Rear Wheel stud issue

I am having a clearance issue with my Moser threaded 1/2" 20 wheel studs on my Ford 9" rear axle with Explorer disc brakes. The wheel stud hits the backing plate where the top of the brake shoes come together.


If I remove the lock washer I will have about .010" of clearance but I don't think that will be enough if the axle flange flexes due to side loads. Also the threads don't go all the way to the bolt head, so I wouldn't be able to thread it all the way in. Does anyone make a "button head" or small hex head 1/2" 20 bolt of comparable strength? Is it essential that I use a lock washer with the bolt?

My second option is to drill out the threaded holes and use pressed in knurled wheel studs. I have a front wheel stud that I looked at and the head is small enough that it would probably work well. I don't know if a rear stud will gave me the same clearance.


If I was to change over to pressed in studs, is that something I can do with a hand drill or should I take it to a machine shop? Who makes a good quality pressed in stud or should I just go to the local auto parts store?

Thanks,

Pressed in studs are in my experience the norm. If you put in pressed in studs you can use a hand drill to make the holes larger but you would not want it to be any larger than .001 of the stud sholder. there needs to be meat in the hub for the raised splines to firmly grab hold. then to install, slide the stud into place and put on about .5" of washer built spacers and run the nut down with an impact or a real strong friend to pull the stud in place.

Take off the lock washer and grind down the bolt heads just enough to clear.

fubar XJ said:

Take off the lock washer and grind down the bolt heads just enough to clear.

Click to expand...

I can't do that with the bolts that I have now; the threads don't go all the way down the shaft to the head. I am going to check at the local hardware store and see if they have different bolts.

Rob Patterson said:

I can't do that with the bolts that I have now; the threads don't go all the way down the shaft to the head. I am going to check at the local hardware store and see if they have different bolts.

Click to expand...

make sure they are grade 8 or they will snap like twigs.

I highly recommend you go with ARP or similar wheel studs. Are your axles designed for screw in wheel studs? I have not seen that before. I think press in studs are the way to go. I would have a machine shop do the drilling to ensure perpendicularity with the wheel flange and the proper size hole.

Rob Patterson said:

I am having a clearance issue with my Moser threaded 1/2" 20 wheel studs on my Ford 9" rear axle with Explorer disc brakes. The wheel stud hits the backing plate where the top of the brake shoes come together.

If I remove the lock washer I will have about .010" of clearance but I don't think that will be enough if the axle flange flexes due to side loads. Also the threads don't go all the way to the bolt head, so I wouldn't be able to thread it all the way in. Does anyone make a "button head" or small hex head 1/2" 20 bolt of comparable strength? Is it essential that I use a lock washer with the bolt?

My second option is to drill out the threaded holes and use pressed in knurled wheel studs. I have a front wheel stud that I looked at and the head is small enough that it would probably work well. I don't know if a rear stud will gave me the same clearance.

If I was to change over to pressed in studs, is that something I can do with a hand drill or should I take it to a machine shop? Who makes a good quality pressed in stud or should I just go to the local auto parts store?

Thanks,

Click to expand...

Essentially, Moser is retarded about Jeep apps.

Every screw-in stud for flanged axle applications I've dealt with use a stud with a low profile hex head that is fully threaded all the way to the underside of the head and is meant to be a wheel stud. I've used many from Currie and Superior for both front and rear flanges and they are always as I described.

Give Superior a call and order out a set of screw in studs from them.

edit- if you do go that route, install them with red liquid loctite and torque them to about 90 ft lbs.

Thanks for the tips.
I haven't decided yet if I am going to go with screw in studs or pressed in studs yet. I have looked at the ARP catalog and all I can find are pressed in studs. If I were to go with pressed in studs, I would probably go with ARP specialized application for 94-2004 Mustangs front hub with a small .570" -.580" hole. I think with this smaller hole, I would have a better chance of success with a hand drill. I will also check out Superior for a scew in stud that won't require any drilling.

Thanks,