[ssj71]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

Hope you have better luck than I did with my last set of Cooper Cobras. I went through 7 new tires to get the 4 good ones that I eventually wound up putting on my pickup truck. They still ride like crap but 'ok' for a truck.
Don't want to hijack this thread because it's too much to go through here.

Read some decent reviews of the Cooper Cobras, about as good as what I was reading regarding the BFG Radial T/As. The reason I didn't get the BFGs was because of the 'browning' problem plaguing the recent crop of tires, including the 4 new ones on my other SSJ. Can't keep them white, and when I do, it's less than 2 weeks before the letters turn brown again.


Can't buy BFG T/As again until I know for sure BFG fixes this manufacturing screw-up.

[mgarblik]

[QUOTE=Fullsize455;5949949]You guys do realize that trying to side load the stud will not work on hub-centric wheels, right? Since we're talking about an aftermarket wheel that my not be hubcentric it might work, but if it's hubcentric it will do nothing to load the stud.

No, I did not realize the wheel in question used a shouldered lug design. Ignore my post. It has been too long and I can't delete it. Your method above would be my next idea. That's potentially a tough deal to contend with.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by ssj71

I didn't get the BFGs was because of the 'browning' problem plaguing the recent crop of tires, including the 4 new ones on my other SSJ..

Well, I hate to tell you, that was the FIRST of the problems I had with them. I took them back and had them flipped blackwalls out and told them I was good with that. Didn't want to hassle with refunds or anything like that.. They turned brown just sitting in my garage after a few weeks.

After having them flipped around, one of them blew out a sidewall before I even had a chance to mount them.
Next, they rode so bumpy that I took them back for a rebalance and one of them would not balance at all. The guy says, you must have hit something hard with this tire.. Of course, I had not hit anything. Had not even driven 50 miles on them. The tread had separated.
I got some Uniroyal Tiger Paws and the difference is night and day.

By the way, the Coopers I had so much trouble with replaced another set of Coopers. I never realized how badly they were riding until I mounted the Uniroyals. I assumed that I had something out of balance in my drivetrain since I had done all the work myself. Turned out it was the tires all along.
Even after I got 4 'good' Coopers after several Saturdays at the tire store, I put them on my p/u truck. They still vibrate a bit between 60 and 65 mph...but I can live with them.
I love the ride on the Tiger Paws...and what better tire than a Tiger Paw for a GTO?

[ssj71]

Greg, that's discouraging! What other options are out there for white lettered tires?

[Fullsize455]

Originally Posted by ssj71

I might also add that on these 200S wheels, the lug nut actually goes into the hole of the wheel, so it's actually the shank of the lug nut that would take the weight of the car.

Not saying it won't work, but the stud itself isn't what's going to be taking the direct weight of the car's load...

Excellent point on the lug nuts.. all the more reason why pulling the wheel outward is the method most likely to succeed.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by ssj71

Greg, that's discouraging! What other options are out there for white lettered tires?

Yeah, it is. I really don't know. I knew about the ongoing 'RWLs turning brown' thread at the time and I didn't truly understand the complaint until it happened to me. Seems like some kind of brownish solution was actually wicking to the surface of the letters from inside the rubber..
Now, my old Coopers never did the brown letter thing, they only seemed hard to balance. The new ones had the balance problem, AND the brown letter problem, plus the two defective tires I got out of four.
It's been about 2 years now I think..maybe they've addressed it. I was a Cooper Cobra fan but I'm done.

[Sirrotica]

FWIW, Hercules makes a RWL tire, however Hercules is a subsidy of Cooper.

[BertMac]

Another thing I have done in this situation is, get a chisel and try to drive it between the hub and the wheel. it will put pressure on the stud and you can hit nut with impact and hit chisel and spin nut off.

[1969GiPper]

Originally Posted by ssj71

Read some decent reviews of the Cooper Cobras, about as good as what I was reading regarding the BFG Radial T/As. The reason I didn't get the BFGs was because of the 'browning' problem plaguing the recent crop of tires, including the 4 new ones on my other SSJ. Can't keep them white, and when I do, it's less than 2 weeks before the letters turn brown again.


Can't buy BFG T/As again until I know for sure BFG fixes this manufacturing screw-up.

The “browning” issue is not limited to the recent crop of tires. I have BFG T/As that are over 20 years old and they’ve been turning brown the whole time.

