Replacing a broken wheel stud can be fairly easy, depending on its location: the rear or front wheel. If the wheel stud is broken on a front wheel of your vehicle, you will have to take off more parts to replace the broken stud. The wheel stud and the lug nut hold your wheel on the vehicle. If one is broken, only four studs remain on this wheel, and it is time to replace the broken stud.
Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel with the broken stud and jack up the vehicle on that side. Place the vehicle on jack stands and finish taking off lug the nuts with a lug wrench. Remove the wheel and lay it aside. If the wheel is on the rear, remove the brake drum. This will expose the wheel hub and broken stud.
Take a hammer and knock the broken stud out. If the stud is broken off smoothly with the hub, use a steel punch and magnet to remove the old stud from the brake hardware.
Take your new stud and place it in the hole where the old stud was. The head of the new stud is in the back of the hub, and the threads stick out. Take a larger nut than the stud and place it over the stud. Using a lug wrench, screw the lug nut on the stud to pull the stud through the hub until it's tight.
Replace the brake drum and wheel. Put the lug nuts back on the studs and tighten them. Jack the vehicle up and remove jack stands. Lower the car and retighten the lug nuts.
Loosen the front wheel lug nuts on the wheel where the stud is broken. Jack the front of the vehicle up and place on jack stands. Remove the lug nuts and the wheel exposing the rotor, the brake caliper and hub.
Remove both caliper bolts with a socket and ratchet, and lay them aside. Take a large flat-head screwdriver and place it between the inner brake pad and the rotor. Pry the piston of the caliper back just enough to remove the caliper. Hang the caliper with a wire to support it to avoid damage to the brake hose.
Take the brake rotor off, exposing the hub with the broken stud. Knock the old stud out with a hammer and punch. Insert the new stud into the hole where the old stud was. Take a larger nut and slip it over the stud and the threads. Using one of the lug nuts on the stud, draw the stud through the hub until it seats. Remove the lug nut and larger nut.
Replace the rotor on the hub and slide the caliper over the rotor. Replace both caliper mounting bolts and tighten with a socket and ratchet. Mount the wheel and replace all the lug nuts, tightening the them until snug. Jack the vehicle up, remove jack stands and lower the car. Retighten the lug nuts and start the car. Pump the brake pedal until you have a full pedal. Check the brake master cylinder to see if it is still full.
