Phil Ehlen

I've owned my '88 911 Carrera for just over two weeks now - thanks to many of you for helping my thought process through many different threads - and suddenly have some work to do on it.

I imagine it's not a foreign concept when i say that part of why I purchased this car was to have something on which to obsessively maintain. However, this is a little sooner than I expected!

The person from whom I purchased the car had 4 new tires drop shipped to me. Last Friday I took the car to a trusted tire shop, where they promptly sheered the final two Light alloy nuts off at the shoulder. Hints I saw here and on the Pelican board led me to extracting the remainder of the nuts from the lugs, but not without collateral damage to those lugs.

I've ordered the replacement parts and have researched the boards for ideas on how to remove and replace them. There is surprisingly little info dealing with the front lugs, but everything so far says that the hub needs to come off. My short inspection, however, seems to show me that I could knock them out and replace them without removing the hub.

So, my question (finally) is two fold: can the lugs be removed without removing the hub and would there be any downside to doing so? If there is a downside, how difficult is it to remove the front hubs (my Bentley repair manual is in the mail...)

Thanks

MUSSBERGER

I've banged them out on other vehicles but never a Porsche.

Ed Hughes

It is quite simple to remove the hubs. I think you are referring to the studs, as far as what you want to remove? The rears can be done on the car, and I almost think the fronts can be too, but you'll be pounding with a hammer and drift. I like having them off as you can use a vise or hydraulic press.

This could be a good time to replace the front bearings if you remove the hubs. The hardest part is getting the dust cap off. Then you loosen the Allen bolt on the pinch nut, and remove that. Once you have your calipers off, the hub will come off. I'm on my phone, but I'm sure the Bentley dscribes all of this.

Removing the dust cap can be a bitch. Get a 2" muffler clamp for $2 at the auto parts store, bolt it on to the shoulder of the cap and pound on that. Clock it around to remove evenly. I use anti-seize around it before it goes back in.

Ed Hughes

Oh, never leave your car unsupervised at a shop. No impact wrenches and no floor Jack's without the lifting pad, or you'll be replacing your oil lines. Do not assume any automotive business knows anything about your car until you've ascertained their experience.

ricster

Ed is right, no impact guns or improper use of floor jacks. I'm a dealer and there is a tool that's used to take that dust cap off. Before you mangle it as it is a bitch to get off you may ask someone at a shop to borrow it

Phil Ehlen

Ed - thanks.

Ricster - I'm up for buying that tool; besides dust cap puller, what would I search for and is that something I could find online?

TIA

theiceman

swining a 5 lb sledge around my 911 is a recipe for diaster .. amd allways looking for a reason to inspect clean and even just repack the wheel bearings.

Ed Hughes

2" Muffler Clamp!!!!!!!!!! Trust Me!

Actually, you will not be pounding on that as much as prying with a lever. The clamp gives you a surface to get a purchase on with the lever.

rusnak

There is a special Porsche tool to remove the dust cap, as Ricster says. I made one as well from steel pipe. Works very well, and pops the dustcap off in less than a minute.

I totally agree on cleaning and repacking those front bearings. Use a soft redwood or pine dowel to push the rear dustcap out through the hub, then the rear bearing will fall right out.

sig_a

There's a better way to remove the grease dust cap and that's with a grease dust cap tool.

This is Snap-On GCP 10 "Tool, Grease and Dust Cap" $63.55.

You will likely mar, scratch, dent the machined surface of the soft aluminum hub if you use the muffler clamp as a tool. So you spend $2 for muffler clamp that damage hub. Not good economy.

whalebird

I have removed mangled lug nuts before, and by far the easiest method for me was to get a hole saw that will fit just over the lug (you may have to remove the mandrel((drill bit tru the middle)). SLOWLY drill off the remainder of the offending lug nut. Slow is the key, and when it gets close to the wheel you will find that a few tugs on the wheel will break the rest off. You may have to replace the lug, but maybe not. I have done this many times and can do it in ten minutes without any collateral damage.
Good luck

rusnak

As an aside (just one more way to skin a cat), I'm going to see if I can link to the tool that I made.

sig_a

Here's a well designed tool with long handle for added leverage and sharp pincers. $157.60 from: http://www.samstagsales.com/Porsche.htm

Rusnak's above looks DIY clever and very effective. Locks up a bit like muffler clamp.

rusnak

I should add that the bolts are sized to snug into the non-Turbo dustcap groove w/out causing damage.

I suppose Turbo guys would still have to use a slide hammer.

Phil Ehlen

Good stuff. On the road this week, so I won't be able to get to it until next weekend anyway.

BTW, I bought the car outside of Philly and drove it back to SC down I83. I highly recommend the experience. It's a great way to get to know one of these cars.