I am ordering some wheels that im gonna mount up and see what needs to be trimmed to make them fit and if I need spacers yada yada and if I need a spacer in the rear it was suggested I get arp wheel studs so I was wondering where I can pick some up, did a quick search, didnt have much time, and didnt come up with anything... thanks for any help!

 

I had to use longer wheel studs when I installed my Prospeed Big Brake kit.

These are the ones I used ...

http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...32&prmenbr=361

They are the same length as stock, but the thread goes all the way to end.

 

Mitch, did you install the ARP wheel studs on the rear also? If so, how difficult of a job is that to do? The front would be easy I'm sure.

 

No, just the fronts.

To get at the rears, there is some sort of "plug" in the backing plate that will allow you to drive the old stud out and put the new one in.

One thing I forgot to mention is that the shoulder of the ARP stud is slightly thicker than the flange itself. So, when you are using a sacrificial lugnut to pull the studs through, the lugnut will bottom out on the shoulder before the head of the stud is flush with the backside of the flange. I used a couple of oversized washers to give me that gap I needed to pull the flange all the way through (thanks Glenn).

 

94 Bird, keep in mind the OE rear studs are designed similarly as the front ones: the threads don't go to the end of the stud.

Longer aftermarket studs (eg ARP) won't clear the body of the rear end housing to allow them to be inserted into the axel flange. You'd have to remove the axel from the rear end to do the replacement or that's the way it appeared.

This is what I did: I took 15 longer studs and cut them to the stock rear stud length. This way they can be inserted onto the axel flange w/o any mechanical work. Just pound out the originals and load the new ones. Although they have the same length as the OE ones, They are still better and meet my High Performance requirements. On these now shortened long bolts, the fact that the threads go to the end is the important point. The lug nut threads are all fully used and mated to stud threads. The extra studs were to allow quick change at the track in the event of breakage.

Steve

 

didnt understand the way you install the rear ones...?

 

Pound 'em out. Insert new ones.

When pounding 'em out they fall to floor. Insert new ones in the same place as old ones. Watch your feet if you're doing this job barefooted.

The reason the long ones don't fit is that the angle of insertion to clear the rear end housing won't allow the studs to go in.

This is a rear end on a '93 car. I don't know if this shortening procedure is necesssary for the '98-'02 cars. Its possible there was a cut out designed into the later model rear end housings to allow the long studs to fit. The shortening procedure is necessary on the earlier cars as the angle of insertion won't let the long ones clear. The studs have to be the OE length if this installation is to be done w/the axel in place in the rear end.

But remember, w/the shortened ARP bolts the threads go to the end of the bolt and it serves the needed purpose.


If I'm not making myself clear let me know. My wife accuses me of this frequently. Join the club.


Steve

 

Steve, I recall somewhere reading that if you remove a sensor or plug or something on the backing plate, the studs would slip right in.

That's what I was referring to ... no personal experience at it, just a sliver of memory.

 

That possibly could be a procedure to use on the '98-'02 cars. Don't know as I've not yet done this to my '02. Just the previous generation. There isn't a plug on this '93 rear end that I can notice. It does work fine except for the added step of cutting the nice new studs.

Steve

 

Since the ARP studs that Mitch used are the same length as stock couldn't I put them in without removing the axles?

 

Sounds like a winner. Wish I was aware of the stock length ones when I started this project.

But as I read your initial post again, it appears you're contemplating the use of spacers. That'd require longer studs to compensate for the greater distance the studs must cover. If that's the case and you do require longer studs, then you'll be faced w/the need to pull the axels to load the longer studs.

Anyone know of another way to insert studs longer than the OE ones?

Steve

 

The front studs on an F-Body are 1/4" longer then the rears. When I installed my 1/4" spacer in the rear I replaced all the rear studs with the front ones. There is just enough room to squeeze them in without pulling the axle.

 

I don't need spacers. Mitch needed them for his Prospeed brake kit. I'm more concerned with just how many wheels I've installed and removed off the stock rear wheel studs. I've replaced the fronts once by replacing hubs, but the rears are still original. It would also likely be a good idea to replace all 4 sets with stronger units since I'm punishing the car routinely in a way GM didn't design the studs for.

 

And the ARP studs are threaded all the way to the end. The stockers leave 3/8" on the end beveled, I guess to help schmoes at tire stores from cross threading.

So, with the same length stud, you get ~3/8" more thread engagement.

 

Do you use your same lug nuts then or have you switched styles?