Wheel stud replacement
 

This covers the replacement of the wheel studs and assumes you have access to a press. You can hammer out the old studs on the car and install using a lugnut and washers, but I have access to a press and wanted to document the "preferred" way of doing so.

Currently this covers the front studs, I'm waiting on the studs for the rear to be delivered.

Required parts:
-New Studs, either ARP or OEM:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/brz/stud1.jpg

-Comparison of OEM vs ARP:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/brz/stud2.jpg

1. Remove brakes:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/brz/hub1.jpg

2. Remove these 4 bolts (not the lower bolt joint bolt, but the four that hold the hub/bearing to the knuckle):
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/brz/hub2.jpg

3. Remove ABS speed sensor:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/brz/hub3.jpg

4. Use base surface mounting area to support it on press blocks:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/brz/hub4.jpg

5. Use the special tool.. or sockets to support hub from moving/tilting:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/brz/hub5.jpg

6. Press out each stud, repeat for the next 4.

7. Clean surface a bit:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/brz/hub6.jpg

8. Put back in press as follows:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/brz/hub7.jpg

9. Press new studs in:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/brz/hub8.jpg

10. Reinstall hub, torque 4 hub/bearing carrier bolts to 48ft-lbs.

11. Reinstall speed sensor, torque speed sensor bolt to 5.5ft-lbs.

12. Reinstall brakes. Caliper bracket to knuckle bolts get torqued to 59ft-lbs.

Also tested the socket installation method instead of the press, but I messed it up. Easy to use a press. If you hammer them out and use washers it works, but I suggest the proper way :)

Example of messed up stud due to socket (too lazy to find large washers, washers should NOT do this):
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/brz/stud3.jpg

Rear studs: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...0&postcount=43

Reserved for any additional expansion.

Nice write-up.

One alternative to both the press or the hammer is:
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-qua...tor-99849.html

I couldn't bring myself to beat on my nearly new hubs, so I used this tool to change out 2 studs with severely damaged threads. Did the install by the traditional nut and stack-of-washers method with no problems.

On a much older crappier car that had a broke stud I used the wheel and lugnut to get it back on, that way you don't need any washers. Simply hammer out half the studs at a time, then put the new studs in, and attach the wheel with the ones you aren't replacing, then put on the remaining lugnuts and pull the studs in place. Then take the wheel back off and replace the other half.

That can scratch the hell out of the mating surface between the wheel and lugnut though, depends on how much you care I suppose :)

Nice write up thanks.

Are these to install spacers? (the good way?)

I installed them for a couple of reasons, spacers to clear the replacement front brakes was one of them. Also the studs are stronger than OEM and a few track guys have already had to replace some OEM ones. I try to use them on cars I track because they don't break as often (I've yet to have one break). they also make it easy to mount the wheel, they hold the wheel on much easier than the stock short studs, not a big deal if you use jackstands but annoying to have it on a lift and have to lift tire/wheel, hold it while grabbing lugnuts.

Awesome. I was thinking of doing this but I had no idea. I'm probably going to go with stock length studs, that's if they make them

Thanks for the DIY Dave. Looking forward to your write up for the rears.

I'm not.. lol

I don't have access to a press, but I did have a ballpeen. If done on the car, the hub has to rotated a bit to remove and replace the stud, but it is not a real pia.

My washer definitely didn't do what your socket did.

And now I know what kind of studs to use. The stock one are kinda sucky. I've broken three, two in the back and one in the front. I keep two spare just in case now.

Yeah the washers won't do it, I was just too lazy to go find washers to document that method :)

Probably easy enough to take the hub out of the car, use a vise (or anything else) and do the hammer method, space would be a lot more abundant that way. :thumbup:

Regular lug nuts fit these things or do you need open-ended lug nuts?

Regular nuts will not work on the extended studs. You can get open ones from pep boys for $6 for four lugs, $30 total or buy any number of more expensive options :) i have some project kics r40 lug nuts to put on the car.

Looks like these arp studs run about 7$ a piece...ouch. but nice diy.

