Art,
Jerry details some really good methods above. I replaced all 4 spline
adapters and installed all new WW nuts front and back this past Friday in
the heat and humidity of Philly.
The fronts are a joke, just hit the nuts with a hammer or hammer and wood
and they're history. Pulling the front nuts in is easy, and you'll be
finished up front real quick.
Getting the rear nuts off is more challenging with the drum brakes. With my
dad's help, he pumped and held the brakes and we need to use the handbrake
too. You need all the help you can get to steady the rear hubs so you can
crack the rear nuts. Once cracked, you're only problem is pulling the new
bolts in, that is, getting them started. I used one of the old splined hub
adapter's holes as a washer to get three WW bolts started/seated. After
that, I seated the final fourth rear WW bolt using the new spline hub
adapter to pull it onto the hub, then you're home free. Note: the front WW
bolts are shorter than their longer WW bolt counterparts.
Since you should replace the WW nuts, do yourself a favor and just get the
WW sized ones so you don't have to hacksaw them. You'll be tired enough
after doing all four wheels. The spacer idea with longer nuts could work,
but each time you change back and forth between wires and non-wires, you'll
be stressing the nuts a lot with the 55 lbs of torque needed.
Also, be careful not to get your handbrake stuck. We did and I had to
disconnect the rear cables just to push the car into the garage. So I solved
one problem but created a handbrake problem that soon needed addressing
anyway. I know the cables in the handbrake setup are all new, so something
has to be amiss in the ratchet/pawl area because the handbrake won't budge
at all, but I digress.
Best of luck changing over, Ted
On 6/13/05, Randall <tr3driver@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > I am going to convert my 1971 TR6 to wire wheels. I am told the studs
> > for these are shorter and I will therefore need to change to shorter
> > studs. How difficult will it be to remove the existing studs?
>
> Not hard at all, as Jerry says. Another alternative (recommended by the
> factory
> at least for the earlier cars) is to cut off the excess stud length. Just
> install the WW adapter and special nuts, then use a hacksaw or angle
> grinder to
> cut the studs off flush with the end of the nut.
>
> However, I'd disagree about buying used studs. They're a safety critical
> item
> and do fatigue and distort, especially if someone has _ever_ over
> tightened the
> nuts. They're also easy to damage when removing. At the very least, make
> sure
> a new nut will spin freely to the bottom of the threads, after they've
> been
> removed from the donor car.
>
> When I bought my Stag (with wire wheels), every single stud was stretched.
> And
> I can say from experience, losing a wheel on a TR is no fun at all !
>
> Randall
>
--
T.L.L.
1966 TR4A CTC 73139 LO
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