Technical Car/Motor Issues > Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? Accessories and Parts
Thread Author: Gromit Replies: 14

 Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? - Gromit
I'm hoping someone into classic Fords can help me identify a wheel stud.

The top, damaged, wheel stud in this photo came off a boat trailer I'm doing up:
tinyurl.com/wheelnut-JPG

Cleaning up the other parts I retrieved revealed they're from the rear wheel assemblies of a Ford, and the wheel rims and bearings are the same size as those from the Mk 1 Escort.

However, Mk 1 Escort wheel studs (bottom in picture) are slightly too small in diameter to engage the splines in the hub, and about twice as long as the originals.

The boat itself is a Splinter Mk3, built sometime between 1969 and the mid 1970s. There was no Recreational Craft Directive back then requiring a plate with all the maker's plate and boat's details to be fitted!

I'm told the Anglia, Cortina, Mk 1 and 2 Escort, and some Capris, all shared at least some wheel components. Most likely, the wheels were taken from a scrap car, so the studs should be from one of these 60's (?) vintage Fords.

The question is: do any of you recognise which one?

[Mods: the year of manufacture and engine size aren't relevant, so feel free to remove them from the subject if you wish]
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 29 Apr 15 at 18:37
 Ford - 60 1.3 60s Fords - identify wheel studs? - Duncan
That link won't work for me.
 Ford - 60 1.3 60s Fords - identify wheel studs? - Gromit
Apologies, the tinyurl link seems to have broken, even when I try to open it from my own PC.

This should work: dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/28975025/wheelnut.JPG

 Ford - 60 1.3 60s Fords - identify wheel studs? - VxFan
Original tinyurl link should work now. It was misspelt.
 Ford - 60 1.3 60s Fords - identify wheel studs? - No FM2R
You should be able to work it out from the thread size and length. Can you measure them accurately?
 Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? - swiss tony
Maybe worth trying this guy?

www.mistertee.co.uk/index.html

or here? www.westerntowing.co.uk/acatalog/Wheel_Studs_Bolts_Nuts.html
Last edited by: swiss tony on Wed 29 Apr 15 at 21:59
 Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? - Duncan
Your friendly neighbourhood nut and bolt shop should be able to do that in a trice.

Where are you?

When I go into my local shop with a bolt or similar to identify, they roll it around in their fingers, peer at me over their glasses, and say "is it 3/8 UNC?" or some other bit of coded language. They then shuffle off out the back and come back with the precise thing.

There used to be a shop in Brighton Road, Surbiton. The woman in there was magic!
 Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? - Mr. Ecs
Good with a one hand shuffle or always disappearing?
 Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? - Gromit
Measured up the old cracked wheel stud and here's what I got (all in imperial, assuming these would have been made to imperial meaurements to begin with):

0.540 - 0.543 in diameter along the straight splined part - you'll see from the photo linked to above there's some rust and wear here - so at a guess it was 17/32" to begin with.

1 1/3" long overall from inside of flange to end of thread.

The thread takes new Mk1 Escort wheel nuts.

The known Mk1 Escort stud is 1/2" diameter at the straight spline and 1 7/8" long overall.


To answer the question of where I am, I'm in Tipperary. Both local motor factors I've tried have told me they can't source new wheel studs. I was directed to a restorer who specialises in Escorts (hence I have Escort parts to compare with, and replacments for everything else I need).

So, it looks like I'm off to t'internet for these wheel studs, hence I need to have some idea what I'm looking for to start with...

 Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? - Gromit
Update...

The Escort Mk 1 studs I got my hands on were just too small in diameter to be an interference fit with the hole in the wheel hub, and its longer than the others already in it.

This has me confused - I rechecked the parts I'd removed from the wheels, and the spacer washers do have Ford ovals stamped into them!

I measured the hole in the hub - which is 13.7 mm diameter (the old stud was 13.8 mm dia.) and shorter than the Escort Mk 1 one.

So, I'm wondering would there have been another Ford of similar vintage (perhaps older) than the Mk 1 Escort would have had fatter, shorter, wheel studs?

Or, is it possible to get a wider diameter replacement stud for the broken one that will still fit the Escort wheel and ream out the hole to take it?

Failing that, any suggestions for safely (re)uniting an undersize stud with an oversize hole?!?
 Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? - sajid
try a hardware store, or ford classic club for the part
 Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? - No FM2R
There must be a local engineering shop which would make you a bolt to your spec.?

I think trying to find the Ford it relates to just so that you can buy it off the shelf is the hard way.

1) Have a bolt custom made by a local engineering shop.
2) Change the hubs to whatever the local scrappy has got. I'm guessing a Ford type might easily fit.
 Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? - bathtub tom
>> There must be a local engineering shop which would make you a bolt to your
>> spec.?

A bolt won't do. Look at the picture in the OP, there's splines on the shank that lock the stud so a nut can be tightened without holding the other end.
 Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? - No FM2R
ok, make a STUD to your spec.
 Ford - 1960s Fords - identify wheel studs? - Gromit
A solution at last...

I ended up doing as No FM2R's suggested and having a mate make a stud to fit the hub and the wheel nuts I had. And a neat job he did too...here it is:

tinyurl.com/n9ganev
tinyurl.com/pmbg2e4

So at last the trailer has all four wheels on!
tinyurl.com/pryuvnl
tinyurl.com/nagpxb9

Next job is to get the whole lot lashed down this evening and towed home...hopefully at the weekend...some substantial towing (and stopping power) is required.
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