the Cutlass finally got a ride on a tow truck, couple questions.....

[SLAMDIT]

Hey everyone,

After 3 years of ownership and 2.5 years on bags, I finally had the first major issue with this car.

For those of you who don't know, it's a 94 cutlass droptop.

I was driving down the interstate and all of a sudden I noticed a shaking in the steering wheel and a weird noise from the left front. Then it got worse.... I ended up getting it to the side of the road and fully lifted all 4 corners (it has air ride on it if ya didn't know either). I popped the hood and took a look. My first thought is that maybe I somehow snapped a strut or did something suspension related, but I looked and found nothing to be wrong. I decided to get back in the car since I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary and move it a foot or 2 and see if the problem persisted. Just as I put it in gear, the light bulb went off in my head.... I pulled the center cap off the left front wheel and sure enough, 4 of the 5 lugs had broken off.

I then remembered that I had pulled the wheel to repair an air line that had ripped and when I did that, I forgot to tourque the lugs down. I was in a hurry and just hit them with the impact and my impact wrench is old and doesn't always tighten lugs down as tight as they should be. So I called AAA and towed it home and was 2 hours late to work.

Lucky for me that wheel didn't come off. I was in a construction zone with concrete on one side of me and barrells on the other side followed by concrete. That would have been one hell of an expensive insurance claim and I would be showing pics of my totalled Cutlass.

 

So, this brings me to my question. How hard are the studs to change? I searched but didn't find anything concrete that talked about it. If anyone has info on it I would appreciate it as I wanna know what I am getting into before I start on it.

 

Thanx,

 

Sean

 

[1990lumina]

If you have to use the original length stud, or longer because of your wheels you have to remove the hub to install new studs. It's pretty easy. Just pound out the old studs and put the new ones in..I used a lug nut to tighten them up into the hun assembly (they "bite" into it).

 

If you can get away with using slightly shorter studs you can buy studs from the dealer that don't require hub removal. They worked fine with my Lumina's factory wheels - but I'm gonna assume they probably won't work with your aftermarket wheels!

 

Glad your wheel didn't fly off on the interstate though! That could have gotten messy in a real hurry.

[Q-Ball]

I drove to about 30km before remember to tighten mine. So after work I tightened them and they were all good.

[SLAMDIT]

If you have to use the original length stud, or longer because of your wheels you have to remove the hub to install new studs. It's pretty easy. Just pound out the old studs and put the new ones in..I used a lug nut to tighten them up into the hun assembly (they "bite" into it).

 

If you can get away with using slightly shorter studs you can buy studs from the dealer that don't require hub removal. They worked fine with my Lumina's factory wheels - but I'm gonna assume they probably won't work with your aftermarket wheels!

 

Glad your wheel didn't fly off on the interstate though! That could have gotten messy in a real hurry.

 

I have to run a 1/4 inch spacer so my wheels clear the brake caliper so i would probably wanna stay with the stock length studs.

Lucky for me I have the big socket for the center hub nut and I have pulled the hub dozens of times on that car back when we were in the "trial and error" process of the air ride project.

I was hoping that was all it was gonna be. I have changed wheel studs before but I figured if there was one car out there that they would be a complete mess to change, it would be this one.

 

Thanx for the input, I guess I will go ahead and change em out. If they were a "pita" i was just gonna say the hell with it and put it away for the year.

 

-Sean

[1990lumina]

It's easy to do, though I've neevr removed the hub before...sounds like you have and can probably do it real fast now!

 

Good luck!

[Andrew]

seeing as you've got skills/knowledge, i say this will rank a 1 out of 5 in terms of difficulty. the hardest part is getting the hub off!

[IRONDOG442]

Do everyone on the forum and yourself a favor and scrap the car!!!

[GutlessSupreme]

it won't be the cheapest, but it might be the easiest option to just replace the hub. there's a good chance it's kinda fucked anyway, and there's always the possibility you could screw it trying to put the new studs in too.

[1990lumina]

it won't be the cheapest, but it might be the easiest option to just replace the hub. there's a good chance it's kinda fucked anyway, and there's always the possibility you could screw it trying to put the new studs in too.

 

I could see why it would be screwed from driving with broken studs...but how do you screw it up removing/installing new studs? Just wondering

[GutlessSupreme]

If you have the proper tools it wouldn't be a problem.. but sometimes some of us try everything with a hammer first..

[CSI_MuNkY]

I'm really glad I'm not the only one thats done this.... When I put my summer tires on this year I forgot to torque one down. After 15 minutes on the road I heard a really bad shake and pulled over, I knew what it was because I'd heard the same thing in my brothers car once, lol.

 

Jamie

[IRONDOG442]

The service manual suggests that you cut them in half to remove them and to reinstall you can just buy shorter lug bolts

[GP1138]

The service manual suggests that you cut them in half to remove them and to reinstall you can just buy shorter lug bolts

 

I'd just do it the right way.. it really isn't that hard to remove the hub.

[SLAMDIT]

Do everyone on the forum and yourself a favor and scrap the car!!!

 

Trust me, the thought has crossed my mind! These W's are turds and I am gettin sick of polishing it! (I know u say it though cause u hate my car, and thats cool, we definately have different tastes! ) My buddy reminded me of the money I have in this thing the other day and then he started telling me what I could have done to my 96 trans am I sold to get this thing. It sucked. Makes me start to think before I start baggin this 95 I have, especially with a kid on the way.

 

it won't be the cheapest, but it might be the easiest option to just replace the hub. there's a good chance it's kinda fucked anyway, and there's always the possibility you could screw it trying to put the new studs in too.

 

If the hub is screwed I will replace it. I don't wanna unless I have to though. The second I heard the rim banging around I pulled over so i am hoping there is no damage.

 

 

Oh well, this was God telling me to attend to some other small suspension related issues that I have been needing to do. I have been putting them off because I had to pull the strut and really didn't feel like doing that. Nothing unsafe, just bs that I wanted to clean up a little. I wish this was a month later so I could just put the damn thing up for the winter, but since it is still August, I still may wanna drive it some so apart she comes! So much for not having plans for Labor Day....

 

-Sean

 

[IRONDOG442]

I am just joshin ya Sean !!! Dont pay any attention to my brainless slandering, its a cool car either way!!!

[GP1138]

I am just brainless either way!!!

 

That's more accurate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SLAMDIT]

I am just joshin ya Sean !!! Dont pay any attention to my brainless slandering, its a cool car either way!!!

 

I know ya are dude, I got no beef at all with ya. We are both obviously gear heads and that's all the matters to me!

 

-Sean

[IRONDOG442]

I am just brainless either way!!!

 

That's more accurate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whatever Pyro Bitch (thats your new name from the Kensington meet) LoL too bad you had a Rush concer to go to!!!

 

 

[GP1138]

Pyro Bitch?? I'm intrigued.

[PCGUY112887]

At least I don't feel so stupid anymore!

 

I was on my first drive with my new 3500GP and I hear what I thought was a brake noise from the front left tire. Kept goin, noticed it would stop when I hit the brakes. Drove a bit more, noticed it felt weird in turns. Took it home and wondered, looked around, went to sleep. Woke up and realized I forgot to even torque the lugs down!

 

I had the tires on and off so much I started to put em on hand tight for the night, guess I was done on that side and forgot about it and left it hand tight. Brake noise was from the rotor moving all around.

 

Could have been worse!