I have a couple of questions that I haven't been able to find in searches. 1st gens' don't come with regular wheel studs and lug nuts do they??. They have something different, I'm sorry I don't know what they are called but they have the stud and nut together as one piece. My GSL does not have this system in the front, it has regular wheel studs and lug nuts, but in the back, it still has the stock system. My only guess is that the previous owner converted the old system to regular wheel studs and lug nuts. My second question is did the GSL-SE come with regular wheel studs and lug nuts or did it come with the same front brakes as the GSL??

 

Thats a very good question. weve got a few Rx7s and all of them have got different stud types. Quite annoying realy, weve started ripping most of them apart and trying to keep track of all the studs is bloody impossible.

 

Yeah I know it sucks. I don't know wether to leave the studs and lugs in the front or pay 8.88 for each original piece at my job.....OR, if I get studs and lugs from a GSL-SE, if they came with studs and lugs this is so confusing.

 

Just my .02.. I've recently used screw in studs on my 85GSL. I found a set of old school BBS 15x7 wheels and the stock lub bolts were too short for them. The screw in studs seemed the best bet, with acorn type lug nuts to attach them. Well- I found several of those screw in studs working loose and they did so in quick order!

I ditched them quickly and bit the bullet for the correct length 12x1.5mm thread/pitch lug bolts. You can find them here: http://www.prestigewheel.com/Image204040c.asp

Figure out what type of seat you need (ball or cone)..measure them correctly and drive on. I have not had a problem since.

If my only option was to use studs- I would make sure they get welded on. Forget the screw-ins (IMO)

 

That's the exact same setup I have on my car. The studs fit great and they're secure on the .... hub? or hub/rotor...whatever it uses. The thing is I don't know if they're safer or should I get the stocks.

 

Also tom, what part number did you use from prestigewheel.com, I think I'm gonna order it from them. I should have checked out the website, then replied.

 

If you use the correct lock-tite, and seat the studs properly they won't loosen up.

 

If I recall I used the 52mm (overall length) chrome cone seat lug bolts. Look at your rim and see what type of seat it wants (cone or ball).
To measure correctly I used the stock wheel and lug bolt and measured how far the lug bolt protruded from the inside of the wheel. Then I seated the stock lug bolt in the custom rim and measured how far that protruded. The difference of the two is what you will need to ADD to the stock lug bolt to get the right screw in depth (make sense).

52mm was right on the money for me. However- if you find you need a longer stud, order the next size up and cut the new lug bolts to fit. Make sure you cut carefully with a fine saw blade and get the burrs off.

Oh and fatboy7- I used locktite on my studs. I would still spot weld them on the hub.. But hey- $2.97 a piece for the right lug bolts in chrome ain't bad!

 

Tom

Something was wrong with your setup. I used Black Locktite, and could not remove them when I wanted to. Had to use a torch and heat them to break the locktite.

 

I don't disagree with that. I suspect the studs were too short in the hubs..None the less- I found these and they have worked fine. If I were to ever use studs again, I would still spot weld AND loktite.

It was an uneasy feeling going down the highway saying to myself- "why the hell does my car feel like it's wobbling??"

 

I would bet it was. There is a pucker factor of 10 on that.


Mine threated to where there was some showing on the other side. Maybe yours were a bit short.

 

If you're considering screw-in studs, I don't think it wise to use the kind that screw in from the wheel side. All studs I've seen that are meant to hold on wheels insert from the back side -- whether pressed in or screwed in. This way, they can't back out. Since the rotors are integral to the hubs on first gens, this means the studs could absorb a lot of brake heat, making the potential for loosening even greater.

 

Ok, so in conclusion would studs and lugs (seperate) be better or the stock stud/lug??

 

If inserted from the back side, I think studs are superior, which is why almost every major manufacturere uses them today. The big benefit in my mind comes with frequent/repeated usage (especially if you race). If you bugger up the threads on your studs, you can simply replace the studs. If you mess up the threads in your hub (lug bolts), then it's more difficult/expensive to fix.

 

Most of the racers that I know use screw in wheel studs and they work great. So, Drifter, has your car been converted to a GSL-SE suspension? Or, are we just talking about 1/2 studs and 1/2 lugbolts.

 

That's the thing, I don't know the difference betwen the gsl-se discs and the gsl. The previous owners were rotary heads. I didn't get the car from them, I bought the car from the guy that they sold the car to in the first place, and he had it sitting for a long time so he doesn't know **** about it. Im ordering the discs today for a gsl and I'll look for the only difference I know, that the gsl-se discs are bigger.

 

I believe you can measure the bolt pattern to determine if it's 4x110mm (GSL pattern) or the 4x100mm (GSL-SE).
Also- I would imagine the diameter of the rotor is larger with a GSL-SE, however I do not know what the dimension is..Maybe a search.

I didn't know some of the studs could be applied from the back. I'm sure if mine were longer and applied in this fashion I would have avoided the problem of them working loose.
I would agree screw in or aftermarket studs would be better if you do any hardcore racing but for a daily driver (even driven hard) I'm positive the stock lug bolts would be fine.

 

Yeah I think I know what happened. When the guys that owned the car wanted to put the 15x9 BBS or Enkei mesh wheels, the stock lug bolts weren't long enough, so they went to an auto parts store and got longer studs with lug nuts and installed those. So if they're not wasted Im just gonna stick with studs, the stock lug bolts cost 8.88 at my job, and I don't want to sit around not driving the car while waiting for them to get here from prestige wheels. So what I could do is stick with the studs for now and then just order from prestige wheels later.

 

Just periodically check them.
Also- take a look at the lug holes in the rim. Check for ANY signs of material being worn away..This would indicate whether or not the studs and bolts remained tight. If there is any signs of wear- get those rims repaired properly before driving on them.
Good Luck!

(By the way- I called Prestige directly and ordered mine- They arrived in less than 5 days from West Coast to East Coast).

 

rust streaks coming from the lug nuts/bolts also indicates loose lugs... kinda hard to tell with mags though... on steel rims it's easy

 

An earlier post indicated that the lug pattern on the GSL-SE was 4 X 100mm. This is incorrect. GSL-SEs have a pattern of 4 X 114.3 (or 4 X 4.5").

Another post indicated that the stock studs are fine for everyday driving. Hell, I'm sure the stock studs are fine for any autocross or road race use, too. The reason racers usually run aftermarket studs is to get longer ones that allow the use of wheel spacers.

Lastly, always install your wheels with a torque wrench -- don't use an impact wrench. I have mine set to 95 ft-lb. If you over-torque your your lug nuts, you'll stretch your studs too much, they'll work harden, they'll become brittle, and they'll break.

That's why you see those old beaters running around with missing lugs.

 

My bad on the GSL-SE spacing..I was typing faster than my brain

 

Anyone know if there is an easier way to replace the rear wheel studs on an SE with longer studs without pulling the rear axles? Or is that the only option?

 

www.pineappleracing.com
They sell lug stud and nut kits..