Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all,

Annoyingly, I've just sheared off a front wheel stud while replacing the wheel after a pre-MOT brake adjustment/trunnion greasing session. Don't know my own strength etc. etc. although actually I suspect the stud was at fault this time.

My question is, can I knock the old stud out and pop a new one in without removing the hub? I've got what the manual refers to as the later drum/hub type and can remove the drum on its own just by undoing two screws, but it looks a tad tight in there between the plate the studs go into and the brake backplate so I'd like to be sure I can do the job before embarking on it.

If I do need to remove the hub, am I likely to need a special tool?

Thanks,

-Tom

The hub should just pull off anyway - no tools required in my experience. But try it in place. The thing to consider is - that if one stud has failed presumably due to previous overtightening - the other are very likely to also have been overtightened - so you should seriously consider renewing all of them - possibly even in all four hubs......

bmcecosse wrote:The hub should just pull off anyway - no tools required in my experience. But try it in place. The thing to consider is - that if one stud has failed presumably due to previous overtightening - the other are very likely to also have been overtightened - so you should seriously consider renewing all of them - possibly even in all four hubs......

That's a scary but very helpful point. I suppose there's no way of having any idea which wheels are likely to have been overtightened in the past. I've only ever used manual force with one of those telescopic sockets - is it possible I've overtightened them at some point, or would it have needed to be a garage with an air wrench? I had a wheel bearing replaced on the wheel that's lost a stud last year so I'm wondering if it might have been at that point that the damage was done.

I hope it wasn't me...

-Tom

There is a torque setting for the wheel nuts, though doubt many use it! It's 38 ft lb.
Interestingly the steering wheel nut has one as well.--35 ft lb. Although some 'devil may care' folk will flinch at the use of a socket! , I don't know how many blows from a chisel would achieve this figure !

The telescopic wheel wrench is far too long for tightening - and can easily exceed the 38 ftlbf suggested. It should only be used NOT telescoped for tightening purposes. However I suggest the damage will probably have been done by a garage air gun - and I would at least change all 4 studs on that hub....
No worries about the steering wheel nut - it's not going to shear anything, and anyway I use a specially calibrated wee heavy hammer for the job. It scalps just the right amount of metal off the nut - so I know it's tightened to perfection.....

No need to remove the hub, there is just enough space to wriggle a new one in from behind, and then pull it through with a reversed wheel nut/plenty of washers. Make sure you get the right length, I think front are longer than rears, might be other way round. Supplier website will differentiate.

I had one shear a year ago and since then all the others on the front wheels have sheared/stripped at some point. For the cost and the hassle of one going when you aren't expecting it I'd do them all. Wish I had! And definitely use a torque wrench, even with a ratchet handle its possible to easily exceed the recommended torque.

On a second note I have plenty of sheared wheel studs/stripped nuts for sale, any takers?

Rears are longer than fronts - because of the additional thickness of the half-shaft flange.

Rear studs are longer - they have to pass through the half shaft flange as well as the hub and drum.

bmcecosse wrote:The telescopic wheel wrench is far too long for tightening - and can easily exceed the 38 ftlbf suggested. It should only be used NOT telescoped for tightening purposes. However I suggest the damage will probably have been done by a garage air gun - and I would at least change all 4 studs on that hub....

Oh dear. I even own a torque wrench but figured I couldn't do much harm with the telescopic chap - well, you live and learn. I will use the torque wrench a few times to get a feel for what 38lb/ft feels like before venturing out with the other one again.

I think I'll change the whole lot, front and rear, just to be on the safe side. Unless there's any cleverness to doing the rears that I've not taken into account?

-Tom

The rears may be a bit more difficult - due to being longer, and not much room in the rear hub area....