Sent from my flux capacitor using Taptalk

Yep. I paid a bit less than that, but they aren't cheap. However they are stronger and in my case I needed them to clear my front brakes with the OEM wheels :thumbup: (due to spacers)

Do you have pics of the installed wheels with spacers. What spacers did you get and how much?

Sent from my flux capacitor using Taptalk

I haven't bought the spacers yet because I haven't measured how much I'll need to clear the brakes with the OEM wheels.

nice post

what part number for rear studs?

Should be the same as the front.

So our studs are the same ones wrx models use?

Yes

Have the specs on the axle nut? Have not been able to track it down. May have to purchase a couple to see what fits. :/

I do not, but I'd assume WRX. I'll txt Opie and see if he can find out.

@Opie checked. They are the same as a 2012 WRX. He doesn't have the thread pitch specs but you can buy them at any Subaru dealership. He has 8 in stock currently.

Fantastic. Thanks a million!

Rear studs - The good, the bad, and the ugly
 

Using the tool suggested by jdrxb9 post below, I was a bit overzealous removing all the studs from my rear hub to install my 10mm Ichiba spacer kit.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...58&postcount=4

In a previous email IchibaUSA told me the kit would contain 50mm studs. When the kit arrived, it had 40mm studs. I thought they were still longer than the stock studs by a good margin, but as we see in the attached photos, that is not the case.

The harbor freight tool is good for a few studs but may not work much beyond the 10 studs I need to remove. (I've only done one hub at the moment)

Tool prep-
The fork on the tool needs to be opened up slightly, a file would work but a right angle grinder with a flap wheel is much faster. Also, it would be good to shorten the forks a bit to hit the fulcrum in the sweet spot of the tool. Be sure to use a good grease on the tool threads or it will self-destruct faster.

So... I removed all the studs on one hub and then of course ran in to problems. It became obvious when I compared the stock studs and the included "40mm" studs in the Ichiba kit. They are too short.

Well, no problem, Vorshlag Motorsports is 2 miles from my house and they sell a very nice "65mm" stud for these cars.

Hmmm, there is no way to feed the longer stud in the back of the hub. Thought about drilling a hole in the backing plate to feed them through and then put a rubber plug in the hole. No joy, there doesn't seem to be a way to do that. Crap!

So in the end, I installed the "40mm" studs in the hub, they are 5mm longer than stock so they will fill up my open, light weight, Vorshlag lugnuts.

Under head length of all the studs are:

Stock (rear) stud: 43mm
40mm Ichiba: 48mm
50mm Ichiba: 58mm
Vorshlagl 65mm: 60mm but with rounded end, really 58mm of thread.

The vorshlag stud is a nice piece, it has as undercut radius btween the back of the stud head and the start of knurl area. All the aftermarket stuff had slightly smaller diameter knurl. I don't have an ARP stud to compare.

Using the stack of washer method to install was very easy, perhaps too easy given the smaller knurl diameter. We shall see. The 40mm stud without any space just about fills up the threads of my open lug nuts.

I'll see how Ichiba responds to my query.

Pictures below:
1) stock studs beside the Ichiba 40mm stud, should be taller
2) stock studs with my open lug nuts
3) using the ball joint separator with a sacrificed stock lugnut

Long, rear wheel, stud installation
 

My second attempt at installing longer rear wheel studs wasn't so bad. Once I saw a picture of a replacement wheel bearing the task looked pretty simple.

First comment - Ichiba wheel studs are not good for this application, The knurl area is not big enough diameter to bite effectively. It basically just took a tap of a hammer to drive out the ones I first installed. Not good.

The Vorshlag studs are a bit larger in diameter though not quite as much as the stock studs. However their knurl area extends in to virgin territory of the hole in the flange. I assume ARP studs are good stuff, but the Vorshlag stuff works well for 10-12mm spacer.

Items needed:

Modified punch
10mm socket
14mm wrench/socket
32mm socket
Breaker bar/torque wrench
Press or Harbor Freight ball joint separator
Hammer
Floor Jack
Jack stand(s)

Jack the rear up via the differential.

