dr bob

A couple wraps of tape around the exposed lug threads might be enough to protect them from the spinning blade. For those playing along at home, this job is a little like Russian Roulette. You get to work with a hole saw that cuts the aluminum wheel even more easily than it cuts the aluminum lugnut. You can do a few things to improve your odds though.

The hole saw originally has a centering drill bit in the holder, but that has to come out so the saw will go over the lug. Find a bolt or other round stock to fit in where the drill was, fitted so it acts as a 'drill stop' on the end of the lug. Calibrate the length in one of the adjacent holes, so it stops just short of cutting the rim metal.

Put two lugnuts back in so the wheel is held firmly in place as you drill.

The hose saw has teeth 'set' both inwards and outwards. Depending on how good the saw blade is, work carefully to move the inward-set teeth out enough to be even with the sleeve section of the saw, plus a few thousanths if possible. This will keep those saw teeth from chewing on the stud threads. The tape wraps take up the rest of the clearance and help keep the saw body aligned with the stud as you drill.

GO SLOW with the drill motor. Fast enough so it does the work but slow enough that the teeth actually cut the lugnut metal. Spinning just wears the teeth faster and adds more heat.

When you get close to the final depth of your cut, reverse the motor and go slow with the drill motor and some extra pressure. There's always a chance that the heat of the saw cutting has broken the bond between the lugnut face and the wheel. In the normal cutting direction, you are tightening the nut into the wheel. Reverse just might back it out.

Use plenty of lubricant as you drill with the saw. PLENTY. Wally's ATF-and-Acetone penetrant would be OK for this duty, but you have to keep it flooded with the stuff to be effective as you drill. Careful as it is flammable though.

Alan

What Jim & Dr Bob said - get the depth guaged & holesaw stopped - then go slow and accept some minor damage to the stud - save the wheels... You can always replace the stud next time you disassemble - but do chase it out well before you let an aluminum lug nut go back on the threads.

As for tape on the lug threads - for most rears the holes are way too deep to attempt this - I'd expect it would be hard even on the fronts. See if you can find some thin wall pastic pipe you can insert between the inner holesaw diameter & the stud to keep these located/centered.

BTDT - it was an immense PITA!

Alan

Wisconsin Joe

How do you get a hacksaw blade inside a lugnut?

I could see a coping saw blade, or maybe a handheld jigsaw. But I would think a hacksaw would be too wide. But I'm wrong about a lot of stuff, this wouldn't be the first time.
I've always put the nut in a vise and used a small file. It takes a few minutes, but not all that long. And not too much skill to make a neat groove.

I've used a cutoff wheel on a dremel to make these sort of thread chasers out of bolts to use in damaged holes.
Put the bolt in a vise and cut the grooves. It takes longer to put the bolt in the vise and get it set than it does to cut the groove.'

Of course, you get damaged threads on studs much more often than in holes.

jon928se

Use a junior (6"") hacksaw - like this

put blade through nut then fit blade into frame.

Hilton

I have a "wheel stud re-threading tool" I bought for $4 from 928 Specialists a few years ago. Was part no. SO.TR14150

They don't seem to carry it anymore?

the flyin' scotsman

Learned this many many years ago but with a spark plug to chase threads in motorcycle cylinder heads........file, hacksaw, cutting wheel no matter, cut 2 or 3 grooves and use lube on the threads to collect debris......clean after chasing, lube with anti-seize then torque lug nuts properly by hand.

Must have been all that rain in blighty Roger

ROG100

Bought a hole saw. 5/8" was the best choice but not deep enough so I went with a 3/4". Remove the pilot drill. Just take it easy and there is no way you will damage the thread. Once I reached (by some simple calculation) the depth prior to cutting through the base of the lug nut I found that the wheel would start to move and break the last few thou of alloy. This left a small ring of alloy that had to prized out with a pick before the wheel would come off. Success!!!
As an extra bonus pictures of the 17mm spacers that are fitted to CS wheels.
Thanks for all the help.

Wisconsin Joe

Ahhh.

Thank you. That makes sense.
I was thinking of a "Standard" saw with a wider blade.

Well, I learned something new.

Again.

Alan

OK then: save them both!

Nicely done Roger

Alan

James Bailey

With bolt on spacers I prefer using the steel lug nuts to mount them to the hub.....not so sure why maybe just because they are hidden and steel seems stronger and they are not going to break ??

the flyin' scotsman

Roger......are those 17mm spacers available?

Hilton

They appear to be, but you might want to put the coffee down before you read the price!

MSRP $385!! (not sure what Roger's price would be)

ROG100

That is $385 each - OUCH!!!
Porsche system is down this weekend for maintenance. Can check availability in the morning.
At that price I am sure they will have plenty in stock.

James Bailey

there are good aftermarket hub centric bolt on spacers for Porsche where the studs are pressed in from the rear...for a LOT less

ROG100

Jim,
When I first took the wheel off the SE I thought someone had added the bolt on spacers and was about to take them off as I did not think they were stock. It was only when I saw the 951 part number that I decided to double check.
Roger