back!

Lets just say, its not fun trying to take out the lug nuts when the stud is spinning freely...

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snowyred180
Posts: 243
Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 4:39 pm
Car: 1994 Nissan 300zx TT, 1995 Acura Integra GS-R, 1994 Honda Prelude

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Hey, Thanks a lot! This reallty helped me replace the two borken ones up front! I used a really big hammer and it came out easily, within the first two blows. I didn't even have to remove the brake rotor (the driver's side one was stuck on there). It only took me an hour and a half to do two of them and clean up, test drive, etc.

I would also add DO NOT USE AUTO ZONE WHEEL STUDS. I have heard stories that they strip easily and break.


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Sgt. Kong
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Car: 1990 240sx SE
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I had seen this done B4, but to a civic. Thanks for the write-up, now that i know that there are no hidden tricks, I just hope my s13 doesn't have any special secrets from the last owner.

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hilux30
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Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 2:12 pm
Car: 2007 Tacoma 4x4
Location: GTA

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I have done this several times over, but I must say this is the best write up I have ever seen, good work...... now do the same for a =VQ swap

Coeur de lion
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Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2006 3:55 pm
Car: 90 hatch with s14 KA-T (project)-'94 Pink Vert - '90 SOHC hatch.
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Solid write up. Originally I got another hub entirely..then after realizing the pain in the butt it was to get it off... I just decided to wait...now I will probably just do it up like so! I feel dumb for not even considering it in the first place!

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Sgt. Kong
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Car: 1990 240sx SE
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Great lil write up!!! This entire process took me all of 25 minutes max (including the time it took to read this and go to the store to get the pene. oil) This is the first bit of blood i've put in to the pig nose, when the lug wrench slipped and burried itself in my shin dough! More proof to me that NICO is the shiznitt!!!! Thanks for all the site has done and all of its members

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locoluna825
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Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:09 pm
Car: 90 240sx coupe

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Good job, I did the exact same thing to fix my broken studs.

But I used an air gun instead of doing it by hand with a star. I also totaly soaked the hub and new stud with lubricant. Made it pull right through really fast.

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pj
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Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:58 pm
Car: 95 s14

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cool writeup, the thor joke made me laugh!

forrests
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2009 4:45 am

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Great post.

Some Nissan's and other cars have a slot to remove and insert the stud so if you can't find a way to insert stud rotate the wheel until you find the slot.

r3v_v3ng3
Posts: 868
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:53 pm
Car: 91 fastback ka-t

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good write up. another suggestion is to buy extended studs while your at it only thing is kinda pricey cause you have to change all of them


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