Take the wheel tire off. Set the emergency brake and chock the front wheel. Use jack stands if you have them, but I didn't bother.

You need to take the "dimple" out of the 32mm axle bolt. This took a bit of work. I ground flat on a 3/16" punch to expand the crimp back to near the original diameter. You may need a very small chisel or screw driver to get under the crimp at first.

Use a breaker bar and loosen the axle nut. Just break it loose, don't remove it yet. It will take about 100-120 ft-lbs, really not that much. If the emergency brake won't hold, put a wheel back on without the center cap and lower it back on the ground and try again. I didn't have to do this.

Remove the wheel speed sensor with a 10mm socket from the top of the hub.

Remove the caliper using a 14mm wrench or socket. Support it with a jack stand so the brake lie doesn't stretch.

Release the parking brake.

Remove the rotor, it should come off easily with a few taps.

Remove the four 14mm bolts that hold the wheel bearing assembly in place. The brake backing plate is sandwiched between the rear upright and the wheel bearing assembly.

At his point, back the axle nut off. The backing plate and bearing will probably pull out together.

Wiggle the bearing passed the brake assembly.

Now remove the studs. I was going to use a vise and a socket but there is very little room between the stud head and the bearing to get a socket in there. I used the Harbor Freight ball joint separator. This tool take a bit of prep to allow it to work. the fork needs to be shortened and the the gap between the tines enlarged just a bit. (see picture)

I tapped on the stud remover with a hammer after there was some initial tension. Your not beating on the bearing so it is no big deal.

Install the new studs using a stack of washer and a flat nut, I flipped over one of my lug nuts so it had a bit of flat bearing surface. Be sure to apply some oil or anti-size on the stud thread to prevent galling the threads.

Re-assemble in the opposite order.

I re-torqued the axle nut back to its original "dimple" position and re-punched the dimple.

Go for a short drive, then re-torque the lug nuts. Mine didn't move. I don't know why the stock lug nut torque is so high. I use copper anti-seize and only torque to 65ft-lbs.

With a 10mm spacer the Vorshlag studs are flush with the end of the Vorshlag lug nuts. The nuts aren't pretty, but they are light "bulge nut" and only use a 17mm socket. (see picture)

This will take about 3-4 hours, the second side took an hour as the previously installed Ichiba studs took no effort to remove.

Great write up. I didn't realize it was that easy to unbolt the rear hubs. I will probably be doing this soon with some ARP studs.

Same here.

I'll have to look but usually you can just zip off those axle nuts without removing the dimple first, that's how I've always done it anyways :) I'm ghetto though.

Will be using this thread shortly. Thanks Dave!!

:thumbup:

I will finally get to the rear studs next weekend probably.. I've been slacking :)

Dave, what nuts did you use on the studs?

I use both some cheap pep boys open ended 19mm lugnuts and some project kics R40s I got from @No Limit Motorsport.

I used a press for the install if you meant that, but if I were to use lugnuts to seat the stud they'd be the cheapest I could find.. or just stock ones with a ton of washers.

Thread pitch is normal Subaru (M12x1.25 IIRC)

I did the rears yesterday. BPracer's directions are spot on. I held the drum brake with one of the axle bolts while replacing the studs. Also, you don't need to remove the dimple from the axle nut, it'll remove itself and the area it rides on isn't threaded, I just impact those axle nuts off.

Also, axle nut torque is 136ft-lbs, maybe 137. I did 140 just because I like round numbers.

A buddy took some pics with his phone (forgot my camera, well i thought it was in my laptop bag, it's not.. no idea where it's at) but they suck so I didn't bother posting them. I can if people want them but it's pretty easy/obvious once you get in there.

I always like more pics.

Ugh.. fine :) I'll see what pics I have.

The ARP studs were impossible to press in (for us), and in the service manual it specifically states you should only use the washer method to put the new studs in. However, people have been using a press for ages so what do they know.