[Fullsize455]

Originally Posted by BertMac

Another thing I have done in this situation is, get a chisel and try to drive it between the hub and the wheel. it will put pressure on the stud and you can hit nut with impact and hit chisel and spin nut off.

I sure wouldn't do this on any wheel I cared about, especially a vintage aluminum wheel!

[Old Goat Racer]

I think I'm gonna go out to the garage and loosen and lube every lug I have. "Preventive Maintenance".

[geeteeohguy]

Originally Posted by Fullsize455

You guys do realize that trying to side load the stud will not work on hub-centric wheels, right? Since we're talking about an aftermarket wheel that my not be hubcentric it might work, but if it's hubcentric it will do nothing to load the stud.

Pulling the wheel outwards - towards your body - while impacting it will always work unless the lug nut is cross threaded or badly rusted to the stud. This is absolutely what I would try first.

Great point, and one I missed. Was thinking steel wheel for some reason....

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by 1969GiPper

The “browning” issue is not limited to the recent crop of tires. I have BFG T/As that are over 20 years old and they’ve been turning brown the whole time.

There are two 'different' kinds of browning. This is almost like oil stains or tea stains wicking up to the surface. Not the typical browning that all whitewalls and RWLs go through. Not debating, just wondering if you are talking about the same thing. I didn't understand it until I got a set that were doing it.

[pontiacmark]

Really happy with my Mickey Thompsons in 235 60 R15. Had Discount Tire order and install.

[chevymad]

Is it a C clip rear axle? If so, pull the axle/wheel combo and tack weld the stud from the back.

[ssj71]

Originally Posted by chevymad

Is it a C clip rear axle? If so, pull the axle/wheel combo and tack weld the stud from the back.

Yeah, this might be an option if nothing else works.

Never understood this design from GM. Just relying on those splines pressed into the axle flange bugs me. I realize millions of them have been taken on and off successfully, but I'm sure there have been 100's of thousand of slipped studs over the years.

Why not make the hole in the axle flange a shape to capture an identical head shape while still having some spline engagement as it currently is. This would minimize any chance of a spinning stud like this...

[Fullsize455]

Originally Posted by ssj71

Yeah, this might be an option if nothing else works.

Never understood this design from GM. Just relying on those splines pressed into the axle flange bugs me. I realize millions of them have been taken on and off successfully, but I'm sure there have been 100's of thousand of slipped studs over the years.

Why not make the hole in the axle flange a shape to capture an identical head shape while still having some spline engagement as it currently is. This would minimize any chance of a spinning stud like this...

Basically all wheel studs are installed like this, it is by no means just GM. In practice it is a very robust design, and very very rarely is there ever a problem with a stud spinning.

You might want to check to see if these are aftermarket studs on your car, as its very possible someone replaced the originals with cheap crappy aftermarket or even the wrong size studs. I don't know the knurl sizes on that specifically, but as an example, Ford used at least a couple different knurl sizes on the same models, but made year to year changes, where the same stud in a given year will not work in the same model car in the next year. And the sizes are very close, so if you mistakenly use the smaller size in a larger hole, it may seem like it fits at first, then it will spin down the road.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see an aftermarket stud spinning. I would be surprised to see an OE stud spin that has not been hammered or otherwise goobered by a knucklehead.

You'll want to check the hole carefully once you get it apart, and you'll very likely have to use a stud with an oversize knurl if you want to save the axle. They're available, I've used them before.

[Old Goat Racer]

Any progress on the nut ?

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by chevymad

Is it a C clip rear axle? If so, pull the axle/wheel combo and tack weld the stud from the back.

Although this sounds like a great idea, my experience is it generally won't work. Reason is the axle will not move inward far enough to release the c-clip with the wheel and brake drum in place. The drum bottoms on the backing plate before moving in far enough. It's possible if the c-clip groove is worn enough, it will come out or if you can pry the backing plate back enough to allow the drum to move inward enough. Generally, not a simple, easy deal. Good luck.

[ssj71]

Originally Posted by Old Goat Racer

Any progress on the nut ?

No positive news to report yet. Tried my electric impact wrench but after a short period of time, aluminum wheel shavings were starting to accumulate on the garage floor. Probably didn't do the AR200S wheel any favors, but I don't think I lost too much material.

My coworker gave me his fast, more powerful battery-powered impact gun, so I'll give that a try in the next day or two.

If the c-clip is going to be difficult to get out from the axle not being able to move in far enough, it looks like some careful drilling is going to have to be the plan. I'm not excited about that, but with patience, I'll get that drilled out bit by bit.