1953 Buick Super with lug bolts (9/16"). Has anyone switched them to the standard studs/bolts? The front is being converted to disk brakes using Wilwood. I have new wheels and need to switch the rear over but can't find anything besides trailer lugs, which they say aren't rated for use on a car. Thanks
Find a real, old school auto parts store and if you know what size hole you have in the axle(or better yet take an axle with you) they should be able to fix you up with the correct studs. Dorman Products for one has the measurements in their book, if you can find a parts man that still knows what a book is and can read it
Back in the day, I had a "T" bucket with a 270" Dodge hemi, stick transmission and matching rear end (Mopars had bolts back then not studs). I just went to the local mom 'n pop hardware store and bought a set of 1/2 NF bolts with the longest thread I could find. I cut them off and threaded them into the brake drum and hit 'em with my arc welder. Everything went fine until I got to the drivers side (which had left hand threads). I went to the local junk yard and bought another right side rear brake drum and did the same thing. Never had a bit of a problem with it over the next couple of years I drove it around. Combine the Dodge three speed "plow-box" and the 4.30 gears out out of a '53 Plymouth station wagon with OD with a set of Ellingson's 7.60/15 recap slicks, and I could smoke the tires in low gear at will. Never broke nothing or had a shake, rattle, or roll. (Hint : most hardware stores these days stock 9/16" fine thread bolts.)
I have done about three such conversions to various of my Buick’s over the past 15 years or so and the same on a few Mopars for the same reason. BuckeyeBuick’s suggesting is the best path, imo, and that is the way I did mine too. Unfortunately, I do not remember, nor have easy access to the Dorman part # I used for the Buicks. It also may have included drilling the threaded hole slightly larger to accommodate the best dimensioned lug stud I found, I can’t remember for sure about that on the Buicks, but I am certain I did that on the Mopars. I found that having about a .015” interference fit between the lug hole and the diameter of the serrated shank on the lug stud worked very well. And, I am a big advocate of pressing the studs into place, not the hammer ‘em in or draw them in with a nut kinda guy. That works adequately for replacing a stock stud with a new one, but not when you are ‘broaching’ the serrations in the hub material. Ray
When I had my 53 Chrysler with wheel bolts, these are what I used I threaded them into the holes in the drums with double nuts to get the snug Then tagged them in place with my arc welder from the back side I used jaguar XJ40 studs 94 and on up to 04 or. 05 I think are the same. Standard thread 9/16 by something fine thread When I get there with my Buick I was going to try these again.
Why can't you just redrill and tap the axles for new lug bolts such as the ones BMW's use. You have to be careful when welding on a grade 5 or higher bolt or stud because they will become brittle and break
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