[alfa] As the stud turns... conclusion!

[Scott Johnson <scott@xxxxxxxx>]

Previously, on as the stud turns:

While attempting to change the rear brake disks on my 71 spider, a lug 
nut "spun out", refusing to loosen all the way off. On advice, the nut 
was eventually cracked off with a drill and chisel, ruining the stud 
underneath. The halfshaft was removed, but it was found there was not 
enough clearance to get the studs out without complex pullers to get 
bearings free.

And now, on As the Stud Turns:

Well, folks were right... there is *just* enough room to get the old 
studs out if you remove all the parking brake stuff. The "dent" in the 
backplate that gives the PB adjuster clearance is just perfect to wiggle 
the old studs out from.

Predictably, the new studs were a good 1/4" *longer* than the old, which 
meant the way I got the studs out was *not* going to be the way I got 
them in. Enter the parking brake cable hole. It is *just*, and I mean 
*just* wide enough to allow the stud head through. If you wiggle, push, 
swear, and pray a bit at it. You'll be tempted to use a hammer (I did 
for the first one), but you don't really need it.

Next came driving the studs home. I'm going to have an interesting set 
of bruises to explain to my wife tomorrow, because the first two I drove 
home by setting the halfshaft in my lap and hammering away through the 
PB cable hole (with the assistance of a punch). The bearing was in no 
danger... was pointing it away & the flange was taking all the force. 
Eventually I stumbled across a much better way to do it... a monster 
C-clamp with a deep well socket protecting the stud. The gear oil hint 
was very useful and highly recommended.

Of course, the parking brake had to go back on. Like all drum brakes, 
this combination of springs, shoes, and widgets is held together more or 
less through friction and the counterbalance of various springs. This 
makes it a kind of chinese puzzle... when it's all put together, it 
holds together fine, but until it's put together, it wants to spring 
apart in a dozen different directions. The PB actuator was the toughest 
part... a real rubick's cube made of two pins and two stamped metal 
bits. Fortunately you can *just* see this actuator through the hole in 
the rotor, so I was able to puzzle it together without disassembling the 
other side (again).

So now all I have to do is source a set of 12mm x 1.5 nuts. Seem common 
enough, but predictably my local wimpy parts store was out. Ah well.

Thanks to all who helped out! Couldn't have done it without you!
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