Hi,

I have a 1998 ford windstar and recently I change the snow tires to
all seasons. One of the wheel studs broke. I was wondering if it is
possible to just replace the wheel stud and not the whole spindle.
Does anyone know?

Thanks,

Carl

On Apr 14, 7:26 pm, "carlberna... (AT) gmail (DOT) com" <carlberna... (AT) gmail (DOT) com>
wrote:
Should be able to just replace a stud, was it front or rear, did the
wheel have a disk or drum brake? Stud should pop out with some force
but a little heat from a propane torch helps too. Pop it out with a
punch and take what is left of it to an auto store to match it up.

On Apr 14, 7:42 pm, sleep... (AT) optonline (DOT) net wrote:
Thanks for the speedy reply. It's the front and it's a disc brake.
Do I need to take of the disc at all?

Thanks,

Carl

Also, do I have to replace the wheel stud or can I get away with only
having four?

Thanks,

Carl

On Apr 14, 7:42 pm, sleep... (AT) optonline (DOT) net wrote:

Remove the brake caliper and secure it with an old coat hanger or
something so it doesn't hang from the flexible brake line. Remove the
rotor from the spindle. At this point you should be able to knock the
old stud out with a hammer and a punch. As far as getting a new stud
back in you might find yourself with little if any space to pound the
back of the stud into the spindle with a hammper, so you'll need to
get creative. I can't say if tightening the lug nut on the new stud
would be enough to pull the stud into place on the spindle, might be
one way to do it. Or maybe a large c-clamp? Maybe a small hammer if
some space presents itself?

I would recommend only driving with four lugs on the wheel to an auto
repair facility, period.

Whoa!!!!! let's give our heads a shake....

Your wheel is designed to be attached by five EVENLY spaced wheel studs and
nuts.... Also, because of the GVW and loading possibilities, the
manufacturer has done the necessary math and has deemed that five wheel
studs and nuts are required to carry the dynamic loads placed on the wheel.

My own recommendation.... yes, you can operate the van on only four wheel
studs BUT this should only be done at reduced speeds and loads and only to
get you to a repair facility.

If you had your very own road to drive on, I'd say feel free to let your car
gets just as unsafe as you possibly can..... But you are sharing a road with
many other people and it is your responsibilty to keep your vehicle in safe
operating condition.

FWIW.... part of my duties include inspecting motor vehicles involved in
fatality MVAs for safety defects. Friday, I performed such an inspection on
a Windstar. While some subsystems were in need of service, no unsafe
conditions were noted in my report. The driver failed to obey a stop sign
and was hit broadside by a tanker truck - and now this young mother has two
less children.... a burden I don't think any of us would want to shoulder.
Whether it is through failure to drive safely or through failure to keep our
vehicles in top condition regarding safety... it only takes a single
heartbeat for our lives to change dramatically...


<

Jim Warman wrote:
I agree, I wouldn't put my family in it... now i'd do it in a pinch to
get me through, but i'd be checking the torque of the remaining 4
frequently to ensure i wouldn't lose the whole thing. i've seen and
known too many people who run 3/4 or 4/5 and end up losing the wheel

On 15 Apr 2007 07:03:15 -0700, sleepdog (AT) optonline (DOT) net wrote:

Buy a handfull of washers to fit the new stud. Grease them up
(antiseize works best, and pull the stud in with the nut untill it is
firmly seated. DEFINITELY get it replaced ASAP.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Apr 14, 7:26 pm, "carlberna... (AT) gmail (DOT) com" <carlberna... (AT) gmail (DOT) com>
wrote:
Yes. You need to replace it immediately for safety reasons, as Jim
Warman stated, structural integrity of the vehicle. Also, brake rotors/
discs warp when lugs are unevenly torqued or missing, causing
premature brake wear.

You will need to remove the wheel, brake caliper, pads and disc. It
may be possible to access the stud at this point but if clearance does
not allow access, you will need loosen the CV axle nut from the wheel
bearing and then unbolt the wheel bearing from the spindle (usually 3
or 4 torx fasteners). You should have sufficient access to the stud
unless the spindle casing is in the way. If so, you may be able to
remove the wheel bearing from the spindle and CV axle then replace the
stud without further disassembly (but you might have to remove the
spindle from the lower ball joint and slide the spindle off of CV
axle, leaving the axle in the transmission). Make sure you look for
any metal alignment shims between the wheel bearing and spindle. If
there are shim plates, be sure to replace them exactly as they were
installed. (It may be a good idea to have the alignment checked.)

Simply tap out the old stud with a pin or punch tool and hammer.
Install the new one using the same tools. Get the stud as far in as
possible. After everything is put back together and the vehicle is on
the ground, torque and loosen the stud several times. You will feel it
"Stretch" into place the first or second time you torque it. Continue
to re-torque it until this stretch stops. Check torque again after
30-50 miles.

Or... most tire shops are famous for over tightening lugs, causing the
stud to snap when removing the lug. They are used to replacing them
because of this, so they can do it for you quickly at little or no
cost (maybe you could blame the tire shop that put your tires on for
the failure and have them replace it for free).

Regards

Fix it right or let me know where you live so I can steer clear of the
area....

<carlbernardi (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote