Need wheel lugs on flexwing mower

[Richard]

Mowing the other day, noticed a wheel wobbling around.

(I bought the mower used and it's perhaps 30 years old...ugly as sin BUT, works fine mechanically)

until now!!

So the wheel was wobbling. I already knew out of the 5 (I think) studs holding the wheels on the back of the cutter, the outside wheels had a couple nuts missing and the studs were totally stripped & rusted. The wheel was being held on by 3 nuts.

Seems they've come loose...

Bottom line, I've decided to remove the lugs & replace them.

Called NAPA who said they HAVE lugs of various sizes....but, they don't swap them. So I have to find someone else.

Then got to thinking.... can they simply be pounded out? They're compression fit but have 30 years of muck/rust on them so might have grown together with surrounding metal.

I also have to get the rotors off and I realize that will also be an issue.

During this process, I was going to steal one nut from some other tires and with my standard 1/2" ratchet, couldn't budge any of them.

So what's best way to get them out & replace them given that I don't have a press?

Keep looking & find someone with a press or will they pound out easily, then pound replacements back in?

 

[WranglerX]

Download this catalogue, they have about every size stud, wheel bolts , nuts imaginable.... Start in Section 10 and at about page 150 (or so)...

https://www.dormanproducts.com/flipbook/dorman/automotive-hardware/2006-automotive-hardware.pdf

You can order by brand name & part number through Rockauto, or maybe FLAPS...

Dorman recommend you use a hydraulic press (see notes in calogue) but it's probably safety/liability thing for road use, for farm use you can probably just use a nut and spacers to pull them in.....Since holes may be rust damaged or wallered out and not grip stud well, maybe a bit of tack weld to keep them from spinning...

Personally on farm implement I would pull them in with nuts and spacers then give several whacks with heavy hammer while under tension to be sure they are seated....And check them after a few hours of operation to be sure nothing has moved or loosened....

Since you are replacing studs/nuts anything goes to get old ones loose... I like PB Blaster but any penetrant will work... And don't use ratchet, it is the first thing to break, use breaker bar (3/4 inch drive is better if you have it) with cheater pipe....

Also when putting nuts on for final time a bit of grease on threads, people don't freak out, it the torque that hold nuts tight against wheel, not lack of lubrication...

IF a few are damaged/bad on hub, I would replace them all while you are at it...Cost of parts is very small to have piece of mind everything is ok.......

Dale

 

[Richard]

Thank you for that link!

They've got tons of stuff. Not even sure I can find the correct stud since they have so many choices!

I DID find in the service manual mine are:

1/2" - 20" NF x 1 7/8

I'm guessing that means 1/2 inch, 20 thread (?) no idea what NF means and 1 7/8" long

I see different references to the "friction" part that holds the stud with various choices.

Still.... I know more now than I did before. Maybe once I knock one out....

 

[WranglerX]

NF is "National Fine".... It relates to threads per inch .... Or stated another way diameter is 1/2 inch and 20 threads per inch.....

The real deal is what is diameter and how long is the serrated area that stud seats/locks into in hub....

All dimensions in the example image below will determine what replacement stud you get... Going to have to get at least one old stud out to get all the dimensions..

Dale

 

[Richard]

All dimensions in the example image below will determine what replacement stud you get... Going to have to get at least one old stud out to get all the dimensions..
Dale

Once I saw that there were 32,495 different choices I deduced the same thing.

Thank you for this illustration!

 

[Richard]

Just an update.

I tried and was successfull at literally, pounding them out! Worked like a charm.

So, I went to Pep-Boys (stopped first at Co-Op to drop off two tires that need replaced, he said they didn't have/do studs)

Guy at Pepboys brings out the book, looks at what I had, said because of the splines, the "exact" ones might not fit in there so went up a size.

Got home, they are a NEARRRRRRRRR perfect fit....however, "pounding them in" isn't as easy as pounding them out.

Looks like that small sliver JUST BELOW the splines is a snug fit.

They're 30 miles away. I got these pounded in such that maybe two or three "credit card thicknesses" is my remaining gap. I'm wondering if I can put the nuts on them and tighten those a bit while pounding on the other side.

I'm also a bit wondering if maybe I got some that are a thousandth or three too wide right there... (I have no idea of how finely you can tune the shape)

So my base question is, when you are simply "dropping" the replacement back into the empty hole, should the replacement drop ALL the way to the splines or to the smooth part just prior to the splines? (mine stopped at that smooth part with a slight gap to the splines after they've been pounded upon)

None the less, now that I know I can pound them out, this won't be anywhere as difficult as I'd feared. Just have to be absolute that I have the correct replacement.

 

[goeduck]

During this process, I was going to steal one nut from some other tires and with my standard 1/2" ratchet, couldn't budge any of them.

So those lugnuts are Kando on there?

 

[Richard]

Not sure what Kando means but the answer is probably yes!!

 

[goeduck]

Not sure what Kando means but the answer is probably yes!!

Kando means really, really stuck.

 

[Eagleview]

Yes you can pull them in with the wheel nuts whilst tapping the heads with a hammer , but you run the risk of denting the head down on the side you are hitting .
Surely it is only a matter of removing the split pin and castellated nut so you can remove the hub and do it the right way and get some grease in the bearings while you are at it ?

 

[Richard]

Took the hub off yesterday and took it with me so yes.... just a matter of removing it

(was jam packed with grease I was happy to see!)

There was no 'tapping' on the stud. I had a (I forget) maybe 5 pound hammer and was taking some good licks on the studs (no nut on opposite side trying to pull them in)

They just laughed at me. They ALL stopped about the same height without fully seating.

Makes me wonder if I needed to get the next size smaller (I have no idea of the increments they are sized)

 

[WranglerX]

You should not have listened to counter jockey a AP, he probably has not ever changed out a stud in his life... The make calipers and give exact specification for a reason... Its sort of round peg in square hole theory...

Over time stud will probably pull in and seat , BUT be very careful as if you don't keep eye on them and don't keep them tight it will probably ruin stud, hub and wheel as they try to seat through tension and wear.... And then it will get really expensive....

Dale

 

[Richard]

I get what you're saying.

As it happened though, he was the store manager....said it was lucky (for me) that he was the one helping me because he used to work at (and went on a 5 minute conversation about his experience with wheel studs specifically....)

Got some dial calipers (digital to measure the widths) and pulled their book out.

Started ruling "those" out....and "these couple" as a possible.... measured again....weeded it down and said "this is my best bet given you should oversize it a bit....because if I sold you the stock size, it would be reamed out slightly when the old ones are removed....so you need to oversize just a bit"

I would have NEVER thought of that angle until I tried it.

Well, as it happened, I DID try it. He had to order them so I said do so. I went to next store who had some (exact fit) and when I drove home, they flopped in AND right back out.

Seems the hole was slightly larger because of the first studs going in/out!!! so he was 100% right on that part.

 

[Richard]

The rest of the story...

Got some grade 8 washers (3) and put them on prior to the nut. Used my impact driver with one hand to tighten them while with my other hand, pounded on the head of the bolt.

Got them all driven in although the method still wore me out!!

This was the tire on my outermost position (on the folding wing of a 15' mower).

When I was putting them together, I noticed that I had two more flats, these were in the middle section where I couldn't hydraulically raise them.

cursed/dug around, got my hydraulic (car) jack under the mower lip and raised enough to pull both tires off. Took several days to get them back.

Once back, decided to replace THOSE studs/nuts too (intent is to replace studs/nuts for all 6 wheels)

Got my tires on.....noticed that I had yet ANOTHER flat (mower had six dry-rotted tires when I bought it so I knew I'd be replacing them and now seems to be that time)

I pulled the last tire off.... but can't get it to shop for while... what to do? I know.... I'll replace the studs/nuts that are holding it on and put a newly fixed tire there and move the current dry-rotted tire out to the flex-wing so I can hoist it as needed!

So I had to play some musical chairs with the tires to get it to work but got it moved. Aired it up and it's holding air so it must have a slow leak.

I'll get it soon!!!

Oh, and it turns out I only bought FIVE tires worth of studs/nuts..... so I need to go back and buy another set for the sixth wheel.