How to Replace Wheel Studs on Ford Cars

Broken or stripped Ford car wheel studs have always been a problem. This stems from the fact that the studs are of a softer material than the lug nuts. It is extremely easy to strip the studs by applying too much torque to the lug nuts, pulling the threads out of shape. Another cause Ford car stripped studs is installing the lug nut with less than two-thread contact and not perfectly straight. When torqued, the threads are torn loose. This is not a complicated process and can be accomplished with basic tools with the exception of an air gun. It requires a high torque to draw the stud into the hub. The use of a long breaker bar is too risky due to side torque, which could bend or break the stud.

Under The Hood:

• How to [Replace Wheel Studs](https://itstillruns.com/how-to-replace-wheel-studs-13580018.html) on a Ford * How to Replace a Wheel Stud in a Ford Taurus * How to Replace a Wheel Stud in a Ford Explorer * How to Replace a Wheel Stud in a Ford Focus

 How to Replace Wheel Studs on a Ford

Raise and support the vehicle on jack stands. Remove the wheel/tire assembly using the ½-inch air gun. Remove the two bolts securing the brake caliper to the mounting bracket using a 3/8-inch drive socket. Lift the caliper off the rotor and suspend it from the spring using a suitable piece of wire.

Remove the two bolts in the back of the brake caliper-mounting bracket using a 3/8-inch drive socket. Remove the rotor by pulling it off the hub.

Knock the stud out of the hub with the hammer.

Spread anti-seize on all six washers so they will spin easily under the lug nut. Insert the new stud followed by the six washers and then the lug nut. Run the lug nut in by hand until tight.

Draw the stud into the hub carefully with short blasts on the air gun. Keep watching the head of the stud and draw the stud in just until the head of the stud is flush with the hub. Stop there or the air gun will break the stud off. Remove the lug nut and washers and apply a small amount of anti-seize to the threads of the new lug nut. Replace parts in reverse order of removal.

 How to Replace a Wheel Stud in a Ford Taurus

Purchase a new stud to replace the wheel stud on your Taurus. If you aren't sure about the size, wait until you remove the stud and take it with you.

Look in the trunk for the jack. It's under the spare tire. The jacking tools are there also. Block the tires diagonal to the jack and jack up the Taurus sedan. The Taurus wagon stores the jack in the left side rear trim panel with the spare, if the tire is a temporary. It's in the cargo storage area in the floor if your Taurus wagon has a full size spare.

Take off the wheel. The front brakes are disc and the back brakes are either disc or drum. For disc brakes, take off the caliper and hang with mechanics wire or lay it on top of something, but don't let it dangle from the brake line. Remove the rotor. If the brakes are drum brakes in the rear, remove the drum.

Check for an area behind the hub that allows the stud to clear. Use that spot to remove the stud and put a new one back in the spot. Feel around the back. If you can't find one, you need to remove the hub and put it in a vise.

Hit the stud with a mallet and drive it out the back of the hub. Insert a new stud into the same opening and push as hard as you can. Once you have enough threads showing to grasp a bolt, move on to the next step.

Place a wheel bolt on the stud and tighten it down. Use an impact wrench to make it go faster. As it draws the stud through the hub, you'll need to keep adding more bolts until the stud head seats flat against the back of the hub.

Remove the bolts and put the items back on in reverse order that you took off to replace the stud in your Taurus. Put the wheel back on the vehicle and tighten down the wheel nuts.

 How to Replace a Wheel Stud in a Ford Explorer

Buy a new stud. Get the same size stud that's already on the vehicle. Take it off and take it with you when you purchase a new stud if you're not sure of the size.

Look under the carpeted floor in the cargo area. The jack is behind the rear seat in that area under the floor lid. You need to raise the SUV when you replace the wheel stud for a Ford Explorer. Be sure to block the diagonal wheel before you use the jack.

Jack up the SUV and take out some of the brake fluid to avoid overflow. Remove the caliper and rotor. Use support to protect the line rather than letting it dangle. If the rear brakes are drums, take off the drum. You may need to disconnect the emergency brake cable in the rear.

Locate an area behind the hub that you gives enough clearance to drive the stud out and allows you to put a new one back in with ease. If there's no way to do it, take off the hub and put it in a vise.

Smack the stud with a mallet. Drive the stud out the back. Remove it and replace it with a new one. Push the new stud through until enough threads show to put a wheel bolt on it.

Put a wheel bolt onto the end of the stud that comes out of the opening toward you. Make sure the slanted edges face you. Tighten these down and, as you do, notice how they pull the stud through the hole. Keep tightening and adding more bolts until the stud seats flat against the hub in the back.

Take off the bolts and put all the parts back on in reverse order that you took off to replace the stud on your Ford Explorer. Make sure you add more brake fluid and bleed the brakes before you finish.

 How to Replace a Wheel Stud in a Ford Focus

Buy a new stud. Make sure you purchase the right size. If you're not sure what size to get, wait until you remove the stud and take it with you to the store.

Check the area of the spare tire in the trunk for the jack and the jack tools since you'll need to raise the car to replace the wheel stud on your Focus. Be sure to block the tire diagonal to the jack.

Use the jack to raise the Focus. Remove the wheel Take off the caliper and either hang it by a mechanics wire or lay it up so it doesn't dangle by the brake line. Remove the rotor. If you're working on back wheels, you have to remove the emergency brake clip first. You could have drum brakes in the rear. If they're drum brakes, remove the drum.

Hunt for an opening behind the hub that allows you to remove the stud. Line the stud up with the hole. You may have to take off the hub and put it in a vise if you can't drive it out the back.

Hit the stud with a mallet and drive it out the back of the hub. Push another stud into the opening. This is tough work, but you only need to push it far enough to thread on a wheel bolt.

Put on a wheel bolt and begin to tighten it. As you do, the stud starts to pull through. Add more bolts as necessary until you seat the stud. Check in the back of the hub. When the head is flush with the stud, you seated it.

Remove the extra bolts and reassemble the parts that you took off to replace the wheel stud on the Ford Focus. Put the wheel back on the vehicle and tighten down the wheel nuts.