Date:         Mon, 19 Nov 2001 12:20:25 -0800
Reply-To:     Bill Kasper <dragonlist@IPMTS.UCSC.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bill Kasper <dragonlist@IPMTS.UCSC.EDU>
Subject:      putting long studs into a syncro's rear wheels (longish x-post)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

i put benT's longer wheel studs into my rear wheels this weekend.  there
are some things to be aware of, and to avoid doing, and some things that
make it damnably easy.

after getting the passenger-side rim and drum off (many hammertaps to
the face of the drum, RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE!), i simply punched the
stock studs out of the hub with a hammer.  the hub is pretty solid, and
i used liquid wrench on the splines and many medium taps to get things
broken loose.  this led to only a couple hard slams per stud to get them
out.  no hub bendment.

putting in the long studs had me perplexed, because there's not enough
room behind the hub to put them in, except in one area of the wheel
where the braking mechanism doesn't have any parts (take off your drum
and you'll see what i mean).  that's why i posted the question about the
axle nut removal.  i was going to take off the hub and hammer in the new
studs.

as everyone responded, taking off the axle nut is a nontrivial task.
after working at it for an hour (different length cheaters, hammering,
lots of weight and liquid wrench) i noticed that the only thing
happening was the turning of my axle.  and i realized the next stud hole
was lined up with the brake mechanism-free area.  aha!

i slipped in the second stud, then gently worked the axle around so the
third hole was exposed, and so on.  finally, all the studs were in the
hub, but the splines were not engaged.  no need for removing the axle
nut.  to get them engaged, i used some benTgenuity...

when benT sold me the studs he gave me an old ball-seat lugnut for
hammering out the old studs.  i didn't use it for that, but did use it
to pull the new studs through the hub.  just thread it on a stud and
begin to torque.  i set matthew's torque wrench to 1600 inlbs (133
ftlbs) and pulled the bolts through until the splines came through the
surface of the hub and cored out the first three threads (about 1/8") of
the lugnut.  never reached click before i took off the lugnut and got
the next stud seated.  this one pulled through easier because the
splines were not cutting out the lugnut's threads after the splines came
through the hub.

once i was done with all five this way i noticed the seats of the studs
were 1/8" away from the back of the hub (they could be pulled 1/8"
further through the hub before contacting the seat).  i decided that, by
repeating the procedure above once the drum was on and once the wheel
was on they would be seated by the time 1600 inlbs was met.

i put the drum back on, and pulled the splines through the drum, then
put my wheel spacer on...it wobbled, and i was concerned until i
realized that, as it is aluminum, it would just get set  by the splines
when they pulled the last little bit through (about 1/16").  i put my
rim on and torqued my new lugbolts to spec, and everything was lovely
tight.

after taking about 6 hours to figure out and complete the first one
(including trips to the store for tools and whatnot), it only took 1 1/4
hours for the second.  hopefully my notes above will make it easier for
someone else.

tools:
1 42-208 ftlb torque wrench, 1/2" drive (courtesy of m. pollard)
1 19mm long socket, 1/2" drive
3" extension, 1/2" drive
1 17" breaker bar, 1/2" drive
liquid wrench
3 lb sledge hammer
1 ft of 3/4" rod steel (use this to hammer against the drum face)
EMPI axle nut removal tool (for bashing and has a 1/2" drive hole).
10 long lug studs (courtesy of benT)
10 cad-plated lugnuts (courtesy of benT)
1 "super stud set" tool (a spare lugnut that has had 1/8" of threads
removed by the splines)

next weekend, rain permitting and information gathering completed, the
fronts.

bill
'87 syncro westfalia