Just got 21mm spacers for my rear wheels to help fill the fenders out but this requires me to install longer studs. Is this possible to do without damaging the wheel bearings? (I've been reading that this will damage them). Any tips for doing this the easiest way?

 

Don't know any thing about damage done to the wheel bearing, but you'll need to remove the axles, rotors, calipers and the big "A" nut holding the hub on the swing arm. A slide hammer is useful and probably necessary to remove the hub. Once the hub is free your good to go to replacing your studs.

 

Every time I removed the rear hubs new bearings went in. It basically breaks apart on removal. You can get 2 aftermarket bearings for under $60 or so. OEM is a lot more. You will need a slide hammer and bearing puller extractor to remove hub and bearings.

 

I'm not sure you need to remove the hub to remove the studs. I believe the studs can be removed one at a time by rotating the wheel so the stud is aligned with the gap in the parking brake assembly. Pretty close to dead center bottom.

Search this forum. Others have done it.

By the way, I'm in the same.position. Need the correct spacer and studs.

 

Remove the wheel, caliper, rotor, and take apart your e-brake assy. Push the e-brake cable just out of the way inside the trailing arm. Line up the stud you want to remove with the hole that the e-brake cable goes thru and hit the stud with a brass hammer to knock it out of the hub into that hole. Install the new longer stud using that same e- brake cable hole and it will have just enough clearance to install the longer stud on an 86 rear hub. Tighten the stud with a steel open end lug nut if possible. Aluminum lug nuts don't like the abuse and will get damaged. Once it's all back together and the wheel goes on the rest of the slack in the stud can be tightened up.

 

I'll have to try this soon hopefully. You said '86 rear hub, all late offset cars use this hub, yes? I have an '89

 

87 944 till the end of the 968's use the same offset which are easier to replace the rear studs then the 86 and earlier rear hubs.