rear axle stud issues

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niffa

niffa

10 Year
Joined
Jul 20, 2012
Threads
47
Messages
771
Location
Mount Pleasant. South Australia
Having problems with my 89 hj61. Recently I had the rear axle studs shear off the hub on left side so decided to have wheel bearings all round replaced and while there got swivel hubs re done too. Well I just niticed a noise from my left rear hub cap and sure enough one stud has snapped again, f**k!! I have no idea why this is happening.. got 33x12.5 muddies on but I dont use her anywhere near hard enough to warrant snapping studs. Please help as its worrying
 
Assuming its a full floater, the studs should only break if your wheel bearings are loose.
Sometimes if the wheel bearings have been run loose they can wear where they sit on the axle housing, then they will always have play and cause problems...

I know this sounds rough but when fitting new bearings, I do them up tight, then mount wheel and hit tyre side wall with a sledge hammer, this can help to seat the bearings.

link to a video showing this...

http://m.youtube.com/watch?client=mv-google&feature=relmfu&v=ehHYCzHk7hw&rdm=ticq74y3
 
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Check the axle, both sides to find a difference with the left side, the videos are very handy: here is the pc-version link were he smashes the wheel and after that the bearings have some play.

smash & hit: dont know if the tire likes it ...
http://youtu.be/ehHYCzHk7hw?t=4m39s
 
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I have a rear full floater with an ARB locker and I was worried about this.

I followed Mark A's advice to meticulously clean the holes in the hub which the studs thread into. I dumped in oil, chased them with a tap, rinsed them repeatedly with brake cleaner then blew them out with compressed air. Ran a die over the studs and threaded them in dry.

I've never had an issue with the rear axle studs and I shamefully admit I that abused my truck on the John Bull trail in Big Bear.
 
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Do you have air lockers cause I did the left hand side kn mine again and I was recommended to cut the axle down 5mm to stop it hitting on the diff center
Have a look at the heat marks on the end of your axle
 
Can't comment on the cause, but if it continues to be an issue after you've made sure everything else is kosher you could do the 7/16-20 cap bolt upgrade here.

I've got a few corroded studs I was planning on replacing when I next do my knuckles, but for the cost savings (12 ea. of the bolts and the lock washers are $14 plus shipping from Fastenal) more than anything else, I plan on going this route. It is a huge strength upgrade, but really only necessary if you're wheeling hard on 35"-plus tires. A point I don't plan to ever take my truck to.
 
I'm still unclear on if we are talking about wheel studs or the drive flange studs of a full-float.

If wheel studs, a common way to make them fail is to pull them in using a nut. Doing so yields the metal at the root of the thread and they'll fail easily after that. Push them in with a press or drive them in with a hammer, but no matter what your process is DO NOT pull them in with a nut!

If we're talking about the drive flange nuts, what are you using for a seal between the axle flange and the wheel hub? Silicone is very bad idea. I've been testing Hylomar. It has about 600 miles and 2.5 years of sitting on it w/o any problem. :(
 
ntsqd said:
I'm still unclear on if we are talking about wheel studs or the drive flange studs of a full-float.

If wheel studs, a common way to make them fail is to pull them in using a nut. Doing so yields the metal at the root of the thread and they'll fail easily after that. Push them in with a press or drive them in with a hammer, but no matter what your process is DO NOT pull them in with a nut!

If we're talking about the drive flange nuts, what are you using for a seal between the axle flange and the wheel hub? Silicone is very bad idea. I've been testing Hylomar. It has about 600 miles and 2.5 years of sitting on it w/o any problem. :(
Click to expand...

Doesn't the FF drive flange use the same gasket as the front lockout hub body?

I gather he's talking about his drive flange studs, though you're dead-on right about the wheel stud installation. I used that method many years ago when I first did my knuckles and will be replacing them this time for that very reason, just to be safe. Hammer and brass drift for me, since I don't have a press (yet).
 
Im talking about the little studs that bolt the axle to the hub. It is a full floater. If I undo those studs the axle pulls out. Two have snapped now, Im wondering if they're not supposed to be tight as when I found the first broken stud I put a spanner over the rest of them and nipped them up a bit as they seemed loose. I dont know the torque specs if anyone could set me straight on this
 
niffa said:
Im talking about the little studs that bolt the axle to the hub. It is a full floater. If I undo those studs the axle pulls out. Two have snapped now, Im wondering if they're not supposed to be tight as when I found the first broken stud I put a spanner over the rest of them and nipped them up a bit as they seemed loose. I dont know the torque specs if anyone could set me straight on this
Click to expand...

25 ft-lbs.
 
Hey

any updates on the hub issue? if so how did you correct the diff being off centre?

had mine go for the third time now, not sure what to start changing first.... sigh...
 
King75 said:
Hey

any updates on the hub issue? if so how did you correct the diff being off centre?

had mine go for the third time now, not sure what to start changing first.... sigh...
Click to expand...

Your housing is probably bent
 
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