Broken Studs - Lucky Break

[kmiles]

I drove to Seattle twice this week and on my first trip I heard some noise from the left rear wheel on my first trip. The noise eventually went away. I listened closely on the 2nd trip and didn't hear anything and didn't feel anything different and almost forgot about it. This afternoon, I decided to investigate and popped the cover off of the left wheel and three of the wheel nuts with broken studs in them fell out - I almost had a heart attack! The last two nuts holding the wheel to the car were side by side. I called a local tire shop that is only about a mile from my home and they said to bring it in. I nursed it over there and they replaced all five studs in about 30 minutes. I asked them what most likely caused it and they indicated that someone had probably over torqued them with an air wrench. I know where it happened, as after I had my tires balance and rotated a month ago, the tech brought me a broken one at that time and said I ought to get it fixed. I talked to his manager and they paid to have the one broken one replaced at that time.

My questions - could this possibly have damaged my rear wheel bearing and should I look at getting it replaced soon? I bought a new Brakemotive kit over the Labor Day weekend, and have it waiting for me to get time to install it. Has anyone done the bearing at the same time as the brake kit? How hard are they to replace and does it matter which brand as long as it is a good one? Amazon has a link to the OEM one for $172, Timken for $135, Dura Intl for $85 and NTN for $164. Being the NTN is a Japanese company, they may make the OEM set. Any thoughts are appreciated!

[pedsemdoc]

I've done my front hub, think the rear should be very similar--should've been easy but
1. I broke off the bolt to the wheel speed sensor, so I spent some time drilling it out and re drilling a new hole for a new bolt.
2. Getting the old hub out took some time...it was rusted in there, even after lots of penetrating oil and several whacks from a hammer, finally able to get a pry bar in there to loosen it little by little.

you should check out the How To & FAQ thread: how-do-you-diagnose-wheel-bearing-noise ... l#p5573362

good luck and if you decide to tackle it, take pics if the rear wheel hub replacement has some differences.

Craig

[svard75]

I doubt the wheel bearing is an issue. If you take a look at what the hub looks like the studs are mounted to a round disk which is connected to the hub and the bearing is inside the hub. Even if the two studs were side by side you have a centering ring (Hubs are centric) that keep the wheel in the middle.

You're very lucky that you checked it out. Loosing a wheel on a highway is a bad thing. Rear wheel not so bad as front though.

[EniGmA1987]

I seem to remember someone saying there is a difference between the front and rear hub's. Something like one is pressed into another part and the other you can buy just the hub? IDK.

[svard75]

Both hubs contain sealed bearings. You could remove the old bearings inside the hubs of either of the hubs and press a new bearing in but I don't think the cost difference is that big to justify the extra effort. Pressing bearings is a real PITA unless you have the right bearing tools. I would just buy replacement hub(s) and DIY.