History Chrysler's LH Thread Wheel Studs

Rob Baker .... if you'll read the thread, both your questions are already answered.

 

Had the L/H's on my 68' Roadrunner.. After snapping one off, the others were changed out!

 

Pre 65 tapered axle Mopars- here is how it's done. http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/Mopar_tapered_axle_rear_brake_conversion
The front is easier. Get a right side hub- drum and install it on the left.
Righties all around!

 

Rob; If you can get the right-hand thread studs from a local supplier, then just get enough to change all the studs on the left side to r/h threads. The stud dimensions are the same, it's the thread direction that was different.
Obviously, if you're going for a concours correct restore, then the above advise doesn't apply.

Roger

 

And how do you do that? The studs are swedged in place and that requires a swedge cutter to remove the lefties. That tool costs more than the hub change and in the future you can replace the parts cheaper without the left hand thingy.
Do not ever try to press the studs out without dealing with the swedge. you'll be sorry.

 

my 56 Coupe Deville has LH studs as did the 30 Model AA truck I just sold.

 

My take on the LH and RH lug thing is this:

You just gotta be smarter than the equipment you are operating. And said 'equipment' is a nut. So, be smarter than the nut holding the wheel.

Cosmo

 

E-Bay.

My 46 Olds had LH wheel nuts as did my dads of 64 Valiant

 

That's great except where do you get that left hand stud to replace one that is damaged? Do you get that $100. tool to cut the swedge and chance damaging the irreplaceable hub? Do you just change to a different hub to acquire the righties? It seems to be very simple to me, change to righties in an efficient manner. You got to be smarter than the equipment.

 

Well Buick had them also, I feel this was a stock car racing trick. I'd leave them alone for safety's sake.

 

In my experience with changing several Mopars, and a couple of Buick hubs, to studs, it is not that burdensome. I first go to the Dorman Products catalog and pick a stud that has the necessary dimensions for thread diameter and length, the correct shank length and serration diameter.

In most cases, to get the interference press fit I want (about .012" - .015"...if the shank wasn't serrated the interference fit would have to be reduced a lot) I bought a drill bit of the appropriate size. Put the hub in a drill press and drill the threads out. Next, go to the shop press, support the hub with a piece of pipe or deep well socket and press in the new studs. DO NOT attempt to either press them without support or hammer them into place.

As for swaged studs, typically '48 and earlier Ford, I supported the hub, as described above, and pressed out the studs. There was no consequential damage as the swage is very shallow and weak and the hub is thick and strong enough to simply deform the swage upward from whence it came. Same deal on selecting replacement studs.....Dorman Products has what is needed. BTW, the Ford studs were replaced due to length issue, not L/R threads as they are all right hand thread.

Ray

 

Push the LH thread studs out of the hub and put in RH thread ones. Should take the hubs off the car and use a press so you don't damage bearings. This is not hammer territory.

 

The idea that wheel rotation could cause a lug nut or lug bolt to loosen has long ago been proven a myth.

Vibration is what causes fasteners to loosen, and it doesn't care what direction the threads turn.

Of course, you can avoid this by applying proper torque, and checking regularly.

Oh, and this IS rocket science. NASA was who proved it.

Of course, they also proved that a splitlock washer, under high vibration conditions, is equal to or slightly worse than no washer, at-all.

 

Just for the record...all GM cars had LH threads on the drivers side up thru year 1963. They should have an "L" stamped on the ends of them if you bother to look.

 

Simply not a correct statement. Chevrolets were and are RH threads on all lug studs/nuts

Ray

 

Was there some "code" or symbol on the LH ones (I had a Australian Plymouth hybrid many years ago, but all I can remember is hanging the rim on the "pin" that stuck out of the drum to help in lining it up). It would save busting off bolts in the drum.

 

As mentioned, Mopar LH studs have an 'L' stamped into the end of the stud, or on early cars, the bolt.

.

 

Always seemed odd to me that manufacturers used left hand threads on the left side. All Sprint , Midget ,& Indy cars use left hand knockoffs on the Right side. They have been doing this for 100 years!

 

Easy....change to right side drums.

 

British cars used the right-hand knockoffs on the right and left-hand knockoffs on the left. I had an MGA and changed the right side front to left-hand because that was all I could find at the time. The damn thing unscrewed itself and left me wheel-less in an intersection. So....it IS important.

 

A knockoff nut and a lugnut are not the same thing.

 

^^^^^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^^^^ the big difference between some of the examples cited in this thread is that there is NO relative movement between the lug nut/bolt and the wheel, once tightened correctly......unlike the relative movement that can occur between a tapered axle shaft and hub....or a knock off wheel and it's splined hub. In the latter cases, worn keyways or splines can permit movement between those parts.

Ray